This year has been a great leap backward for women’s reproductive rights in several states and especially in Alabama. The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade has made the right to safe and legal access to reproductive rights of women a state issue. Alabama, along with many other GOP- controlled states, was quick to enact a near-total ban on abortions, causing great harm to the health of women and children.

We cannot look upon the writings of our constitution or our very own motto of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness when women are not free to control their own free will of choice towards their own bodies. By making this a state issue, the Supreme Court has handed over women’s bodily autonomy to a group of mostly conservative male legislators.

Let us discuss how this ban is also going to affect our economy and job market negatively (see op-ed). We can discuss how our justice system will be clogged by mostly women of color and those impoverished from lack of medical insurance, and sadly by people whose only crime was helping women in a 21 Century railroad that was not called for. These are discussions that we should not be having, yet here at this inflection point, we must all take a stand for our mothers, sisters, and daughters. It is not I but we, we the people of these United States, we the people of every state, county, city, town, and village must bring this discussion not just to the voting booth, but to our dinner tables, and into our homes.