But I’m worried about the world I’m about to enter. I feel like my future is at stake right now, and it just wouldn’t be right for me to remain silent.

It’s not easy to be a young Catholic today. We live in a society that sends us a lot of different and conflicting messages in ways that aren’t often positive. Digital media adds its own complexities to daily life. Values like modesty, dignity and truth aren’t usually valued. The innocence of childhood is hard to come by in the modern age, and the noble dignity of womanhood is fading fast too.

We see these trends now advancing in ways that are dangerous not only to the earthly lives of young women like me, but also to our immortal souls. Proposal 3, the extreme abortion ballot measure, is going to be decided in November and this, more than anything else, is going to signal to us where our society is headed during my lifetime.

As a young, Catholic high school girl, I have seen so many different opinions expressed about Proposal 3. I believe that this is truly an evil that is threatening the innocence of women and children in our state, but it has been made clear to me that I’m in the minority.

In my daily life, my pro-life views are mocked and ridiculed by my peers and in the media. My classmates in school tend to not want to talk about it with me; they quickly change the subject or get defensive. They may be afraid of really thinking about  the dangers of this proposal, so they choose not to discuss it at all. 

Those in favor of abortion have funded a lot of advertising that depicts the proposal and protecting women’s rights, when in fact the proposal has the potential to do the opposite.

The extremities in this proposal, if it is passed, will change the way women in our state will view the dignity of life for years, if not decades, to come. It contains some of the most permissive abortion laws including allowing abortions right up to the day of birth, eliminating laws that have restriced abortion in our state, and eliminating laws that would allow prosecution if a woman is harmed during and abortion.

I am concerned for the future of our generation because if this passes, it will be enshrined in our state’s constitution, something that is very difficult to reverse and nearly impossible to avoid. 

I ask you all who can vote on this issue, please read the full language being proposed, not just the summary and, don’t just go to the box and punch yes or no. Educate yourself on what the wording means and understand what all of the long term effects are for women, parents, and children. 

But I am also asking for more than that. I am asking for a society that values timeless things like truth, justice, dignity and opportunity. I dream of a place where all young people can grow up safe and healthy, without grappling with the many anxieties the world offers up every single day. 

It may begin by defeating Proposal 3, but it doesn’t end there. God calls us to create a more just world for everyone. In that regard, we all have a long way to go.

And I, for one, am here for it.