Dear John,
Today would have been the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, but after the Supreme Court’s decision last year, we are not celebrating. There are a ton of mixed emotions that come with today’s should-be anniversary. As a lawyer who believed in the rule of law, losing Roe was gutting, but it also pushed me to think about how to move forward. Today I’m sharing these reflections with you:
* Why today matters: On this day 50 years ago, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutional right to abortion. While we mourn the loss of this right, it is also an important day to reflect on how it happened in the first place. Anti-abortion extremists started immediately, breaking every rule along the way, to systematically gut the right to abortion. After the fall of Roe. I woke up to the realization that, really, there aren’t rules. There are just those who are in power.

* Why Roe was never enough: Even when abortion was constitutionally protected, we were not free. Anti-abortion extremists forced providers to lie to patients about their care, made pregnant patients wait up to 72 hours to access care, and targeted clinics with ridiculous regulations meant to shut down clinics—like how wide your hallway has to be. They also denied young people access to abortion and made it impossible for people with low incomes to get abortion care covered by insurance—knowing they wouldn't be able to afford it otherwise. What does this mean to me? It means that a right gutted is not a right we want to go back to.

* What can we do now: We won’t be able to restore our federal constitutional right to abortion until we comprehensively fight back against extremist attacks that threaten our basic right to exist. Whether you are making monthly donations to an abortion fund or local clinic, supporting a local and robust free press, fighting attacks on voting, or strengthening worker power—we need to build around our communities’ needs and uproot systems built on bigotry—supporting those most impacted by racist and sexist systems.

Together we can move toward a future where we all of us can live with dignity, freedom, and equality. A future where we all have control over our own bodies. A future with abortion always.

In solidarity,

Leila Abolfazli
she/her/hers
Director of Federal Reproductive Rights
National Women’s Law Center
P.S. If you’re interested in continuing to mark Roe day, read my full reflections on Roe Day [[link removed]] and share a post on social media! [[link removed]]
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