The Supreme Court Made Me a Democrat

I grew up in a fundamentalist Christian home. Abortion was not discussed, but my virginity was a regular dinner table topic. My father made it clear that he expected me to be a virgin when I married. Having sex became something I feared. I remember when my friends in high school had sex with their boyfriends and ended up needing an abortion. But even in the 70’s, getting an abortion wasn’t easy. I remember it cost $250. My good friend stole the money from her employer (no, the boyfriend didn’t offer to pay). She was caught and fired. While I felt terrible for her, I was glad girls could wait until they were older to start a family.

The decision about when and whether to have a child is critical. I grew up with the freedom to choose whether I wanted a family. Because my father was abusive, I didn’t want to have children, fearing that I might be an abusive parent as well (now referred to as generational abuse). But with the support of my husband and a trained psychiatrist, I eventually moved forward and, in 1994, gave birth to a daughter whom I cherish.

 Due to my strong affinity for public service, I ran for office as an independent and was proud to serve as a councilwoman for Silverthorne, Colorado. I learned how a city funds essential services such as police, roads, buildings, and utilities. I met with angry constituents and learned to solve problems with my Democratic and Republican colleagues. Due to health issues, I had to give up my elected office, but I took the knowledge I gained for future use.

I assumed my daughter would have all the opportunities I enjoyed. I helped her attend a top university and begin a successful career in California. But then the world changed, not due to COVID-19 but because the U.S. Supreme Court decided to take away women’s fundamental reproductive rights. I was astounded that this could happen and knew I had to do something. Having recently moved to Arizona, I looked at the candidates representing me and realized that it was time for Arizona to make fundamental changes to better help all its citizens. So, I joined the Democratic Party and now work to get abortion rights memorialized in the state’s constitution.

 The issue is now a larger crisis. This week, Arizona banned abortion at all stages of pregnancy after a state Supreme Court ruling Tuesday found that officials may enforce an 1864 law criminalizing all abortions except when a woman’s life is at stake. The law provides no exceptions for rape or incest.

 To help us, visit https://arizonaforabortionaccess.org and donate or get involved. We must pass a constitutional amendment to create a “fundamental right” to receive abortion care up until fetal viability, or about the 24th week of pregnancy, with exceptions after that point if a health care professional decides it’s needed to “protect the life or physical or mental health of the pregnant individual.”  We have enough signatures to get this measure on the ballot, but we must pass it. Join me in this fight.