Then things changed in Paris when she stepped onto the triple jump runway for her native country, the Commonwealth of Dominica.听

鈥淚 told myself that your body knows what to do, trust it. And I did my hop, I did my step, and in that step, I felt like I had so much speed and was covering so much ground, and I heard the crowd freak out before I even hit the sand,鈥� LaFond told 最新蜜桃影像.

鈥淚 was in the air, and I could hear the stadium scream, and I hit the sand, hopped out of the pit, and everyone’s going crazy. I see team Dominica in the stands with the flags, wailing, and tears coming down people’s faces. My husband is standing there with his hands up in the air, like, look at the greatness of this moment,鈥� she said.听

She recounts how she looked up at the screen to see 15.02 meters (49.27 feet) and her mind going blank with amazement.听听

鈥淚 let out the biggest scream. I think it was like all the downfalls, the hard times, the sacrifices. This day, Dominica got its first-ever Olympic medal, and it just so happens to be gold,鈥� she said.听

A prodigy of Montgomery County, Thea LaFond immigrated to the United States as a child with her parents from the Commonwealth of Dominica, a Caribbean country with a population of about 73,000.听

LaFond has three siblings, including a brother at the Naval Academy who went on social media when he found out his sister won gold.听听

During an interview with 最新蜜桃影像, she recounted her years as an athlete at John F. Kennedy High School in Silver Spring, Maryland where she returned years later to teach special education.听

鈥淎ll my friends were joining the track team, and so they talked me into joining with them,鈥� she said.听听

LaFond had set her sights on distance running until her coach unknown to her at the time changed the trajectory of her life.听

鈥淗alfway through the workout, my head coach, Kevin Monroe, pulled me aside, and he was like, listen, I’m not trying to say that you can’t run far. Well, you’re from the Caribbean, and most Caribbean athletes are pretty explosive, so let’s try you in hurdles,鈥� she said.听听

鈥淎nd so I did hurdles, and then I did sprints, and then I did long jump, high jump, and last was triple jump,鈥� she told 最新蜜桃影像.听

LaFond, who studied international studies with a minor in public health at the University of Maryland, started training with a triple jump group in the area upon graduation.听

At her first Olympics outing in Rio, she finished last, hereby spurring her to find a new coach on her return home. A friend who was also a triple jumper turned coach, here in Montgomery County, Muhammad Halim introduced LaFond to her now coach, Aaron Gadson.听

鈥淲ithin six months of working together, I jumped over half a meter further, which was unheard of in our world. And then we qualified for our first Olympics together,鈥� she said.听

Next up was the Tokyo Olympics and Covid had just hit, so the event got pushed to 2021.听

Though she qualified for the finals. She got overwhelmed fouling a massive jump that she said would probably have given her a silver medal.听

鈥淥ne of my last jumps, I kind of just ran through the board. I was just so like, mentally all over the place, and I think it was too much pressure I鈥檇 put on myself, but I really struggled afterward to be okay,鈥� she said.听

LaFond, who now advocates for mental health, said it took about a month for her to admit that she was actually struggling mentally and emotionally with what had happened in Tokyo.听听

鈥淎nd so I got a great sports psychologist, and over the next couple years, we worked to just building that self-confidence, getting rid of those nerves, getting rid of jumping scared and fear of disappointing myself or others again. And this year, 2024 I just let go of it, and I told myself that I’ve already experienced failure. I no longer fear it, so let’s just go get success,鈥� she said.听

听Speaking on why she represented her country of birth, the Commonwealth of Dominica as against the United States where she grew up, LaFond said it was never in doubt.听

鈥淚t was always going to be my home country. I always view myself as a Dominican very proudly. My parents never let me forget where I came from, and we frequented Dominica as much as we could during my childhood, there was always a connection there,鈥� she said.听

She takes pride in her dual citizenship as well.听

“Montgomery County is my home. My non-biological family, majority of it comes from this county,鈥� she said.

Part of that non-biological family is her husband/gold-winning coach Aaron Gadson.

Speaking on the reception, Dominica gave her on her return, she said it was unbelievable.

