How to Deal With the Pending Destruction of Roe V. Wade and Abortion Rights
As you may well know by now, the future of Roe v. Wade looks bad .
In 1973, the US Supreme Court upheld the constitutional right to abortion in Rowe. However, over the decades since then, many states have continually found ways to limit, ban, and curtail your right to abortion. In 2019, we looked at some of the many ways you can support the fight for access to abortion . In 2020, we looked at what would happen in your state if Roe v. Wade was overturned . Now that 2021 is drawing to a close, these items are more relevant than ever.
Anti-abortion advocates’ efforts are reaching an epic peak this week as a majority of our Supreme Court justices appear to support a 15-week abortion ban in Mississippi . This decision will deal a serious blow to Rowe . During Wednesday’s oral argument in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, Judge Sonia Sotomayor raised the question of what legacy this would leave for the Court : “Will this institution survive the stench it creates in the public perception that the Constitution and its reading is just political action? “
As Vox explains , the most likely outcome of this case is that the Court will either (1) explicitly overturn Rowe’s decision or (2) reverse it in a more harsh manner. Any of these results would spell the end of the constitutional right to abortion.
As we watch all of this unfold, many of us feel hopeless, helpless, and / or full of unbridled rage. The Supreme Court is likely to rule in the Mississippi case next summer. In the meantime, one simple and important thing you can do right now is donate to reproductive justice groups . Here are a few more ways you can help combat an impending abortion violation and how to (relatively) take care of your mental well-being in the process.
Examine the state of your condition
Rowe’s ouster won’t come as a surprise to the state legislature. Some states already have pre- Row abortion laws; some have trigger laws that should go into effect in Roe’s absence; others still have laws ready to keep abortion legal no matter what. To see how the loss of Rowe will affect abortion availability in your state, use this table from the Guttmacher Institute . We have drawn a major takeaway here for many states .
Focus on local action
Wherever you live, you have opportunities to get involved. This Twitter thread , which is one of many who share this opinion today, explains why it is often more important to donate to local organizations than to (relatively) well-funded national organizations. Planned parenting provides the necessary care, but they are not always as well positioned as local independent abortion foundations that support the special needs of their communities. The fall of Rowe will have a devastating impact on these independent clinics, which will therefore need local support more than ever. To find local trust funds to donate to, visit the National Abortion Foundations Network .
And wherever you decide to donate, consider setting up a reasonable recurring donation to have a longer lasting effect.
Find Non-Monetary Ways to Volunteer
While it may be more important to go to the local market right now, I’m not going to tell anyone not to support larger organizations like Planned Parenthood or NARAL . In addition to making regular donations, check your regional Planned Parenthood chapter for other volunteer activities; they almost always need people for telephone banking and data entry. If you are a lawyer, consider donating your time to a reproductive justice hotline such as If / When / How . And if you are physically and mentally fit, one of the most effective things you can do is volunteer as an escort at your local clinic.
Hold politicians accountable
Watch. I know the phrase “call your representatives” sounds like a joke these days. A useless, frustrating, soul-sucking joke. You are thinking about how you voted for the pro-choice politicians in the last local or national elections. And when this Supreme Court case got out of hand, what’s the point of wasting your time on phone calls?
Well, my half-hearted argument is that contacting your representatives is a small action that you can take every day, several times a day. Even if the person on the other end of the line isn’t listening, you may find a much-needed catharsis in the act of yelling at the phone.
How to contact your representatives
Use this guide to find your representatives and their contact information. From there, you can navigate the page to identify your representatives. The Governor’s contact information can be found on this website . Here’s how to call your member of Congress when his phones are clapping .
Not sure what to say on the phone? Here’s our guide to calling congressmen when you have social anxiety . Let me remind you that your representatives work for you. You are their boss. Hold them accountable for their actions.
Otherwise, if you want and can, take to the streets and demand responsibility. Information about local protests can often be found on social media platforms such as Instagram and Twitter.
To take care
In addition to the above steps, it is important to check your own mental health. Here are some ways to deal with situations where it seems like we are living in a state of constant crisis:
- Balance the amount of news. The human brain is not designed to constantly consume disturbing information. If you find it necessary to read the news, look for some positive stories as well .
- Set social media boundaries or log out. In general, limiting the scrolling of news is a good idea .
- Do grounding exercises like yoga or meditation, which can calm your sympathetic nervous system .
- Maintain a daily routine. Taking a bath every night, walking the dog, and making morning coffee are ways to prevent panic attacks and maintain basic levels of functioning.
Finally, do your best to keep perspective. If Rowe rolls over, we won’t know until summer. And when that time comes, the impact of abortion laws will disproportionately affect different groups of people based on race, class, and region. I type and delete some variations of the word “there is hope” all the time, but the unreliability of the phrase does not suit me. Here’s what I’ll say instead: Focus on supporting any independent organizations that are fighting for access to abortion in your community. It seems that this problem is out of our control, but that does not mean that we should roll over without a fight.