At times like these, I can sum up my position on this time in American history using the words of one of my favorite authors and poets, June Jordan. In her collection of essays entitled "Affirmative Acts," she writes, "I am a feminist, and what that means to me is much the same as the meaning of the fact that I am Black: it means that I must undertake to love myself and respect myself as though my very life depends upon self-love and self-respect."
Whenever I've turned on C-SPAN to watch the Samuel Alito hearings over the past two days, my "feminist mindset" kicks in. It has become apparent to me after watching the news and reading The New York Times that if Alito is confirmed as a Supreme Court Justice, the government could have the power to take away what many would consider the most intimate decision some women make in their lives.
If Alito is confirmed, the future for women in our country could be very bleak.
During the Alito hearings, the right to have an abortion has become the most important issue, above the limits of presidential power. And whether or not Alito is confirmed could mean many different things for the future of women in the U.S.
Whether or not you identify with the label "feminist," you should still be aware of the dangers of confirming Alito and what these dangers could mean for women each year. Even if you don't identify as a feminist, you probably agree with many of the feminist ideals, including equal pay, equal opportunity, equal rights to education for both sexes and reproductive freedom and choice. And although many have demonized it, these things are really what feminism is all about.
When it comes to reproductive freedom and choice, many believe that you can't be pro-choice and identify with the modern women's movement. But this is simply not true. You can believe that abortion is wrong and be pro-life, but still understand that it is a woman's right to choose and that the government should have no part in that choice. Feminists believe that women have the right to determine the path that their own lives will take-and a big part of that is when and whether or not they will have children.
I don't think that any woman should be forced to bear a child based upon the opinions of politicians and judges. Most women want to have healthy relationships with their children and be successful parents, so they should not be forced to bear children in circumstances that are not the best for the mother or child.
In this case, when determining whether or not Alito should be confirmed, it is important to see that he would be replacing Sandra Day O'Connor. She was the essential and fifth vote that defended women's issues. It is clear that Alito views the law much differently than O'Connor did and that he could potentially sway the court away from protecting women's rights. The biggest issue surrounding this could be his potential willingness to overturn Roe v. Wade.
The National Organization for Women, the largest organization of feminist activists in the U.S., is not supporting the nomination of Alito to the Supreme Court. On their website NOW leaders write, "NOW is strongly opposed to the elevation of Judge Alito and will activate our members in communities nationwide to defeat his nomination to the high court. Since Bush caved to the extremists' vicious campaign against Harriet Miers, women's rights supporters have been anticipating that he would bend to their will and appoint a judicial extremist of their choosing. He has done exactly that and we are ready for the fight."
The bottom line is that the majority of Americans embrace the fact that it is the decision of a woman to choose whether or not she wants to have an abortion. Judge Alito's views, although not yet clearly stated during the hearings, are out of line with mainstream America. And for this reason, as well as the fact that he will most likely neglect women's rights, he should not be confirmed.
I am waiting for the day when women's rights are at the top of the government's agenda. Confirming Judge Alito could only make that day come later.
Aria Branch is a Trinity freshman. Her column runs every other Thursday.
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