[1]Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for Congress



51 years ago today, the Supreme Court ruled that access to an abortion was
a fundamental right protected by the right to privacy in the Constitution.
Roe v. Wade set the precedent for legal abortion access in all 50 states.

51 years later, abortions are now entirely banned or heavily restricted in
21 states. Last week, Donald Trump won the Iowa Caucus by a
record-breaking margin — just days after saying he was ‘proud’ to help
overturn Roe v. Wade.

In moments like these, it can be easy to feel hopeless.

After the ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade was leaked, someone asked
Alexandria on Instagram, “Are we screwed?” Here’s what she had to say:

What is important in moments like these is not to think in binaries.
Good/bad, screwed/not screwed. There is no doubt that things are bad. Some
things, really bad. And they may likely get worse.

But that does not preclude the fact that slowly but surely, some good can
be growing as other things fall apart. This is not some syrupy sweet
silver lining case for optimism. Rather, it is really about a choice all
of us will have to make in life, either consciously or unconsciously: will
I be a person who is safe and creates good for others?

Will I be a person who stands up? Will I be a person who primarily minds
my business and serves myself or try to be part of something bigger? Or
will I just be a passive, “neutral” observer of it all?

What I sometimes tell my staff is that the world we are fighting for is
already here. It exists in small spaces, places, and communities. We don’t
have to deal with the insurmountable burden of coming up with novel
solutions to the world’s problems.

Much of our work is about scaling existing solutions, many created by
small, committed groups of people, that others haven’t seen or don’t even
know are around the corner. So while we can’t change the world in a day,
we can and do have the power to make our own world within our own four
walls, or on our own blocks.

We can grow from there with the faith that somewhere out there,
everywhere, others are doing the same. And we will come together.

That’s why if you’re a parent, how you parent matters. If you’re a
neighbor, how you are a neighbor matters. Many of our biggest problems are
results of massively scaled up isolation from others. That means many of
our solutions can be found in creating community.

Ultimately, we live in this world and in this time. We have no choice but
to engage in it while we’re here. Even running away is a form of
engagement. So will your engagement hurt or heal? Build or bring down?

There is no neutral choice, so we can at least do our best to make good
ones and learn and do better the next day.

You are allowed to be scared. To grieve. To be angry. But you are also
allowed to create good, to be soft, and enjoy the small reprieves.
Struggle lasts as long as we do.

In solidarity,

Team AOC

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