Roe v. Wade

To the Editor:

Forty-one years ago, Roe v. Wade made history in legalizing abortion. Not only a major event in history in general, but Roe v. Wade made an amazing breakthrough in the journey towards equality for women. As an activist and a high school student, I personally support the right to safe and legal abortion. A woman should have the right to decide whether to become a parent, place a child for adoption, or end a pregnancy, with her family, her faith, and her doctor.  In a world where women are fighting to be equal to men in all senses of the word, access to abortion signifies women having rights over their own bodies. Politicians, many of whom haven’t the slightest idea what it’s like being a woman facing this decision, should not have any say over what young women can and cannot do with their bodies.

Recently attacks on reproductive freedoms have been growing, and as an advocate for women’s rights, I feel it is my duty and the duty of every woman to stand up for our rights and freedoms. Since 2010, more than 160 restrictions on abortion access have become law, and it is time to take a stand. The attacks on safe and legal abortion, cloaked in claims of “women’s health and safety,” are completely false and are opposed by doctors and medical experts. Women everywhere need to start taking a stand and speaking up for our rights.

Alexandra Galletta

Teen Information and Peer Services Educator, Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic

Chestnut Ridge, New York