Oklahoma representatives are ‘out-of-step’ with our views on abortion, reproductive freedom
My story is no different than many others. I came of age with Roe v. Wade, having just graduated from high school in 1973. I lived with the freedom to make decisions about my reproductive health, a freedom my mother did not have and one I never take for granted. So, I am angry, disappointed, but most of all, I am energized. I am ready to work alongside family, friends, and colleagues to take back our right to abortion and to retain the freedom to make decisions about our personal reproductive health. We owe this to the women and men who fought for our reproductive freedom prior to the 1973 Supreme Court decision that affirmed a woman’s right to an abortion.
We — and I mean everyone who believes in self-determination and body autonomy — must get involved and show up every day. That is precisely what the anti-abortion movement did, and we are no less capable of the very same thing.
There is plenty of work to be done right now to restore abortion rights and to stop the government from eroding our freedoms to access all methods of birth control. Many do not believe that government and elected leaders will touch birth control — they can and you should be concerned that they will. As Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas clearly signaled in his recent opinion, the rulings that established marriage equality and contraception access may be reconsidered. Let’s make no mistake: it’s open season on current rights that do not conform to a rigid ideology imposed by a noisy minority.
Just this week, a handful of Oklahoma House Representatives filed a request for an interim study regarding “the impact of sex education in schools and the sexualization of minors.” The title sounds like this should be objective research but we only need to look at the most recent legislative session to find examples of legislators promoting lies, misinformation, and fear about issues related to books and gender. The routine fabrication of facts is how the erosion of freedom begins, and we need to stand up and push back. Now.
We all have the power to make sure our values are represented. Never forget that our senators and representatives work for us. We should not be afraid to ask questions about their position on reproductive rights, and we must let them know that they are out of step with how Oklahomans view access to abortion and reproductive freedom. Our silence is their power.
Send an email, call their office, donate to like-minded organizations, attend public forums and private gatherings, and ask questions. And remember, the most powerful tool that each of us have is our vote and our ability to organize. If we remain relentless, make our views known, and vote at every single opportunity, we will restore our reproductive freedoms — and it will not take 50 years to get the job done. If we remain on the sidelines, we risk grave consequences.
Elizabeth Eickman is the director of an Oklahoma City philanthropy, a Kirkpatrick Policy Group board member, and a lifelong women’s health advocate.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma representatives are ‘out-of-step’ with our views on abortion
