Editor: Even though abortion is technically legal in all 50 states, it is not actually accessible – and that has been true for people living on the margins for decades. The law skews towards keeping people pregnant against their will. It policies people’s bodies and criminalizes their decisions. The government should not have that much control over a person’s life. We should be able to make our own decisions about our bodies and futures.
Right now, the Supreme Court is getting ready to hear a case that is a direct threat to Roe v. Wade. This is cause for great concern. We need to speak out and get loud to make it clear that the right to abortion is about healthcare, human rights and that we will never stop fighting for each and every person to make their own decision about pregnancy and parenting. We also need to get rid of the politically motivated obstacles that take away affordable, available access to abortion care.
We need to stop allowing lawmakers to impose their personal beliefs or play games with our healthcare by pushing bills that are really only about making care harder to get. We need to get rid of policies, including the one right here in Colorado that deny health coverage for abortion for people who use public health programs. This essentially tells people that because they are poor they do not have the right to make their own decisions. We must address the extra barriers that are put up to young people by forcing them to involve a parent. We need to protect the right and make sure the right is real for Coloradans, especially those who already struggle to get access to health care – the people hurt most by the myriad of restrictions that get pushed every year.
— Dusti Gurule, letters@sentinelcolorado.com