![Azalia Quinn fills out a mock ballot. On Thursday, Oct. 24 AP Government students did a pretend election to experience what it’s like. “If you can get [students] enthused about voting at a young age, the chances are higher that they’re going to continue this process throughout their adulthood,“ Brian Brown, the AP Gov teacher said.](https://mshsprospector.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/18FGwFbMo8mtfWGnVEvaqiODxDZhuV9ipRw3DAgL-1200x960.jpg)
What it was like attending a nationwide social movement
On September 23, 2021, the Texas legislature passed the Texas Heartbeat Act. This act bans abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. It is named the Heartbeat Act as six weeks is when a heartbeat can first be detected in an embryo.
On October 2, 2021, women and men around the country came together to fight this law. Over 600 marches around the country were held on this date, and the march in Washington D.C was the main event.
My friends and I participated in this event in downtown Colorado Springs. Adele Goodwin (12) participated in the march and said, “if I’m going to stand up for my rights, I want to go out and do it.” It was a very cool experience to be apart of a movement that my friends and I are passionate about, and the feeling of marching with everyone was very powerful.
Connor McKeown (11) also attended the march because “if you want something to be changed, then you need to go out and participate and fight for what you believe in. The more people that show up, the better chance we have of change.”
Before the march began, people met at America the Beautiful Park, where there were guest speakers. Two of the speakers included Colorado’s 5th congressional district candidates Jeremy Dowell and Santiago Geonaga-Torres.
It was powerful to hear from men that care about the issue just as much as the women there.
McKeown agreed that it is essential for men to participate in events like this. “We have to show that it’s an important issue to both sides, even if it doesn’t directly affect them we need to show that if one’s specific group’s rights get taken away then it directly affects everyone’s rights,” McKeown said.
Women and men have been protesting for women’s rights for almost 200 years now, and significant change has been made. Each time people go out and fight for equality it will leave a mark.
A few days after the protest a federal judge blocked the Texas law. Even if the protests did not directly cause this change, it is a step in the right direction.
It was very powerful attending this movement, and I hope that it will allow women now and in the future to have rights to their bodies and choices.
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Claire Kisielnicki is a senior at Manitou Springs High School. In her free time she enjoys skiing at Keystone, playing the ukulele and singing in a choir....
Kenzi • Oct 21, 2021 at 10:14 am
This is a very important topic and it is cool to see people in our community going out and doing something about it.