鈥淭he way the country responded, the way the people responded. We did a motorcade through half the country, and everyone was on the street, flags everywhere. For such a small nation, we tend to be so politically divided. And it was the first time I really saw Dominicans unite under the flag,鈥� she said.听

LaFond, who鈥檚 currently recuperating from injuries, is now giving back in Montgomery County.听

鈥淪o right now, I do kind of extend my leadership programs more. Especially back to John Kennedy High School where I graduated from. Going back there and letting them hold the medal and talking to the kids, kind of bridging that gap between where you are and where you want to be,鈥� she said.听

Speaking on what she would like her legacy to be, she said she just wants to make Dominica proud.听

鈥淚 want the Commonwealth of Dominica to be truly known to the world that we are not the Dominican Republic, that we are this fabulous place with amazing people, with a gorgeous culture, phenomenal food, and hospitality like no other. It truly is an amazing special place,鈥� she said.听

鈥淚 also want people to see and remember a story of resilience that this dream of mine essentially took me 17 years from when I started to achieve it. And I want people to know that the road to success is not always straight,鈥� LaFond told 最新蜜桃影像.听

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Inside the court, attorneys for transgender minors and the Biden administration argued that Tennessee鈥檚 law banning puberty blockers, hormone replacement therapy, and related surgeries for those under 18 unlawfully discriminates based on sex. The case is known as United States v. Skrmetti.听

The Tennessee law allows minors to receive treatment for early puberty or congenital disabilities, but children are not allowed to access those same treatments for transitioning purposes.听

Those gathered in front of the Supreme Court steps separated themselves by opinion 鈥� those in favor of allowing transgender youth to access puberty blockers and other similar treatments gathered on the left鈥攖hose against it and in support of the current Tennessee ban gathered on the right side.听

Lawmakers and advocates spoke to their respective supporters simultaneously through bullhorns on platforms only several feet apart. Meanwhile, listeners adorned with LGBTQ+ flags, insignia and signs about protecting children cheered and booed in the cold as the justices heard arguments in the building behind them.听

A 鈥榙istraction鈥� from other issues?

D.C. resident Ari Bandy, a transgender Tennessee native, underwent gender-affirming care as an adult.

鈥淭ennessee was a dangerous environment to be visibly queer, and after moving to D.C. specifically to get out of Tennessee, I wasn’t burdened by stricter diagnostic requirements and could get it [treatment] here,鈥� Bandy said.

鈥淭hese kinds of laws have a measurable death toll,鈥� Bandy told 最新蜜桃影像 during Wednesday鈥檚 demonstration, adding that being denied access to this kind of care 鈥渞esults in alienation and really poor mental health.鈥�

鈥淚t’s a distraction from the real healthcare reform that Tennessee needs and serving the southern opioid crisis and the immense amounts of poverty in our state,鈥� said Bandy.

Laws restricting transgender medical treatment for youth have passed in 26 states, , so the Supreme Court鈥檚 ruling could have implications beyond Tennessee.听

Lawyer Brian Burgess represents conservative officials, advisors, and activists who want to strike down the ban, in part because it infringes on parental rights.

This is 鈥済oing to be an important case for understanding how this current court is going to be approaching equal protection analysis as it implicates issues of gender and gender identity,鈥� said Burgess, author of an amicus brief in support of the teens who brought the case to the court.听

Parents divided

The Supreme Court chose not to address the question of parental approval for these kinds of treatments during arguments, instead focusing primarily on the issue of sex discrimination. However, this was still an important issue for demonstrators outside.

鈥淚 think that parents have a right to make decisions for their child’s welfare and their medical decisions, and I don’t believe that doctors or schools or anybody should be hiding those types of things from the parents,鈥� said Jen Donnelly, who serves as chair for the Prince William County, Virginia, Chapter of Moms for Liberty. She said she supports Tennessee鈥檚 ban.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., known for her far-right views, including on LGBTQ+ issues, spoke at the rally in support of Tennessee鈥檚 ban. She told 最新蜜桃影像 before taking to the platform, 鈥淚’m here to declare that God only made two genders, male and female.鈥�

鈥淐hildren need to be let alone. They need to be allowed to grow up.鈥� Greene said. 鈥淣o one should mutilate their genitals, perform surgeries on them, or give them dangerous medicines and chemicals.鈥澨�

Alex Shalom, co-author of an amicus brief representing expert researchers and physicians in support of the petitioner, told 最新蜜桃影像, 鈥淓very established medical agency that has looked at gender-affirming care for children believes that it’s appropriate in particular situations, when the child and the parents want it, and when the doctor thinks it’s appropriate.鈥澨�

He cited research from the American Medical Association and American Psychological Association.

