Why Are We Marching?

By: Ashleigh Lowe, Undergraduate Intern

As I’m sure many of you are aware, there was a national march for abortion rights this past Saturday, October 2nd. There were 660 demonstrations across the U.S. sparked by the Texas abortion ban that went into effect last month.

The Texas ban, also known as the “heartbeat bill” bans abortions after 6 weeks of pregnancy when the fetal heartbeat can be detected. The law relies on private citizens to report and sue anyone suspected of aiding in an abortion. It should be noted that most people who can become pregnant will not notice a pregnancy at this stage because their period will only be two weeks late. Additionally, the law makes no exception for rape or incest, which makes it more extreme than other bans in the country. The Texas abortion ban impedes the constitutional right of women and those with uteruses to have an abortion. It also criminalizes this right and the ability to make a choice for one’s own body.

The only person who has a say in whether or not you can and should get an abortion is you. However, that is not the belief held by many of our politicians today, who would like to restrict our right to choose. The right to choose is simply doing what is best for you depending on your current situation. Politicians should not be included in these decisions; the fact that they are and are restricting our choices so heavily is why we march. We march for the ability to do whatever benefits our lives.

Lastly, we’d like to ask you, our readers why or what you’d consider marching for? What would you take a stand for? photo credit: Reuters

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