At one time, when women spoke out against politicians and Supreme Court nominees who opposed the rights of women to bodily autonomy, they were told to stop overreacting. When they warned of the danger of electing right-wing candidates promising to take away the right to choose, they were told to stop being so dramatic.
Now, Roe v Wade is about to be overturned according to a leaked draft opinion by the stacked Supreme Court. President and Mrs. Michelle Obama issued a statement regarding the leaked draft, reaffirming their support of a woman’s choice to make her own medical decisions without interference by the government.
Here’s my statement with Michelle on the draft Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. pic.twitter.com/xBJJkLYGlQ
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) May 3, 2022
The Philadelphia Sun printed the entire statement, which began with:
‘Today, millions of Americans woke up fearing that their essential freedoms under the Constitution were at risk.’
The Obamas spoke of the end of a free society for all people should Roe v Wade be overturned because, as Dr. Martin Luther King once said, “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” They also reminded pro-lifers celebrating the decision that the decision will not end abortion in any significant way, but it will end the rights of women to access safe abortions.
‘The consequences of this decision would be a blow not just to women, but to all of us who believe that in a free society, there are limits to how much the government can encroach on our personal lives. And this decision is unlikely to significantly reduce abortions, which have been steadily going down over the past several decades thanks in large part to better access to contraception and education. Instead, as we’ve already begun to see in states with restrictive abortion laws, those women with means would travel to states where abortion remains legal and safe. Meanwhile, those without enough money or access to transportation or ability to take off from school or work would face the same circumstances most women faced before Roe, desperately seeking out illegal abortions that inevitably pose grave risks to their health, their future ability to bear children, and sometimes their lives.’
Finally, they issued a call to action, to join activist groups who march, rally, circulate petitions, demonstrate, and speak out. Most importantly, though, they called on all Americans to vote, both this November and in every election where women’s rights hang in the balance.
‘We’re asking you to join with the activists who’ve been sounding the alarm on this issue for years — and act. Stand with them at a local protest. Volunteer with them on a campaign. Join with them in urging Congress to codify Roe into law. And vote alongside them on or before November 8 and in every other election. Because in the end, if we want judges who will protect all, and not just some, of our rights, then we’ve got to elect officials committed to doing the same.’
Read the full statement here.
Twitter was quick to respond to the statement from President and Mrs. Obama. Read some of their comments below:
