A Call to Action: Michelle Obama's Powerful Message
The other night in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Michelle Obama delivered a speech for the Harris campaign that deeply resonated with me. As always, she was fabulous, but this speech struck a particular chord—one that I felt as a woman. It filled me with genuine fear for our country, for our children, and for what lies ahead if we forget the stakes in this election.
I implore you, from the depths of my being, to take our lives seriously. We cannot put our lives in the hands of politicians, especially men who either have no clue or simply do not care about the challenges we, as women, face. Michelle's words were a clarion call—a desperate SOS for our lives.
My name is Siri Crow, and you are watching the Mightiest Touch Network. Misogyny is deeply ingrained in the fabric of our society, a fact I've been contemplating more than usual lately. Women and girls are often expected to take a back seat, even in progressive spaces. This is evident in the insane double standards we see applied to Kamala Harris, while Donald Trump receives a free pass.
I hope you’ll forgive my frustration over the fact that some choose to ignore Trump's gross incompetence while expecting Kamala to dazzle us at every turn. We’ve become too complacent, accepting his erratic behavior, obvious mental decline, and his history as a convicted felon and sexual predator. Meanwhile, we scrutinize Kamala's every word in interviews that Trump doesn't even have the courage to participate in.
I urge those contemplating voting for Trump or abstaining from voting entirely to snap out of the fog we’re in. Being a woman is complicated—from the awkward moments of puberty to the often terrifying decisions we face. Unfortunately, no one talks about these challenges openly. There's a huge vacuum in women’s healthcare; it's understudied and underfunded. A quick shoutout to President Biden for recently funding $10 million for cutting-edge women’s healthcare research, but that is merely a drop in the bucket of what we truly need.
When I was diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this year, I was faced with daunting decisions that didn’t seem to consider my quality of life afterward. My healthcare providers presented options as if the cancer being gone was all that mattered, regardless of how those options would affect my life as a woman. I had to advocate fiercely for my health and reproductive rights, which was met with surprise. I was told, “That’s just what we do,” but I refused to accept that.
Women’s healthcare needs far more research and education, especially given that we face significant health inequities. As we navigate life, we often keep our struggles to ourselves—whether it's painful menstruation, menopause, or the myriad health concerns we face. Many women suffer in silence, afraid to talk about our bodies and the complexities of our reproductive health.
In those terrifying moments when something goes wrong, all we can rely on is our medical system and the experience of our doctors to get us the care we need. I don’t expect men to fully understand how vulnerable this makes us feel. In reality, many women don’t completely grasp the breadth of our own reproductive experiences, largely due to neglect from science and medicine.
Let’s address the potential consequences of dismantling our reproductive care system piece by piece, as Trump intends to do. Women and girls are dying because of the Republicans’ war on our rights and health. We've seen it in Texas and Georgia; they simply don’t care.
The so-called Republican "pro-life" stance is, in fact, about controlling women, even at the cost of our lives. Women should be the ones making decisions about our bodies, guided by our doctors. Voting for Trump is a vote against our health and worth. It’s heartbreaking to think that the men we love might be unaware or indifferent to our struggles. This reflects a sad reality about our value as women and sets back our fight for equity.
Before casting your votes, I urge you to consider what side of history you want to be on. I understand the anger and disillusionment many feel regarding the slow pace of change. It’s reasonable to be frustrated; we have a lot of work ahead of us. But to anyone thinking about sitting out this election or voting for Donald Trump or a third-party candidate as a form of protest, I warn you: your rage does not exist in a vacuum. If we get this election wrong, the collateral damage will fall on women—your wives, daughters, and mothers.
I witnessed so many women, young and old, standing in line to vote and felt compelled to urge them to consider their choices. Voting against women’s rights doesn’t just harm you; it harms those you love. If your reason for voting against Kamala Harris is that she isn’t perfect, remember that the women in your life will pay the price.
As Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action, says in her upcoming book, "When men are involved, they make the strategy and take the spotlight while women are asked to make the snacks and set up chairs. When you are not at the table, you are on the menu."
I want a seat at that table, and I want to influence decisions about my body and the bodies of those I love.
