In a country proclaimed to be the “land of the free,” I find that we are not. In a country declared to be the “home of the brave,” I find that the action of taking away women’s reproductive rights is not courageous. In a country indicated to be the “land of liberty,” I find that systematically taking away women’s rights does not demonstrate equal freedom or that the United States is the “land of the free.”

On June 24, 2022, Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court. The Court argued that the right to an abortion was not “deeply rooted in this Nation’s history or tradition.” However, I argue that the right to an abortion is an unalienable right that, when taken away, does not make the United States a “land of liberty.” Instead, the horrendous action of taking away a women’s right to choose, sometimes between life or death, directly violates every law in the Constitution that dictates Americans as free and equal. Directly following the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, women all around America rallied and fought the injustice together. Even today, women are still unifying against the Supreme Court in order to hopefully gain their well-deserved rights back. Ever since the overturn of Roe v. Wade, women’s rights have moved backwards to an extent that is humiliating for the current development status of the United States in the global economy.

Even though states still do have the ability to dictate the fact that women can have access to an abortion, some states completely deny any access to an abortion, even in the case of rape or health complications. The overturning of Roe v. Wade has not gotten rid of abortions forever, it has only gotten rid of safe abortions. Since the Supreme Court has diminished women’s rights through their overturn of Roe v. Wade, women have received abortions, but not in the safe, medical way that they should be carried out. The simple fact is that abortions are no longer safe in many states and doctors are unsure what procedures they can or can not perform; the Supreme Court has undermined women’s rights enough to set women’s rights back 50 years since the landmark decision of Roe v. Wade was officially set and decided upon.

The systematic and cruel violations against women’s rights have ignited feminists all over the United States to fight for the fact that men and women should be equal citizens. Ultimately, feminism should not be controversial. The idea of femininity and a women’s right to choose should not push the Supreme Court to undermine the totality of women’s rights. 

The idea of feminism has been backlashed because of the “frivolity” of women being in charge instead of men. However, I find that women, the people that often bring humanity into this world, deserve a seat at the table when deciding their rights and liberties. Instead, feminism is hated because of the idea that feminists fight towards men becoming inferior to women, instead of men and women becoming rightfully equal.

Since Roe v. Wade has been overturned by the Supreme Court, feminism has been negatively misconstrued. The idea of feminism after Roe v. Wade, is too often characterized by angry women who will yell at anyone and everyone to get their rights back. However, feminism is defined as “the advocacy of women’s rights on the basis of the equality of the sexes.” Feminism does not imply that women should be overtly better and superior to men, but it simply fights against the prejudices that have subjugated women to being inferior to men. Feminism is not an angry movement that wishes to put women on higher ranks than men, but it is a movement for equality between genders. Feminism rightfully places women on the same level as men in politics, careers, economics, family status, and everywhere else that women must be equal in order to maintain a “land of liberty” and equality.

Views of feminism have been misconstrued for too long. Many think that feminism is an angry movement that puts women above men. In reality, it is rightfully placing women on the same level as men. Ultimately, feminism should never be controversial, so that the United States can fulfill being the “land of the free.”