Politics | January 28th, 2023
Vice President Harris Takes a Stand for All
By: Robert Tucker II
There’s no question about the importance of what Jan. 22, 2023, meant to the city of Tallahassee.
Thousands of people waited outside The Moon Nightclub for hours to witness a public address from one of America’s most significant elected officials. Not only was one of the most substantial leaders in the world scheduled to speak, but this date was paramount to the well-being of the United States of America.
On the 50th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision, Vice President Kamala Harris stood firm in Tallahassee. Harris delivered a sincere and inspirational speech focused on women’s reproductive rights and the restriction of freedom that the Roe v. Wade decision has on many lives.
Vice President Harris began by acknowledging the recent mass shooting at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio in Monterey Park, Los Angeles. This incident took the lives of 10 people, including the suspect.
Despite the recent tragedies, one of the most profound issues discussed was reproductive rights for women.
Roe v. Wade was a 1973 decision by the United States Supreme Court that affirmed the Constitution by granting women the right to choose abortion. Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, 18 states have illegalized abortions.
Vice President Harris informed the thousands of people who traveled throughout the state of Florida and the southeastern region of the United States that they, as our elected leaders, will not consider limiting their abilities to fight for women’s reproductive rights.
“These are intimate decisions about the course of their own lives,” said Harris. “Can we truly be free if ‘so-called leaders’ claim to be, I quote, ‘On the Vanguard of Freedom,’ while they dare to restrict the rights of the American people and attack the very foundations of freedom?”
Vice President Harris also acknowledged that the overturning of Roe v. Wade affects not only women who become “accidentally” pregnant, but also women whose lives are affected by their health, mental and emotional instability, and physical well-being.
According to the Population Reference Bureau, Black women are over three times more likely to die during pregnancy or postpartum than white women.
Medical disparities are prominent symptoms of maternal and infant health, which are equivalent to social and economic inequities centered around systematic racism and discrimination, a Kaiser Family Foundation report showed.
Many lessons were gathered from what would have been the 50th anniversary of a monumental day in United States history. However, with the Supreme Court’s overruling, many Americans became aware that equality for all is still not a reality.
As per the White House, when the historic day started to end, Kamala assured the people that “President Biden and I and our administration will continue to fight for equality among all, along with fighting for what women know is best for themselves.”
The American people hope this statement is true and that everyone can feel protected of their free will.
