Lucy Richardson, a lifelong resident of Atlanta, Ga. and a member of DU’s incoming class of 2023, decided she had to do something about the heartbeat bill passed in her home state a few weeks ago: write an open letter to Governor Brian Kemp. You may remember Kemp’s name from last year’s gubernatorial election and its surround scandal regarding voter suppression, but now, he is under fire for signing the heartbeat bill into law.

Kemp’s decision is part of an alarming nationwide trend to restrict the reproductive rights of anyone with a uterus. Read what Lucy has to say about this and find out more at CNN.com and donate at yellowhammerfund.org.

Tell us a little bit about yourself; what do we need to know about Lucy Richardson?

I’ve lived in the same ten-mile radius of Atlanta for all 18 years of my life, which may seem constricting, but it has been amazing. I graduated from North Atlanta High School where I was involved in the school’s student-led political association along with the equestrian team, art honors society and several other academic and social clubs. The political association meetings were by far the most interesting, though. My high school is a fairly large public school in the heart of Buckhead, Atlanta where divisions between political groups are extremely apparent and problematic. This polarity is so obvious it’s almost comical, for example, the time I had to dodge a pro-life rally on my way to a protest about gun control. This has benefitted me, though, because it has made me extremely secure in my personal views and values.

Why did you choose DU?

Honestly, I only applied to DU because it was in Colorado. I had done little to no research on the school and had never stepped foot on campus, and it wasn’t until after I got my acceptance that I began to look into it. My application was the best last-minute decision I’ve ever made. DU’s emphasis on experiential learning and multi-perspective approaches to education are incredibly important to me. After I realized how well DU fit my educational goals while having all of the benefits of being in the heart of Denver, my decision was made easily.

What inspired you to write the letter? Did you think it would receive as much attention as it has?

Some friends from the political association and I have a group chat where we discuss and vent about different political topics, and as soon as our governor signed the bill into law it was abuzz. The conversation was moving faster than my thumbs could possibly type, so I became frustrated trying to express exactly how attacked and scared I felt. I sat down and wrote the letter. I sent it to my sister, whose brain is probably identical to mine so I knew she would appreciate it, and she shared it on her Instagram. Soon, my friends were asking me if they could share it as well, and it just took off. It’s impossible to know how many people have shared it online, but for about a week after the initial posting, I had direct messages from young men and women from across the country thanking me for my letter. When my friends shared it, their friends did the same. Before I knew it the letter was everywhere. I had no expectations when my sister posted it, but it’s absolutely incredible and empowering to see the reaction it has created. The outpouring of support makes me proud to be a young woman in America.

I know that so many people have reached out to you to show support for your message–– has there been a significant amount of backlash from your letter? If so, how do you deal with it?

Honestly, no. I prepared myself for backlash as soon as the post started to gain traction–mainly by filtering messages with the phrases “disgusting” and “how dare you” from my direct messages–but I really didn’t receive much hate. I read through the comments on the original post and saw the rude and unsubstantiated arguments which made me extremely frustrated, but then I had a realization; the people commenting messages to attack me personally or approach the situation with hostility instead of a desire to learn about the opposing opinion had no inclination to hear my side. They were purely looking for an argument. Instead of entertaining these comments, I decided to spend my time listening to the women and men who are troubled by this and talking to those who truly want to learn about the bill and its effects. On several occasions, I had men and women who disagreed with my position respectfully ask my opinion on the matter, in which case I was happy to explain and listen to their stance as well. I have no intention of entertaining aggressors, we have enough of those in our government as it is.

What advice do you have for other Georgia residents, as well as people nationwide who are concerned about their access to safe abortions?

Please write letters. Please go march. Please go vote. Any possible way to make your voice heard is enough. Those in office who support this bill are all elected officials, which means we have the power and the obligation to vote them out. For Georgia residents specifically, a student-led organization called Do Better GA is organizing a march to the capitol building on May 25 and a letter drive to protest this law. Many pro-choice advocates have organized similar events in their areas, so please attend. One of the most important things you can do is educate those around you. Make sure people know the facts before they form an opinion.

Will you be participating in the march/protest against the heartbeat bill on May 25? Why do you think it’s important for people to show up for this cause?

Yes. Demonstrations like these are among the best ways to show your opinions, especially if you can’t vote. These are also an amazing way to see the sheer amount of people who agree with your opinions and are willing to fight to make a change. My first march was simply transformative. Before, I felt isolated in my views, but now I know I have a safety net of like-minded people who will support me. Go. March. Fight. The time for pleasantries is over; the time for a revolution is now.

Is there anything that you didn’t say in your letter that you’d like to say now?

I’ll close this with some hard facts. The Georgia bill bans abortions after the fetal heartbeat is detected, which occurs at roughly six weeks development. This is long before most women know they are pregnant. This beating is also the sound of developing cardiac tissue, not an actual heart. There is no circulatory system in place, little to no brain function and no ability to sustain itself outside of the mother’s womb. At this point, the fetus is simply not alive. Additionally, Georgia already has the highest maternal mortality rate in the nation. It also has an extremely high premature birth rate and one in every 33 children is born with birth defects. This shows how troubled our prenatal healthcare system is in this state. With rates this high, how can one justify forcing more women to face this? The United States agreed under the Fourth Geneva Convention that a forced pregnancy–as well as rape, forced prostitution and indecent assault–is considered both a war crime and a crime against humanity. Under the Alabama law, women can’t get abortions at any stage, even if the pregnancy is a result of rape or incest. In the case of rape, a doctor who performs an abortion will potentially face more jail time than the rapist. These laws are simply destructive and disgusting.