By Mallory Ferrari
Stratford High School
The president’s State of the Union Address was given on the seventh of February, in which he discussed several different topics and issues within the US. The circumstances that the President discussed throughout his speech include gun laws/gun safety, Medicare, mental health, drug use, police brutality, the overturning of Roe v Wade, and the war in Ukraine, all of which are significant topics to our country and the world around us.
As a young woman living in the states, the discussion that stood out to me the most among these other topics was the conversation of Roe v Wade. President Biden’s State of the Union Address lasted a total of one hour and 13 minutes, outweighing many other addresses in length. During this entire speech, the topic of Roe v Wade was discussed for less than 45 seconds. I believe that a topic of such significance to women (and others) all throughout the country shouldn’t just be brushed aside. The matter of Roe v Wade being overturned is truly dangerous, yet still nothing is being done about it.
President and Chief Executive of the Center for Reproductive Rights, Nancy Northup, stated that “As demonstrated resoundingly in the midterms, abortion rights are a kitchen-table issue that Americans care deeply about, and highlighting that reality would have fit into the president’s theme of fundamental fairness.” Northup’s quote adds on to the issue of the lack of discussion on the matter.
I feel that President Biden lacks understanding, or even empathy, to how many people have suffered since this law has been overturned. What he needs to acknowledge is that the overturning of this rule will not stop people from getting abortions. All this law has done is create fear among women of all ages living in the states. It has made both the process and outcome of abortions much more dangerous. Women deserve control of their own bodies, we are people, humans. I feel as though my body and life can be taken from me at any time now that the government has proven they can and will overturn such rules.
In addition to this, I believe that President Biden has to recognize the true amount of privilege he has, not just in being president, but in being a white person of the male gender. I feel uncomfortable when the President uses tactics in acting to create a false image that he is just like any one of us, because the truth is, he is not.
I believe that a good President should recognize his privilege in race and/or gender and use it to help minorities with weaker voices to the government, or any people of higher power for that matter.
Thousands of women are dying every year due to illegal abortions, we feel trapped. As a 14 year old girl, I seriously feel unsafe in my environment, and many people just like me have also felt this way for a very long time. I can’t understand why I am not being heard, why my community is still in danger. I long for change, I long for the safety within myself and others.
