Editor,
November 19 was the day I seemed to have been waiting for forever.
I had been eagerly QDwaiting to vote against the “Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Ordinance” for months. Every day my Facebook page was filled with posts about the Respect ABQ Women Campaign and news about the upcoming election. This was also an exciting time because I am a “1 in 3” youth activist for Washington D.C.-based Advocates For Youth’s “1 in 3” Campaign this school year. The “1 in 3” Campaign is a grassroots movement aiming to end the stigma and shaming surrounding abortion and change the conversation by sharing stories. I was so excited to see the Daily Lobo collected women’s stories foa its November 14 issue.
As a woman, I believe women should have the right, confidence and support to make their own decisions. When it comes to abortion at any point of the pregnancy, women have good reasons to terminate their pregnancies — reasons which don’t require validation from outside people.
I was ecstatic to hear that the ban was rejected Tuesday night. We were able to let our voices be heard despite obstacles including the lack of a polling location on campus, the fact that only voters registered in Albuquerque were allowed to vote and the confusing nature of the ballot measure, just to name a few.
It is inspiring to see what we all are capable of when we stand up for what we believe in. Thanks again, Daily Lobo, for reporting on this topic.
Alyssa Jackson
UNM student
