I am a Gen Z student activist and Tallahassee native. I care deeply about this community and especially the people in it, which is why it is imperative to stand up and fight for the most basic human right. The right to life. I was radically pro-choice throughout my teenage years and supported the practice of abortion up until the moment of birth. I believed this because the people around me, be it my peers, mentors, or other people in my life, told me it was the right opinion. Furthermore, I was told that as a man, I do not have the right to tell a woman what she can and cannot do with her body.

Over time, I began to question this reasoning. Was the fetus inside a woman's body actually her body? After a while, I realized the truth. The National Institute of Health confirms that human life begins at the moment of conception. This obvious fact, understood by me, completely changed my perspective on the issue. If we truly care about our fellow human beings and recognize the worth and dignity of all of them, regardless of physical or mental characteristics, then why do we ignore the most vulnerable in our society: the hundreds of thousands of people who are denied any chance at a full and fulfilling life? I have worked tirelessly with fellow students, both men and women, white and black, conservative and liberal, to protect life at all costs on the Florida State University campus and throughout Leon County. This is precisely why I will work twice as hard to get Gen Z youth to vote “no” on Florida's Ballot Amendment 4, which enshrines abortion in state law. The vague measure seeks to allow the practice until “viability,” an undefinable point in pregnancy that can easily be ignored by a profit-driven abortion doctor at any time. I urge other pro-lifers in Leon County and across the state to educate their families, friends, and communities about the truth about abortion. However, we must connect with these people through love and compassion, not conflict and division. The only way my heart and mind were changed on this critically 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 protecting this most basic and important right to life. It starts with voting no on item 4.”

A resident of Tallahassee since birth, Owen Girard is a liberal-turned-conservative student activist who focuses much of his energy and resources on promoting and fighting for social and economic opportunities conducive to the development of families in the community.

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