Friend -
Anniversaries are usually marked by celebration and happiness. It’s a time to cherish the past and to look forward to the future. But there’s one anniversary that I absolutely loathe and we just passed it.
The anniversary of the Supreme Court decision to strike down Roe v. Wade.
It’s a painful reminder that women are not equal. And yes, we were never equal even with Roe v. Wade. But with it, at least women were able to determine our future – whether or not to procreate was a woman’s personal decision. Instead it’s marked with uncertainty.
For the past year, you’ve probably read headlines and stories across the nation of women not yet sick enough to receive medical care because of anti-abortion laws. You’ve listened to the horror stories from the generations before abortions were accessible and safe. And you’ve watched as nothing nationally has yet to happen to protect a woman's right to privacy over her own body.
And while there are a number of states that have protected a woman’s right to choose, the setback of undoing Roe v. Wade is still heavily looming over us. For the women and men who support women’s right to choose, it still fucking hurts.
As a mom of two daughters I never thought that they would live in a world where I once had more rights than they currently do. But it is their unfortunate future.
To me, it is the anniversary of my daughters’ rights being stolen. Erased. Disregarded. Trashed. CANCELED.
That is why it is the anniversary I loathe.
A progressive mom’s musings,
Edil Mari De Los Reyes
