CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Vanessa Llanes said she was cooking dinner when her 13-year-old daughter, Kassandra Dellinger, walked in visibly upset about the leaked Supreme Court documents that revealed the possibility of overturning Roe v. Wade.
“It’s very upsetting because the rights I have been able to enjoy, my daughter may not be able to enjoy,” Llanes said.
Llanes said they wrote to their representatives but they didn’t want to stop there, so they decided to conduct a peaceful demonstration on Friday, marching from City Hall to the County Courthouse with a group of over 50 people.
“Almost any woman I talk to has a story, or has felt the threat (or) the fear of walking home alone or being in class with that one teacher,” Kassandra said in a speech. “Even at the age of 13, I have suffered from the fear in the back of my mind with the knowledge that I could possibly be forced to have a child before I even consider myself an adult.”
Brittney Stanfill, who helped organize the protest, pointed out that abortion could soon be illegal in Tennessee.
“Tennessee is one of 13 states that has a trigger law, meaning that if Roe is overturned, within 30 days, abortion will be outlawed in the state of Tennessee,” she said.
Several women of every age came forth with their thoughts on the issue.
“Banning abortion by overturning Roe v. Wade is not going to stop abortion; it has been proven,” said DesiRae Hall. “It will just stop safe abortion, killing more women, and that is not something that sounds like what they’re fighting for.”
Brandy Davis, another protester, shared stories of her childhood and the environment she grew up in as a result of her mother not having access to abortion.
“You may have saved my life, but you destroyed hers,” Davis said.
Kassandra told Clarksville Now that although this was the first thing she has ever organized, she hopes to do more in the future.