Yesterday when I was driving home, I found myself behind a car with two striking bumper stickers. One read “Help America Pray the Rosary,” and the other “Defund Planned Parenthood.” I could also see that the person driving the car was a white man of at least the age of 70. Seeing this car and using my knowledge obtained from being raised in a Catholic school, I could infer a few things about the driver. Due to religious beliefs, he was an opposer of abortion and subsequently Planned Parenthood.

While I’m well aware that safe and legal abortions are only 5% of the services that Planned Parenthood provides, that’s not what I’m going to focus on here. What I’m going to say is that it's absolutely ridiculous for the patriarchy to condemn women for having abortions when the patriarchy itself is most of the reason why they’re often needed. Rape and domestic violence are issues that wouldn’t be nearly as widespread if all men saw women as equals instead of objects. They are also issues that are two of the biggest reasons why women with unwanted pregnancies see abortion as their last hope.

The longer I found myself driving behind this car, the more irritated I grew. It’s one thing to oppose abortion as another woman. But to think that you should be able to dictate the rights of women as a white privileged man from a previous generation is absolutely despicable. Don’t try to take away women’s reproductive rights because you’re not in favor of abortion. Instead, try to care for women so that it one day won’t be necessary. Recognize your privilege and fight for us, not against us.

It’s understandable why people may oppose abortion due to religious beliefs. But these people should value women’s lives the same way they value fetuses. If all women had access to health care, contraception and safe living conditions, abortion wouldn’t be nearly as necessary. Condemnation by the patriarchy only perpetuates the cycle. So please don’t think it’s okay to shame a desperate woman for having an abortion, especially if you’re a white man in his seventies. Trust me. There’s no way you can understand women’s issues as well as women themselves.