By Gabrielle Russon
(Source: Florida Politics)
‘So, fellas, before you cast your votes, ask yourselves, what side of history do you want to be on?’
Former First Lady Michelle Obama urged men to stand up for abortion rights and protect women in their lives as she rallied for Kamala Harris in Michigan.
Harris has also made reproductive freedom one of the defining issues in her presidential bid. On the ballot on Nov. 5 in Florida is also a proposed constitutional amendment to protect abortion rights.
“Let me take a minute to help folks, especially the men in our lives, to get a better sense of what could happen if we keep dismantling parts of our reproductive care system piece by piece, as (Donald) Trump intends to do … and how it will affect every single woman in your life,” Obama said. “And this will not just affect women, it will affect you and your sons. The devastating consequences of teen pregnancy won’t just be borne by young girls, but also by the young men who are the father.”
“Please do not put our lives in the hands of politicians — mostly men — who have no clue or do not care about what we as women are going through,” she added.
As more states push strict abortion laws, Obama said women are being forced to carry fetuses that won’t survive to term and are miscarrying alone because doctors are refusing to treat them.
“Doctors (are) being told they can’t treat a woman until she becomes so close to death that only a life of the mother’s exception will allow them to act,” Obama said at the Kalamazoo, Michigan, rally.
Obama warned men to think of their wives, girlfriends, daughters and nieces who could be denied care.
“To think that the men that we love to be either unaware or indifferent to our plight is simply heartbreaking. It is a sad statement about our value as women in this world, it is a setback in our quest for equity,” Obama said. “So, fellas, before you cast your votes, ask yourselves, what side of history do you want to be on?”
Currently, Florida has a six-week abortion ban on most pregnancies. The state law that went into effect in May allows for exceptions for rape, incest and sex trafficking for up to 15 weeks as long as they get documentation, like a police or medical report, to prove the crimes against them.
The law also says abortions can be done to protect a mother’s life, but physicians in support of Amendment 4 argue Florida’s exceptions add uncertainty and fear among doctors over whether or not they can treat their patients.
Gov. Ron DeSantis who is lobbying against Amendment 4 argues the law is clear and that Florida’s abortion bans protects women.