鈥淎t the center of this case, there are real children and their families who are worried about their safety and their ability to access life-saving health care,鈥� said Shalom.听

This is the second major transgender rights case to reach the U.S. Supreme Court. In 2020, the court ruled in a 6-3 majority that workplace sex discrimination laws protect transgender people in a case known as Bostock v. Clayton County, Missouri.

Biden administration attorneys argued Wednesday on behalf of transgender youth. That support could change with the next administration. President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to

The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to issue a decision by June.

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The bill, which the Montgomery County Council is considering and expected to vote on early next year, also aims to split the money raised from the ten-cent tax on paper bags. Five cents will go to the water quality protection charge fund, while the other five will go to the retailer.听

Kate Stewart, the lead sponsor of the bill, tagged听, and vice president of the council, said the aim is to build a cleaner future for the county.听

Impact of Plastic Bag Law on Business Operations听

Judy Yu, co-manager of Sichuan Jin River, a Chinese restaurant in Rockville, said it’s hard to predict how customers will react to the increase in the carryout bag tax even though it is good for the environment.听听

鈥淵ou don’t lose the business because of the carryout bag law. But some of the customers were not happy with the bag charge, but they would pay for it anyway,鈥� she said.听

鈥淭hey would complain about it, and some would just say, 鈥淚’m gonna bring my own bag.鈥� But sometimes it’s just hard for us,鈥� Yu said.听

Another business manager in the area, Gorica Baquedeno of Bon Chon, said it鈥檚 all about following the law, as they currently charge bag fees anyway.听

鈥淏ecause right now, we are charging five cents for the bags, and it’s always good to do something for the environment. So, if it means we have to change the current bag fee, we need to do that; we need to follow the law,鈥� she said.听

鈥淭o be honest, I think the customers will like the new law because some of them don’t already ask for bags, they bring their own bags and that is not going to impact the business in any way,鈥� Baquedeno said.听

Impact on customers听

Farmin Shahabuddin, a resident of the county, said the fee increase was long overdue.听

鈥淎s a student of Public Health, I did my undergrad in public health and now doing my master’s in public health. I have seen how the plastics we are using are affecting the environment in a harmful manner especially how all the plastics are accumulating in the oceans,鈥� she said.听

鈥淚f we stop using less plastic, then it will help the environment. 10 cents for paper bags is a small price to pay for a better future, I feel, at least for a bit for a better future generation. So I think 10 cents should be okay,鈥� Shahabuddin said.听

Elliot Essman of Gaithersburg said he agrees with the new law.听听

“I think it’s a good idea because I know plastic bags cause a lot of pollution when people throw them out. Personally, I already always take my backpack when I go grocery shopping and it works great for me,鈥� he said.听听

“If people don’t like the charge, I think they’ll get used to it eventually because the money is going back into environmental protection in Montgomery County, so I’m in full support of it,鈥� Essman said.听

Another resident of Montgomery County, Diana Davidson, said she鈥檚 happy that you don鈥檛 have to pay ten cents if you can bring your own bag.听

鈥淚 think for lower-income individuals to bring their own bag and not be forced to pay this bag tax is just great,鈥� Davidson said.听

The Bill, which will allocate five cents from every bag charged to the听, also has exceptions for recipients of food assistance programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the听Women, Infants, and Children Program (WIC).听听

Will Jawando, who cosponsored the bill alongside Councilmembers Laurie-Anne Sayles, Evan Glass, Natali Fani-Gonz谩lez, and Sidney Katz, told 最新蜜桃影像 that the bill was an improvement of legislation already in place.听

鈥淭here was a report that our Office of Inspector General did, which kind of does reports to see if things were working appropriately on our current law, and it found out that there were some things not working. Like a lot of retailers were not charging the fee, and it wasn鈥檛 going to its intended purpose,鈥� he said.听

鈥淪o, this is a goal, to kind of correct some of the bills, but also make it more effective. We were losing somewhere between 200,000 to $8 million a year based on non-compliance,鈥� Jawando said.

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Generation Z, known as Gen Z, are people born between 1997 and 2012. According to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, a nonpartisan, independent research organization, Gen Z’s issue priorities are inflation, climate change, and reproductive rights.   

Fifty-seven percent of Gen Z voters are extremely likely to vote in November, according to the Civic Learning Center. 

The crisis in the Middle East is also a factor for young people to vote or not.   

鈥淚t weighs on my mind every day; to keep seeing the bloodshed in Gaza, they cannot even catch a break,鈥� said Kevin Williams, a busboy, at a Baltimore restaurant, referring to Palestinians. 

