I'm Gen Z and voting "no" on ballot amendment 4

I'm a Gen Z student activist and native Tallahassee resident. I care deeply about this community and most importantly, the people within it. That's why it's imperative to advocate and fight for the most basic human right. The right to life.

I used to be radically pro-choice and support the practice of abortion up until the moment of birth throughout my teenage years. I believed this because those around me, whether it be my peers, mentors, or any other figures in my life, told me that this was the right opinion to have. Not only this, but I was informed that because I was a man, I didn't have the right to tell a woman what she could or could not do with her body.

Over time I began to question this line of reasoning. Was the fetus inside a woman actually her body? After a while, I realized the truth. The National Institute of Health affirms that human life begins at the moment of conception. This blatantly obvious reality that I came to understand completely changed my perspective on the issue.

If we truly care about our fellow human beings and recognize the value and dignity in all of them, regardless of physical or mental characteristics, why do we ignore the most vulnerable in our society: The hundreds of thousands of human beings deprived of any chance to live a full and complete life?

I've worked tirelessly with fellow students, both men and women, white and Black, conservative and liberal, to protect life at all costs on Florida State University's campus and throughout Leon County. That's exactly why I'll be working double as hard to make sure Gen Z youth vote 'no' on Florida's ballot amendment 4, which enshrines abortion into state law. The vague measure seeks to allow the practice up until "viability," a non-definable point in the pregnancy that can be easily disregarded at any point by a profit-incentivized abortion doctor.

I call on other pro-lifers in Leon County and across the state to educate their families, friends, and communities on the truth about abortion. However, we must connect to these people through love and compassion, not through conflict and division. The only way I was able to reshape my heart and mind on this extremely important issue was through the caring and open hearts and minds of others.

We can fight to protect women's rights, hold fathers accountable and create an economy that works for families, while also protecting that most basic and crucial right to life. It starts with voting 'no' on 4."

Owen Girard is a lifelong Tallahassee resident and liberal-turned-conservative student activist. He focuses much of his energy and resources on promoting and fighting for social and economic opportunities suitable for the development of families in the community.

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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: I'm Gen Z and voting "no" on ballot amendment 4