Men commit 98% of mass shootings, yet the Supreme Court is sending a message to women that they do not have the judgment to make decisions about their safety.  

According to NPR, 11 states now ban or severely limit abortion.  11 others are in the process of doing the same. A woman’s geographic location determines whether or not she is entitled to full equality.  The Court is reversing five decades of precedent.  

On Friday, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, abolishing the constitutional right to seek an abortion.  The majority opinion of five justices, four of whom are men, is transforming American life.  

In a joint dissenting opinion, Justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan said, “With sorrow — for this Court, but more, for the many millions of American women who have lost a fundamental constitutional protection — we dissent.”

Feminism Club President Cessa Lewis ‘23 said, “If US history class has taught me anything, we don’t move in a linear fashion.  It feels as though progress can be easily stunted overnight.  Women are going to struggle to assert agency over their bodies due to the decision of a few people.”

Texas already had a 6-week abortion ban.  The Texas Attorney General argues that other pre-Roe bans are now in effect.  Texas moved with great speed and urgency in banning abortion, but the state legislature has done nothing after one of the biggest school shootings in American history. 

On May 24, 2022, 18-year-old Salvador Ramos fatally shot nineteen students and two teachers and wounded seventeen other people at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. 

The Court is focused on the life of an unborn fetus, but what about living children?  NPR said: “Guns are now the leading cause of death among children and adolescents in the US.”  Education Week said: “In the last 6 months, there have been 27 school shootings.”  How are mothers supposed to care for their babies when it is not even safe for children to attend school?  

The Second Amendment gives Americans the right to bear arms, and thus, according to Gallup, 44% of adult Americans own a gun or live with someone who does. 

On June 23, 2022, the Supreme Court limited state government regulation of firearms in public.  In the case New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, the Court sided with the gun lobby’s argument that there is a constitutional right to carry a firearm in public for self-defense.  This ruling will lead to more guns in public spaces and more violence.  

Americans are allowed to carry a deadly weapon to “protect themselves,” but a woman in the privacy of her own doctor’s office no longer has the federal right to protect her health, life, and future.

The Glasgow Guardian, which gives voice to University of Glasgow students, said, “[I]f we treated young men wanting to buy guns like a woman wanting an abortion, we’d impose waiting period and doctor approval upon them.  They’d be forced to watch a video about the effect of gun violence and be forced to travel hundreds of miles to a gun shop, take time off work to get it and stay overnight in a strange town feeling frightened and upset.  We’d force him to walk through a mob of people screaming ‘murderer’ and holding pictures of dead loved ones, and we’d feed him inaccurate information to try and dissuade his purchase.”  

Summer break offers the perfect opportunity to embrace activism.  Free from the constraint of homework and studying, St. Luke’s student body can use this time to come together and take action. 

Join the community in fighting for equal rights and gun violence protections.  Contact representatives to tell them what you support.  Protest and volunteer in your town/city to raise awareness.  

Follow the Feminism Club Instagram to keep an eye on upcoming events, share your ideas, and engage in a friendly conversation – all thoughts are welcome!