鈥淎nd to know, we are financing that in some way does not give me hope as to who to vote for because nothing is going to change, I might just sit this one out,鈥� he said, referring to US support for Israel.   

Teen passion, new voter 

Jameera Stanton, a General Studies student at Community College of Baltimore County said she got more into politics after turning 14.  

鈥淚 usually just sat on the sidelines as all the adults in my family voted,鈥� she said. 

鈥淣ow that I am 18, being able to cast my very own vote in an attempt to make a difference for the better makes me happy,鈥� she said.  

鈥淲hat matters to me most is making sure I do not put myself in jeopardy by voting for the wrong person to run my country,鈥� she said. 

鈥淚 want to ensure I can build a life for myself, and rooting for the best candidate means a lot to me. I want a good president to be in charge as I go through it,鈥� Stanton said.   

Both the Democratic and Republican parties are mobilizing to get this young voting bloc to the polls, particularly in Maryland, where there is a highly contested senate seat race between Republican Larry Hogan and Democrat Angela Alsobrooks.  

According to the latest , data, about two-thirds of voters ages 18 to 24 (66%) associate with the Democratic Party, compared with 34% who align with the Republican party.  

Republican Liliana Norkaitis, in charge of turning out the youth votes for the party locally, said that the Gen Z vote will ultimately determine the outcome of the presidential election, lower ballot races, and the senate and congressional races in Maryland.   

“I strongly believe that the youth vote has an influence on these elections, this November race more so because young people are becoming more educated on issues,鈥� she said.   

She said that Republican college students might be in other states so 鈥渨e just make sure that they know they can vote in Maryland while away.鈥�  

On the Democratic side, Maryland State Del. Joe Vogel, tasked with getting out the Gen Z votes for his party locally, said young people know that Democrats are the ones who are on their side.   

鈥淒emocrats are the ones who are going to fight for reproductive rights, gun safety, protect the environment, protect the planet, and it is the Democrats who are going to make it easier to go to college and afford to find a place to live,鈥� he said.   

Vogel called the contrast between candidates stark. He said young voters know that 鈥渁nd as a result, they’re choosing to engage in this race.鈥�  

Tyrik Leach, a student at Baltimore City Community College studying Cybersecurity and Assurance, said that he鈥檚 participating in this election because he believes it has the potential to drastically change his future.   

鈥淪o far, from observing each side, Democrats and Republicans campaign, the Democrat candidates鈥� campaign aligns with my beliefs on what my future should be. Kamala/Walz seems to be more progressive, pushing for lifelong upward mobility,鈥� he said.   

鈥淔or example, one of Kamala’s proposals includes $25,000 first-time homebuyer down payment assistance and I believe that is really important,鈥� he said.  

Jereah Allen an administrative worker with the Maryland state government said she鈥檚 not optimistic about voting this time.    

“I鈥檓 honestly not excited to participate in this election, neither candidate has really sold me on why I should vote for them,鈥� she said. 

鈥淚 often feel that I鈥檓 too liberal to be a conservative, yet too conservative to be a liberal. I wanted to give my vote to RFK or Jill Stein, but I know neither candidate will end up as President,鈥� she said.   

鈥淏ut I will still participate in this election because I understand that my vote is valuable, there are so many individuals in this country who would like to vote but cannot, for example, felons,鈥� she said.   

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The Montgomery County Council recently approved a $1.2 Million security to nonprofit and faith-based organizations at high risk of experiencing hate crimes. The funds may be channeled into costs for security personnel, planning, training, or security cameras.听

More than 10,000 antisemitic incidents have been recorded in the U.S. since Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack in Israel, the highest number of incidents ever recorded in any single year period to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).

This represents a 140% increase from the 3,698 incidents recorded in 2022. ADL said it tracked more incidents in 2023 than in the previous three years combined.

Marc Elrich, Montgomery County Executive, told 最新蜜桃影像 that the grants’ goal is to ensure people feel secure when they gather for nonprofit and faith-based activities.

