Roe v Wade 1973 / Dobbs v Jackson 2022

International

Roe v Wade 1973 / Dobbs v Jackson 2022

The landmark 1973 judgment from the Supreme Court of the United States has been overturned in 2022. Many excellent commentaries have been issued but LW wanted to share the heartfelt message that Michelle Obama issued. Here it is in full.

I am heartbroken today.

I am heartbroken for people around this country who just lost the fundamental right to make informed decisions about their own bodies.

I am heartbroken that we may now be destined to learn the painful lessons of a time before Roe was made law of the land – a time when women risked losing their lives getting illegal abortions. A time when the government denied women control over their own reproductive functions, forced them to move forward with pregnancies they didn't want, and then abandoned them once their babies were born.

That is what our mothers and grandmothers and greatgrandmothers lived through, and now here we are again.

So yes, I am heartbroken – for the teenage girl, full of zest and promise, who won't be able to finish school or live the life she wants because her state controls her reproductive decisions; for the mother of a non-viable pregnancy who is now forced to bring that pregnancy to term; for the parents watching their child's future evaporate before their very eyes; for the health care workers who can no longer help them without risking jail time.

When we don't understand our history, we are doomed to repeat its mistakes. In this country, our futures are tied together in a delicate tapestry that we each have a hand in making. Too often, cynicism or indifference make us feel like we don't have a say in weaving it, but that couldn't be further from the truth. The more we allow pessimism to push us further into helplessness, the less we will be empowered to help create the kind of country we want to live in.

This horrifying decision will have devastating consequences, and it must be a wake-up call, especially to the young people who will bear its burden. I know this is not the future you chose for your generation – but if you give up now, you will inherit a country that does not resemble you or and the values you believe in.

This moment is difficult, but our story does not end here. It may not feel like we are able to do much right now, but we can. And we must.

If you're like me and you want to get started right now, I encourage you to channel your frustration and anger into action by getting involved. Organizations like Planned Parenthood and The United State of Women, among many others, have resources you can look to if you want to help others or if you need help yourself.

Our hearts may be broken today, but tomorrow, we've got to get up and find the courage to keep working towards creating the more just America we all deserve. We have so much left to push for, to rally for, to speak for – and I know we can do this together.

Planned Parenthood

Access care, learn more, and get involved:

plannedparenthood.org

The United State of Women Reproductive Justice Hub

Access care, volunteer, and donate to abortion funds:

usow.org/repro/