Benita Ulisano, representative from Illinois Choice Action Team, urged students Tuesday night to think long and hard before voting this upcoming November.
As an abortion rights activist, she addressed the abortion debate in a lecture sponsored by College Feminists as part of V-Week, a week dedicated to raising awareness about violence against women.
Illinois Choice Action Team is a state affiliate of NARAL Pro-Choice America, a national activist group that fights to protect women’s right to safe and legal abortions.
The anti-abortion movement has been working to dismantle the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in 1973’s Roe v. Wade, which overruled all state and federal laws restricting a woman’s right to abortion.
“It is necessary that you think very hard when you go to the polls this November,” she said. “If not for yourself, for the sake of your daughters and granddaughters.”
Ulisano presented a 30-minute video titled “When Abortion Was Illegal” to the approximately 25 students who attended the lecture.
The video documented interviews with women who had received abortions prior to the Supreme Court case, when abortion was illegal. Viewers were presented with stories of women who resorted to illegal and unsafe abortions, many to avoid the stigma associated with pregnancies out of wedlock.
Ulisano also addressed the issue of vanishing personal rights due to the Bush administration’s policies.
“In recent years, 500 or so enactments have chipped away at the privileges that Roe v. Wade gave to women,” Ulisano said. “I can go on and on about how damaging this administration has been for women. This is an extremely scary time for women’s reproductive rights.”
Not only is this a concern for American women, but foreign nations also depend upon America as a source for contraceptive supplies, she said.
“This administration’s actions have been very damaging for abortion clinics and to funding for contraception,” Ulisano said. “Politicians have criminalized abortion.”
Ulisano said she is concerned for the future of the Supreme Court and encouraged young students to consider the next administration could possibly be appointing new justices to the court.
“I urge you all to vote with consideration to this issue, if it is important to you,” Ulisano said. “The next president will have to make some very important decisions.”
Communication sophomore John Jordan, co-producer of V-Week’s show “Vagina Monologues,” attended Ulisano’s lecture.
“This week is about inspiring conversation among women and among men,” Jordan said. “I hope to see more men interested in this issue in the next few years.”