鈥淭imes have changed,鈥� said Elrich, 鈥渁nd we’ve seen increasing hate crimes in Montgomery County; we wanted to make sure that people felt safe in their houses of worship.鈥澨�

鈥淲e are hoping that the grant helps these institutions protect themselves a little bit better. And it’s a lot of people that have asked for money so that you can tell there’s a lot of concern out there in the community,鈥� said the County Executive.听

Beth Sholom of Potomac spokesperson Susy Altmann told 最新蜜桃影像 the grant would help it do more in terms of security.听

Altmann said after the October 7 attack in Israel, the worship center has experienced a spike in hate crimes targeting them.听

鈥淲e have a lot of congregations that are of Jewish faith, and we’re trying to get policemen every Saturday for when we have our big gatherings. It would be amazing if we could have some help from the county,鈥� she said.听

鈥淲e have volunteers. We have something called CSS, which is community security service, this grant will go a long way to help with more training,鈥� said Altmann.听

Ramandeep Kaur of Guru Gobind Spiritual Center Rockville told 最新蜜桃影像 that there have been attacks on their places of worship in the past because some Sikh members wear turbans.听听

鈥淭here was a major shooting that happened in one of our Gurdwaras. Since after 9/11, we have become victims of hate crimes. People often mistake us for the other faith because of how we dress. The awareness that we have tried to raise through outreach in schools, outreach to other communities, we are progressing, but yes, these funds will help,鈥� said Kaur.听

“We do not feel safe when the political environment is heated, or the narrative goes such that the minorities feel unsafe. So yes, we really want to take steps to increase the security of our place of worship and increase awareness,鈥� she said.听

The Maryland State Police’s most recent shows a major jump in the state.听

Anna Awimbo of Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake said security concerns for places of worship are at an all-time high.听

鈥淚t’s the same issue across the board. It’s the synagogues, its Islamic mosques, and some Christian communities as well. Everybody’s affected, and there鈥檚 a tradition in the faith community to be extremely open, have open gates, open doors, and they are no longer able to do that freely, and so that’s a major concern,鈥� she said.听

鈥淭his grant will go a long way because it’s additional resources. It could go into security technology or just putting a gate on the property, which most congregations haven’t historically done, most of them don’t necessarily have a budget for that, and that’s where this funding will really help in a big way,鈥� said Awimbo.听

To curb the hate crime that continues to go up, the Office of the Attorney General, Maryland, recently launched a portal听 to report hate crimes.听

At the federal level, the U.S. Department of Justice, which defines Hate Crime as a crime motivated by bias against race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability, also has a portal to report such crimes听

According to FBI hate crime has been trending upward in the United States since it started its data collection in 1991.听

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鈥淲e’ve had about 25 victims currently in Montgomery County, and the largest individual person that I’m familiar with lost $973,000. Every case that I’m aware of, there’s been a loss of at least $100,000 several in the $200,000, $300,000 range,鈥� the State鈥檚 Attorney John McCarthy told 最新蜜桃影像.听

Montgomery County currently has four criminal cases involving five defendants related to the gold scam, according to the State Attorney鈥檚 Additional cases are also currently under investigation.听

Here is how McCarthy鈥檚 office explains the crime setup.听

The scam often begins with fake pop-up ads on a computer or phone calls in which the scammers impersonate government officials. Scammers may tell potential victims that their identity has been compromised and that to protect their assets, they need to immediately convert money into gold bars and hand them over to them for 鈥渟afekeeping.鈥�

最新蜜桃影像 was invited to Brandywine Living at Potomac last month to hear more about efforts to educate seniors.听

The interactive session between residents and the AG鈥檚 office afforded them the opportunity to discuss awareness of scams and the other forms they could take.听

鈥淚 like what he did for us today,鈥� Sally Dowling told 最新蜜桃影像. 鈥淚’ve been scammed before, but I’ve never lost money because I’ve always found a way to stop it. This session will help a lot of people here on what to look out for.鈥澨�

Another Brandywine resident, John Klafin, said that the session was very informative. 鈥淚 thought it was great. No one is too smart not to be scammed.鈥澨�

In his session with the seniors, McCarthy said the scammers follow a script, noting that it’s a coordinated activity that originates from India and China.听听

鈥淭hey then send couriers on behalf of the individuals to pick up the gold, and they target women more,鈥� McCarthy said. 鈥淭his is a scam that has affected people from all areas of life, geographically within the county; they are targeting particularly senior people who have a great deal of trust in the government.鈥澨�

Responding to how they feel about the State Attorney visiting their residence to educate them on the gold bar scam, several seniors told 最新蜜桃影像 that they are elated as they have now learned something new about the never-ending scams targeting them.听

The Gold Bar Scam is so prevalent that the FBI issued a early this year about its danger. The agency noted that scammers even pose as tech support or U.S. government officials.

