We must stand together as notorious feminists!

These are dangerous times to be a woman. This past Monday, the Justices heard nearly three hours of argument against Texas' six-week abortion law, Senate Bill 8. Controversially crafted to avoid having the state and local government enforce the anti-abortion law, this senate bill prohibits abortion at about six weeks. It places the enforcement on private citizens by giving them the legal right to file a lawsuit against anyone who aids in getting or provides an abortion. Basically, a Lyft driver who drives a woman passenger on her way to get an abortion can get sued and ordered to pay a minimum of $10,000 in damage and attorney's fees.

Photo by Gayatri Malhotra on Unsplash

The Senate bill is brilliantly crafted. By taking the enforcement out of the hands of the state and local governments, it blocked the federal courts from finding it unconstitutional and thus not enforceable. By putting the enforcement in the hands of private citizens, the higher courts have been confused and dazed. Texas has successfully jeopardized women's rights established by 1973's Roe v Wade, nearly five decades ago.

While the Justices haven't ruled on the two arguments they heard, Texas' SB 8 is a big blow to women and our rights as individuals. This isn't just about abortion. It is more than our reproductive rights. It is about our individual rights, and not just women's rights. It is about our individual rights and to separate the church from the state as this nation's founding fathers intended.

When we talk about abortion, we cannot escape that Pro-Life roots from religious beliefs rather than science. The viability of the fetus has long been established at around 24 weeks by science. Even with all the technologies in today's medicine, it is very rare to have fetuses survive earlier than 24 weeks. It sounds cold, but heartbeats don't equate to viability when it comes to a fetus.

I say that with a very heavy heart since I don't know if I would've chosen abortion if I had gotten pregnant although I had never wanted children. My choice not to have a child was a decision I made while I was in my early thirties. Even in my twenties, I was very hesitant about parenthood while engaged and married. However, I don't know if I would've been able to abort a pregnancy... a seed that is a part of and from me.

I have been very cautious about sharing my personal perspective on abortion. Pro-Choice doesn't mean pro-abortion. Pro-Choice means that we as individuals have the right to weigh our beliefs, religion, and science when it comes to our bodies and reproductive rights, and make the decision that is right for us and our bodies. A woman's body, health, and life outweigh the unviable fetus. And, religion must never dictate what is right and wrong in this nation. 

When we allow religion to dictate what is right and wrong, our First Amendment is being violated. Our right to practice the religion of our choice or no religion is our protected right under the Constitution. Just as I respect those who practice and preach their religion, they must also respect those whose beliefs differ from theirs. Otherwise, they are putting their individual rights protected under the First Amendment in jeopardy. One cannot trample on the rights of others and not expect their rights to be jeopardized.

For those of us who have experienced what it is like to have our individual rights questioned, minimized, and made less of, we must stand together as feminists and be as strong as the Notorious RBG. Today women... Tomorrow who else? There will be no end in sight to diminishing and taking away the individual rights of this nation's minorities when we just watch as one group's individual rights are being taken away.

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