ELY- More than two dozen Vermilion Community College students and faculty participated in a walk-out on Friday to protest the anticipated U.S. Supreme Court ruling that could overturn the Roe v. Wade decision from 1973 and remove a woman’s right to privacy that protects her reproductive choices. If a leaked draft of an opinion by Justice Samuel Alito stands, the personal decision of whether to end a pregnancy would be determined by individual states.
That reality hit VCC student Sidney Marshall.
“I woke up on Wednesday morning and everything started hitting me,” she said. “I realized Roe versus Wade could possibly be overturned and I wanted to do something, but I didn’t know what I could do because Ely is so tiny.”
Marshall had a discussion with one of her VCC instructors, and broached the idea of staging a walkout on campus.
“I received permission from our provost and I started to spread the word,” she said, and she started researching the topic and updating a term paper that she had already completed. She then prepared talking points to share with those who might participate in the walkout.
Just before noon last Friday, as many as 30 students and staff gathered at the ledge rock outcrop outside the classroom building on the VCC campus.
“Roe versus Wade is an umbrella law and it pertains to the right to privacy” Marshall said to the crowd. “It not only protects a woman’s right to get an abortion, it protects women from not being persecuted for having a natural miscarriage. It protects a woman’s right to have a C-section. It protects LGBTQ parents from being discriminated against when trying to have their own child. And it protects women of color who, without it, would be disproportionally treated in the health care system.”
She referred to other laws pertaining to the right to privacy.
“Lawrence versus Texas in 2003 decriminalized homosexuality, and that was passed on the right to privacy,” she said. “Loving versus Virginia, 1968, protects interracial marriage. And Obergefell versus Hodges in 2015 protects same sex marriage. These are all based on the right to privacy, and those cases could be up for grabs if Roe is overturned.”
Marshall, who lives in Ely, pleaded with those listening to contact their legislators and passed out slips of paper with Minnesota lawmaker contact information.
“I was really surprised at how many showed up,” she said later. “It was a super-quick turnaround. I just started planning this last Wednesday, I emailed faculty, used social media, and told a bunch of friends to help spread the word. I wasn’t expecting such a big turnout. I would have been happy with just a couple of my friends being there.”
Marshall said she hopes to plan a community-wide event protesting the possible overturning of Roe versus Wade once she is done with finals and school is out for the year.