July 5, 2022

Friends, students, elected officials:

Oftentimes, when I read about things in the news, it's easy to pretend that it won't affect me. But right now, I am genuinely scared. I don't know what to do to protect myself or my friends.

On June 24, 2022, we were faced with a ruling that will change the life of everyone in the United States. The truth is that right now, we are living in a country where guns are valued more than women. What we previously considered unthinkable is now true; after years of activism and diligence, protections for women’s health have been cast aside, leaving millions at risk.

With the decision of the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade, almost half of the country is expected to outlaw or severely restrict abortion. As a teenager, I feel like my future is jeopardized. There are now people my age who do not have access to safe healthcare and face not only fear and unsafe procedures, but even criminal charges. 

We are not trying to force people who do not support abortions to have abortions. However, that minority cannot impose their beliefs on everyone else. Now, people across the country who do not stand by those same beliefs are forced to face the same restrictions. America is supposed to be a nation that separates church from state, but it is clearly not, and that is unacceptable.

The overturning of Roe v. Wade does not simply restrict access to abortions. It forces pregnant teenagers to abandon their education to take care of a child. It forces babies into unstable foster care. It forces families who are not financially ready to support a child to have that child. It forces victims of rape and incest to carry their abuser’s child. It forces people to birth a child even when they know the child has birth defects or even cannot survive after birth.

The restriction on abortion right will not lead to the end of abortions; it will lead to the end of safe abortions, causing fatality and injury in already vulnerable communities.

Justice Thomas has additionally recommended the Supreme Court reconsider other cases that cite the 14th Amendment: namely, Griswold v. Connecticut, Lawrence v. Texas, and Obergefell v. Hodges. These rulings respectively guarantee access to contraceptives, the right to same-sex activity, and the protection same-sex marriage. If they were overturned, it would endanger the rights of women, LGBTQ+ people, and several other minority groups.

The overturn of Roe v. Wade has caused many of us to feel sorrow, anger, and heartbreak. As a member of Generation Z, I will not stand by and watch my future dissolve into division and fear. I encourage you all to join me in standing against the Court’s decision and fighting for the codification of abortion rights.. We will dissent. We will protest. Our voices will be heard.

Sincerely,

Gitika Sanjay