I thought I was fighting to make things better. What now?

Dear Grace,

I served our country for a long time, pretty much all through my twenties. I don’t know what to say when I see all these rules against abortion happening in our country. The right to decide about our own bodies is really important, and it feels like all the time I spent protecting our country’s freedom doesn’t mean much now. It seems like the people who are making these rules don’t understand how it affects regular people like us. It’s like they care more about winning an argument than letting us keep our freedom. What can I do to help change things?

– P-O’d in Palmyra

Dear P-O’d,

First of all, thank you for your service. It’s no small sacrifice to dedicate that many years to defending our country. 

If you truly love something and want it to be the best it can be, you have to acknowledge its shortcomings. Loving our country means speaking up when we feel something pushes against our values. You’re right–every woman and pregnancy is unique and potentially challenging. There are so many situations in which a woman might need reproductive care, from contraception to miscarriages, which means laws restricting abortion impact more people than many of us realize. 

Here are some ways you can help make your voice heard:

Tune into your state. Since last year’s Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, abortion laws have been in the hands of the states. Learn about the laws on the books in your state here. As a Wisconsin resident, you may also want to tune into the ongoing debate over the Wisconsin 1849 ban on abortion.

Talk to your representatives. I hear your frustration with the disconnect you see between the people and their representatives, and you’re not wrong. The majority of Americans support legal access to abortion, but state legislatures across the country have taken steps to pursue near-complete bans. It begs the question: if our representatives aren’t listening to their constituents, who are they listening to? Get in touch with your state representative to tell them what you think and learn about their stances. Remember, these people work for you!

Connect with your community. Our reproductive decisions are a sensitive subject, to say the least, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t talk about them. Keep talking to the people in your life about these concerns and see where you find common ground. There are also plenty of local and state groups who organize people with your passion to make a difference. 

Whether you’re serving in uniform or using your voice like you did today, I have no doubt that you can and will make a difference. Keep being you.  

<3,
Grace