What the Democratic Party Means to Me

Before high school, I never paid attention to political issues on the county, state, or even country level. I didn’t open my eyes to politics until freshman year when I wandered into my school’s Young Democrats club. There, I learned about the stance of the democratic party as well as the Republican party on several issues. Later that year, my cousin came to visit my family to attend the March for Life in Washington D.C.. At the time, I didn’t really have an opinion on abortion rights as I was conflicted between what I was taught by the Catholic church as well as my family. Eventually, I came to my own conclusion that it is not my place to decide for another woman what she has to do with her body. I do not know what that woman has been through or if she’s a victim of rape or abuse. Their reasons for making this life altering decision could include not having the finances to bring a baby into the world, fear for not being able to raise the baby due to lack of family or a support system or fear that their families may disown them. If the women’s right to choose is taken away, illegal abortions will increase dramatically, but it will be unregulated and lack proper medical attention. As concluded by Cates and Rochat (1976), * “The number of illegal abortion deaths in the United States declined markedly following the Supreme Court's 1973 abortion decisions…. Any actions which impede their access to legal abortion may increase their risk of death.” This issue is now the issue I feel most strongly about, especially now that states are slowly starting to reverse Row v Wade by implementing strict constraints on abortion clinics. Being a democrat has given me the courage to attend the Women’s March with other supporters where I can advocate for protection of the right to have an abortion. I have also continued to attend my school’s Young Democrats club and now participate in political debates.

* Willard Cates, Jr. and Roger Rochat (1976), “Illegal Abortions in the United States: 1972-1974.” Family Planning Perspectives, Vol. 8, No. 2, pp. 86-92.

Printable copy of Abigail's essay (PDF)