The FBI warned that the U.S. government and legitimate businesses will never request you purchase gold or other precious metals.听

The Federal agency urged victims to report fraudulent or suspicious activities to the as quickly as possible.

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Marylanders this fall will be answering 鈥測es鈥� or 鈥渘o鈥� to Question 1 on the state ballot, the Right to Reproductive Freedom Constitutional Amendment.

A “yes” vote supports adding a new article to the Maryland Constitution’s Declaration of Rights establishing a right to reproductive freedom, defined to include “the ability to make and effectuate decisions to prevent, continue, or end one’s own pregnancy,”

A “no” vote opposes amending the state constitution to establish a right to reproductive freedom.

The Montgomery County Council seeks to encourage residents to vote in favor of the constitutional amendment.

This commitment was made known when the Council passed a resolution affirming Montgomery County鈥檚 commitment to protecting reproductive rights on September 10, 2024.

The lead sponsor, Council Vice President Kate Stewart, brought the resolution to the floor. She told 最新蜜桃影像 that one purpose of the resolution was to raise the profile of the ballot measure, including shedding light on the consequences of banning access to abortion care and the impact it can have on communities, individuals and their families.

鈥淲e are seeing a number of pregnant people who are coming from places like West Virginia that have an outright ban on abortion coming to seek care here; we wanted to make sure that our commitment to making sure people can access care here in Montgomery County, was clear to folks,鈥� Stewart said.

According to the Guttmacher Institute, a research and policy NGO, Maryland is experiencing an uptick in out-of-state visitors coming to town seeking care banned in their states.

The United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in the summer of 2022, and more than a dozen states have since passed laws banning abortion and restricting other reproductive rights.

According to the Guttmacher Institute, Maryland receives women from West Virginia and Texas, among other states, and many end up in Montgomery County clinics to get care no longer afforded to them in their respective states.

Stewart said the council also supports the clinics with grants to cater to residents and out-of-state visitors seeking care.

Montgomery County Council recently approved a $1 million 听听to support abortion care in the County. The grant will aid community-based organizations providing direct services that support the right to access abortion care in the County.

In her Resolution affirming the County鈥檚 Commitment to Protect Reproductive Rights, Stewart recommended that county agencies pursue opportunities and coordinate with each other to protect people and entities providing, assisting, seeking, or obtaining reproductive health services in Montgomery County.

Speaking to some Montgomery County residents about the Resolution, Serah Lyte said, 鈥淲e should be doing more funding for reproductive rights in this state. I work in the healthcare sector, and I can’t begin to tell you the sad experiences people go through in an effort to bring a child to this world.鈥�

鈥淣ot enough people know that reproductive rights is on the ballot this November, I feel the politicians should be talking more about this,鈥� Maria, another Montgomery resident, told 最新蜜桃影像.

Not everyone in Maryland wants the ballot measure approved.

On Monday, the created a webinar forum to promote a no-vote in Maryland specifically. Speaker Elizabeth Kirk, an assistant professor at Columbus School of Law, said the health amendment doesn’t meet women’s needs.

鈥淚 think we should vote against it because when I hear freedom, what I hear is abandonment. We’re abandoned. Abortion is abandoning women and their children to some sort of like notion of autonomy of freedom,鈥� Kirk said.

Kirk also said, 鈥淭he freedom is that it actually leaves them alone and abandoned; the reasons women choose abortion are because they don’t have support. We need to, as a society, respond to the authentic needs of women and babies. And this amendment doesn’t do it,鈥�

Erika Bachiochi, Senior Fellow at the Ethics & Public Policy Center at Abigail Adams Institute, agreed with Kirk and called on men to do better.

鈥淲e should be calling men to task, to call men to be fathers, to have higher expectations of men, to take sex more seriously, all of those things. Right now, we have a structure we basically created, like a structure around abortion license,鈥� Bachiochi said.

鈥淚t’s a structure that then feeds all of our relationships, you know, in all of our understandings, around sex, around work, around parenting, around all of these different things. And it’s like, it’s like this band aid that is put on something, and it’s like, right now, kind of gushing, and we haven’t dealt with any of the things underneath.鈥� Bachiochi said.

Marylanders will decide 鈥測es鈥� or 鈥渘o鈥� to the constitutional amendment in the November elections, along with voters in other states that have similar measures on the ballot.

Some of the measures approved by the Montgomery County Council include recognizing access to abortion as a fundamental human right. The Council supports a Maryland constitutional amendment to protect the right to reproductive freedom. Here鈥檚 the full 听.

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