Texas is one of three states considering bills that would require doctors to show an ultrasound image of a fetus before a woman gets an abortion. Placing patients in such a position is not “informed consent”. It’s a guilt trip. The claim that mostly young women are making rash, ill-informed decisions is a ludicrous generalization. It is a far graver choice for a woman who does not have the means to properly care for a child to bring her baby into the world.

The day after the election, I woke up invincible; Barack Obama was elected to serve as the president of the United States of America. A black man was not elected president, a great man was. And that, in and of itself, makes this election so historic—the voting population looked past the color of the man’s skin and voted for him based solely upon merit. However, my restored faith in humanity was short-lived. “If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible,” declared Obama on Nov. 4, “who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.” He spoke too soon. Proposition 8, the California state ballot proposition to amend the state Constitution to restrict the definition of marriage to a union between a man and a woman, was voted in favor by nearly 52.5% of California’s population