{"id":4258,"date":"2020-12-30T18:54:10","date_gmt":"2020-12-30T18:54:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiofree.org\/?p=144831"},"modified":"2020-12-30T18:54:10","modified_gmt":"2020-12-30T18:54:10","slug":"we-can-take-our-democracy-back-heres-how","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/2020\/12\/30\/we-can-take-our-democracy-back-heres-how\/","title":{"rendered":"We Can Take Our Democracy Back. Here\u2019s How."},"content":{"rendered":"
In the wake of Republican victories in state legislative races and Amy Coney Barrett\u2019s confirmation to the Supreme Court, dismal predictions about the future of reproductive rights are everywhere. \u201cWhy the Left Is Losing on Abortion<\/a>,\u201d a New York Times headline promised to answer. The logic is that the right-wing waged a decades-long war against legal abortion and won, fair and square.<\/p>\n But this explanation misdiagnoses the real challenge and hinders efforts to overcome it.<\/p>\n From voter suppression and gerrymandering schemes to Donald Trump\u2019s sabotage of the census\u2014right-wing politicians have created a tyranny of the minority, and abortion access is not the only casualty.<\/p>\n Yes, reproductive rights are at greater risk today than at any time since Roe v. Wade. But the setbacks we\u2019ve faced are not because people have turned against abortion rights. The reason anti-choice extremists have been able to turn back the clock has everything to do with the right wing\u2019s ability to hijack our democracy to pass policies the majority of voters do not support.<\/p>\n From voter suppression and gerrymandering schemes to Donald Trump\u2019s sabotage of the census\u2014right-wing politicians have created a tyranny of the minority, and abortion access is not the only casualty.<\/p>\n Even as President-elect Joe Biden won the national popular vote decisively, Republicans will retain control of at least 59 state legislative chambers\u2014in large part due to rigged, unfair maps that protect Republican incumbents and disadvantage Democrats. They will no doubt use these majorities to pass more tax cuts for the rich, block commonsense policies like Medicaid expansion, and push abortion care even further out of reach.<\/p>\n So how do we turn the tide and take our democracy back?<\/p>\n First, we need to stop pretending that U.S. voters don\u2019t support abortion rights. They do.<\/p>\n Seven out of 10 voters oppose overturning Roe v. Wade. In fact, not even a majority of Republicans support<\/a> completely overturning the landmark decision affirming people\u2019s legal right to abortion. Among independents, a 2019 survey<\/a> showed two-thirds were likely to support state laws that decriminalize abortion and lessen restrictions on care. In Colorado, voters resoundingly defeated an anti-choice ballot initiative<\/a>, with \u201cno\u201d votes outperforming votes for Biden<\/a> by more than 56,000.<\/p>\n Popular opinion falls squarely on the side of respecting people\u2019s personal medical decisions. But this pro-choice majority has been silenced by politicians willing to bend the rules and subvert our democracy to deny them that right.<\/p>\n Second, we need to advocate, organize, and vote like our rights depend on it.<\/p>\n At Trust Women<\/a>, we\u2019ve always known that protecting and expanding access to abortion care, especially in politically hostile states, meant not only providing abortion services but also engaging in integrated advocacy, litigation, and organizing.<\/p>\n