During the next Democratic debate on Tuesday, October 15, we need to hear a question about women’s rights.
It’s true: We’ve had three rounds of debates so far, and barely any mention of the specific issues that most deeply affect roughly half the population. Most glaring was the absence of any mention of abortion rights during September’s debate, at a time when Roe v. Wade is under greater threat than ever before.
That issue should be at the top of moderators’ lists given last week’s news that this term the Supreme Court will rule on a Louisiana law requiring doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges to local hospitals. If the law takes effect, it will close all but one of the state’s clinics.
But the implications are nationwide. If the Court rules that Louisiana’s law is Constitutional, it will overrule another precedent from only three years ago, and signal open season on Roe.
Women have changed the presidential race in so many ways from how campaigns are staffed (with more women at the top) to how they’re funded (with more donations from other women). But unfortunately they haven’t yet changed the conversation on the debate stage.
Next Tuesday, we’ll be watching and listening closely, and we want you to join us—on social media, that is.