One little piece of paper will decide whether or not I can have an abortion. One little piece of paper will decide whether or not people of color are equal—because our systems don’t represent that now. It comes down to little pieces of paper that will define our nation and our democracy.

It’s sad to me that I’m voting on these kinds of matters…that paper can carry such weight. I could elaborate and use fancy words, but honestly, it’s just sad. It’s embarrassing and backwards. Go ahead, argue about taxes. Voice your opinions, support them with facts, make the decision that best supports everyone (that’s the key word that seems to be forgotten these days). But basic human rights? Why are we debating? It’s Neanderthal. It’s punitive.

And it’s illegal to provide water to those waiting in line to vote in Georgia. Because no one wanted the older Black women to have a say, right? Maybe if we make water illegal they’ll die of thirst in line and go home. Perfect. Suppression.

In 1857, the Dred Scott Case upheld slavery and denied Black citizenship. Taney’s main reasoning was that African slaves weren’t accounted for when the Constitution was created, therefore, it doesn’t apply to them now. They were never and still aren’t citizens. BREAKING: it’s 2022 and Black people can vote, but they can’t have water while they wait to do so. We’ve come so far.

The worst thing is that these 356 words will read as liberal. What’s wrong with that is the label—they shouldn’t have one. Human rights shouldn’t be defined in a political party. They shouldn’t be voted on. We keep arguing over the same little issues, backtracking our progress and ignoring problems that are legitimate and real. It’s predicted that more than a third of Earth’s animal and plant species will face extinction by 2050 if our greenhouse gas emissions stay the same. That’s 27 years, a month and plus some away. I guess it won’t matter much because Earth will be gone soon too. And at that point, there won’t be anyone left to need water or have an abortion.