Hello everyone -
I’ve decided to hold this week’s planned email. In light of the Supreme Court’s ruling to strike down Roe v. Wade, it felt flippant to send out what I’d already written.
Not everyone who receives these emails holds the same political, religious and social beliefs. While I respect you have a right to your own feelings about abortion, it’s impossible not to acknowledge that this decision has huge financial ramifications.
The United States does not provide an adequate social safety net for its citizens. Particularly those living at or near the poverty level. There is no mandatory paid family leave. Child care options are insanely expensive and often inflexible for those working outside of the traditional 9-to-5 hours. Not to mention the cost of pregnancy and delivery.
The decision to overturn Roe v. Wade means that there will be more child in foster care networks and/or raised in financially and emotionally unstable homes. It’s also significantly more likely to impact women in low-income and rural communities.
I also understand that you may be a subscriber to this newsletter and not agree with me that the Supreme Court has made a devastating decision today. It is entirely your right. However, I do hope that you consider the sanctity of life after birth and the need to support, including financially, the women who will be forced to give birth because they lack access to a safe, legal abortion. To restrict and ban abortion while underfunding welfare programs, eduction, and social safety nets is completely asinine. That doesn’t show a respect or love of life. That shows a desire to control.
This decision also doesn’t provide protections for what happens if a woman is experiencing an ectopic pregnancy, septic uterus or a miscarriage that the body isn’t naturally passing (yes, that very much happens). The treatment for all those situations is an abortion. These aren’t uncommon instances.
Within all of this, an additional layer is that proper safe sex education and access to easy and affordable contraception (condoms, birth control pills etc) are essential. Public schools need to be required to teach actual sex education and no longer be allowed to use “abstinence only” curriculum.
One way I can personally take action today is to make donations to organizations that will support the fall out of the Supreme Court’s decision. All the proceed’s from this month’s newsletters will be donated to:
Advocates for Youth - “Since 1980, Advocates for Youth has worked with youth leaders to ensure that all young people's rights are respected and that we have the tools we need to protect ourselves from STIs, HIV, and unintended pregnancy.” It has a 4 star rating from Charity Navigator.
Foster Care to Success - “Since 1981, over 50,000 foster youth have received information, advice, support or funding from Foster Care to Success, helping them to transition from care to adulthood through education.” It has a 4 star rating from Charity Navigator.
I will also match up to $250 in donations to the non-profits listed above or
Planned Parenthood - Which helps with safe sex education, provides contraception, and offers affordable health care far beyond simply providing safe abortion.
Women’s Reproductive Assistance Project - WRRAP is a non-partisan, nonprofit organization assisting women who are financially unable to pay for safe, legal abortions or emergency contraceptives. [Update 6.26.22: All donation matches have been made!]
Email a photo of your donation to team@brokemillennial.com and I’ll make the match. You can also email me if there is another organization, particularly a local one in one of the states likely to ban abortion, to which you’d like me to consider matching a donation.