Arlo B. Blaisus, JD Anticipated May 2024, Law & Public Policy Scholar
The fall of Roe v. Wade, a landmark achievement of equality, strikes a harsh chord for everyone who calls themselves a Progressive. What is the meaning of progress when a right Americans have depended upon for half a century is erased in a single day? To what end was the struggle of those who strived to provide that right for our nation? The answer is what it has always been: no struggle comes without setbacks and no effort for equality has ever been in vain.
America declared itself independent by proclaiming that every person is created equal and every person has an inalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. America has never once lived up to these ideals and maybe it never will. However, this fact didn’t stop generations of Progressives from fighting to their last breath, pressing a reluctant America to live up to its own proclamations. It won’t stop me either.
Being a Progressive means stating our ideas and fighting for them. No matter how dark the road or how steep the hill. Being a progressive means picking ourselves up after the inevitable backsliding. Being a Progressive means facing—yet again—the machinations of those who think some people deserve more rights than others. It means standing tall and saying no; that is not what America is supposed to be, no matter what it has been or where it is going.
So, where do we go from here? As we regroup and gather our strength for the long road ahead, we must think clearly about where Progressives will take our next stand. The Supreme Court demonstrated today its indifference to the causes of equality and liberty. It did, however, give us the cold comfort of identifying the next battleground: state legislatures.
Do you know the name of your state representative? I confess that I had to look it up. Your state representatives will be in the room deciding the reproductive rights in your state. Given the current trajectory of the Supreme Court, your state representative may soon be deciding the fate of many other rights. The struggle ahead is laid before us. The next stand of the progressive cause will be electing and supporting Progressives in statehouses across the country. I hope to see you there, striving – yet again – for a better America.