Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death has been a sobering wake up call. We cannot take anything for granted, including the right to a safe, legal abortion. Justice Ginsburg was a champion for reproductive rights and now that she’s gone, abortion rights could be more at risk than ever. The backers of Proposition 115 have already admitted that they are using this ban as a foot in the door to ban abortion outright in our state– something voters have fought hard to prevent in years past. The stakes are too high to let this ban pass.
Proposition 115 is a one-size-fits-all ban on abortion later in pregnancy that leaves absolutely no room for the complexities of pregnancy or personal healthcare needs. There are no exceptions for rape and incest or if there is a lethal fetal diagnosis. Women in Colorado deserve more. As women, we deserve to have access to all of our medical options throughout a pregnancy, especially if something goes wrong.
As voters, we’ve already weighed in on this issue and have decided over and over again that the government shouldn’t play a role in these personal decisions. We have already said “no” to three abortion bans in Colorado — in 2008, in 2010 and in 2014. Now, with the recent passing of Justice Ginsburg, the constitutional right to a safe legal abortion may hang in the balance.
Colorado voters must not take any chances this November. We must vote NO on Proposition 115.
Katharine Young
Durango, CO