America, Where Guns Have More Rights Than Women

I cannot imagine one day looking my daughter in the eyes and telling her that I voted with the side that took away her rights.

With the newly announced president-elect, many are calling into question the morals of the country regarding gun safety and abortion rights. Photo by Matt Hrkac via Wikimedia Commons.

Now that Republicans control the presidency, the Senate, the Supreme Court, the federal bureaucracy and likely the House of Representatives, many of us are concerned about what it means for key issues like gun control and abortion rights.

Like many Americans, these two issues weighed heavily on my mind when voting. During president-elect Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign, he promised to appoint Supreme Court justices that would overturn Roe v. Wade. He effectively did, then later boasted about it on Truth Social. Now, I’m rightfully worried about what his next term could mean for the future of women's abortion rights, as nearly one-third of women in the country already live under restrictive abortion laws.

When I think of the women in my life, including my mother, sister and friends, it is sickening to consider how this election will further limit their ability to make decisions about their own bodies. The “my body, my choice” mantra should be simple enough, but women in many parts of our country cannot truthfully say that. In this past election, three states have been added to the list, as attempts to expand access to abortions failed in Florida, South Dakota and Nebraska. I cannot imagine one day looking my daughter in the eyes and telling her that I voted with the side that took away her rights.

The other day, I saw an Instagram post that stuck with me. It read, “I dream women will one day have the same rights as guns.” Gun control is another issue that I have felt strongly about, long before I was able to vote. The Sandy Hook shooting shook me as a third grader in a neighboring town, and still, no substantial change has occurred in the wake of this horrific event. Over a decade later, mass shootings plague the country, and we have yet to establish common-sense gun reform. 

There is an undeniable hypocrisy in seeing “pro-life” Republican politicians completely change their tune when it comes to gun control, even donning AR-15 pins in Congress. It is truly disheartening to see their smug lack of care for the hundreds who die in mass shootings every year. With many Republicans of the same mindset holding the majority in the Senate and likely the House, effective gun control will continue to remain dead on arrival.

Being the optimist that I am, I continue to tell myself that one day when the country is in a better place, we will look back at the results of this election and be completely dumbfounded. To me, it is clear which party is on the right side of history. It’s time to fight like hell to make sure the pen that authors our country's history doesn’t continue to end up in the wrong hands.