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It's All Connected
by Janet Singer
Sometimes the news comes so fast, we just have to pivot immediately to the new fire burning. For many, the leaked Supreme Court opinion overturning Roe v. Wade was that kind of moment. But for others of us, it’s a moment we’ve been preparing for for years. And, in truth, in many states, it’s as if Roe v. Wade had been overturned years ago, because there are almost no providers. So, today, I write a more personal column than usual.
As most of you know, I practiced as a nurse midwife for 30 years before retiring to be the Political Director of CGB. During that time, I supported many women through birth, but I also saw many women who wanted to end their pregnancies and could not find a provider. I believed in the hallmark of midwifery: Trust Women. So, I became an abortion provider. I had to leave my state to do it. It was the most satisfying work I ever did. I trained others and made sure every medical student in my classes learned how abortion is restricted in the U.S. There is a map I would show to the students about where abortion was most restricted. I was struck that virtually the same map could be used to show where gun regulations were the weakest, where educational achievement was the lowest, and where numerous health outcomes were the worst. It’s all connected.
And we planned for the post-Roe era. The breakthrough of medication abortion meant we would never go back to the coat hanger days. A friend in the movement used my mailing address to test whether she could mail abortion pills from India (where misoprostol is an over-the-counter medication) to the U.S. I was thrilled to open that envelope in my Cambridge apartment. The day Donald Trump was elected, I sobbed because I knew it meant we had lost the Court, and that this day was now inevitable.
That was the day I started to wind down my midwifery career and increase my electoral activism. It’s all connected.
What motivated me can now motivate others to come out in large numbers to vote. If this battle is in the states now, then that’s where we need to focus. The states that CGB has chosen to focus on are the ones where our biggest opportunities lie. As the Cook Political report highlighted this week: “The 7 states that offer the biggest potential for a Democratic backlash driven by abortion rights are (in alphabetical order) Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.”
We all have our issues that move us. Climate change might be yours. Access to abortion care is mine. To accomplish any form of social justice requires both a functioning democracy and electing the right people to govern. We may have lost the Supreme Court, but we can fill the other courts with good judges if we hold on to the Senate. And we can make sure votes are counted fairly if we elect Democratic pro-democracy Governors, State legislators, and Secretaries of State in the critical battleground states. Now, more than ever, is the time to act.
Pick an activity you like to do that will help the cause. (Opportunities below.) As Rondo Moses ‘84 says: “You never want to feel ‘I woulda, coulda, shoulda’” the day after Election Day. Tell us how you want to participate here and/or join us on Slack where you can see all our teams.
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