The following is an opinionated editorial from the perspective of one individual.

If you’ve been paying attention to politics recently, you’ve probably heard about the empty Supreme Court seat left by the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg and filled by Amy Coney Barrett (ACB). You probably also know about the contention surrounding her appointment and her stances on abortion and gay marriage, but a lesser known fact about her is that she’s a Kappa Delta.

Kappa Delta is one of the four sororities on Drury’s campus, and it’s also one that I happen to be a part of. I have loved my time in Kappa Delta so far. The women I’ve met there share my values and have continually supported and empowered me. The goal of Kappa Delta, as well as all the other sororities at Drury, is to foster spaces for women to grow and succeed together. But what happens when one of those women you’re supposed to be empowering and rooting for might take away your rights?

Quite frankly, I’m conflicted on how to feel about ACB, and I’m not the only one. Kappa Delta Headquarters originally released a statement congratulating her after her appointment, only to take it down after a slew of backlash. Then, they received backlash for taking it down. Some people thought that Headquarters had a duty to stay silent on political matters, while others thought that they had a duty to congratulate ACB for her accomplishment.

I cannot speak for my fellow sisters here at Drury or nationally. I’m sure they all have varied feelings towards ACB and her stances. But I can give some insight into one Kappa Delta’s thoughts about the situation: my own. Ultimately, I am proud that a woman, and a Kappa Delta, is on the Supreme Court. It’s one of the highest offices in the United States and she deserves credit for her accomplishment. However, the things she stands for are an affront to female empowerment and sisterhood. Long ago, women were not allowed to hold office and had to fight for the right to do so.

The only reason ACB is able to be a Supreme Court justice is because of the women who banded together and fought for the rights that men were not willing to give them. We won another one of those rights, the right to bodily autonomy, in 1973 with the decision of Roe v. Wade. And now, ACB has the possibility to take that right away. While we can’t be sure that she will attempt to overturn Roe v. Wade, one thing we can be sure of is that if she did, she would be hurting thousands of women.

So, ACB, please keep this in mind. You cannot empower other women by denying them their rights. You cannot promote true sisterhood when sisters would be hurt by your actions. I would love to be proud of the work you’ll do in the Supreme Court. However, I can’t support you until your actions support the rights of all women.

Article by Sammie Ellis