Abortion Clinic

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April 14, 2013

The Pro-Choice Lawyers

Posted by Pat Richards under Abortion, Abortion Clinic, Abortion Information | Tags: , |
[20] Comments 

Abortion

Abortion

My head has been spinning lately as I try to keep up with all of the anti-abortion legislation that has flying back and forth in various state legislatures.   For example, at this point fourteen states have trotted out measures to ban abortion prior to “viability” — the point at which a fetus could survive outside the uterus. These measures take three forms: banning all abortions, banning abortions at some point in the first trimester of pregnancy and banning abortions at 20 weeks after fertilization.

In addition, there are bills preventing employees of abortion clinics from providing sex education in schools, banning tax credits for abortion services and requiring clinics to give details to women about fetal development and abortion health risks. There’s also a ban on abortion based solely on the gender of the fetus.

The most interesting law to me is the one in North Dakota which prohibits abortions from being performed after six weeks.  Think about that one for a second.  Hell, how many women even know they are pregnant after six weeks?   And, I am not a doctor but I seem to recall that some abortion clinics would not perform an abortion that early for fear that they might not get all of the tissue.

The pro-choice movement has a right to be very concerned about this trend in the state legislatures.  The anti-abortion movement is feeling their oats and they are clearly consulting with each other, photocopying the bills that passed in other states and pushing it in theirs.  And in many of those states, they’ve got the majorities so there ain’t much that we can do about it (except fundraise).

Abortion

Abortion

There is hope, however.  And it comes from the offices of the Center for Reproductive Rights and the ACLU Reproductive Freedom project.

For 20 years, the Center for Reproductive Rights has used the law to advance reproductive freedom as a fundamental human right that all governments are legally obligated to protect, respect, and fulfill.  They are an aggressive bunch of lawyers who are usually the first to jump in when some whacky anti-abortion bill is signed into law.  Within 24 hours, they are at the court filing for an injunction in an effort to prohibit the law from taking effect.

The ACLU believes that the decision whether or not to carry a pregnancy to term is essential to women’s equality, autonomy, and dignity, with implications for every aspect of her life – her educational aspirations, career goals, economic status, and, more broadly, her ability to live the life she planned.   Like the Center, the ACLU’s cadre of attorneys is working on a myriad of issues related to abortion.

Make no mistake about it, folks.  The action is now swinging to the courts.  Most of the legislatures have done their dirty work for this year and these two groups will now challenge most of those laws as they have been doing for many years.

But I would be remiss if I did not mention that the work these groups perform costs money.  Lots of money.  Heck, didn’t you see “Erin Brockovich?”   Remember how much that case cost?   Well, these two groups face the same daunting task.  They go into these cases and spend a lot of money with no guarantee that they’ll win and/or get attorneys fees at the end.  And if anyone thinks that the abortion clinics have that kind of money to fight these laws, think again.

So, if you are thinking of sending a dollar to some pro-choice group, you might think about these two organizations because, until we can change the legislatures in some of these ass-backwards states, the only defense we have against these attacks is in the courts.

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March 10, 2013

We Will Not Back Down!

Posted by Pat Richards under Abortion, Abortion Clinic, Abortion Information | Tags: , |
[19] Comments 

It’s hard to believe that it’s been twenty years…

On March 10, 1993 the “abortion wars” began in earnest.  To be sure, before that day anti-abortion zealots had bombed abortion clinics, harassed doctors and staff (one doctor was actually kidnapped), verbally tortured women as they entered the abortion facilities and engaged in many other forms of what soon would be called “domestic terrorism.”

But on March 10, the first shots were fired – into the back of Doctor David Gunn.

Truth be told, when I got the call from Susan Hill, the owner of several abortion facilities throughout the nation, telling me a doctor had been killed, I wasn’t shocked because in the previous months, anti-abortion activity had been ramping up.  Doctor Gunn worked at Susan’s clinic in Columbus, Georgia and at other separately owned clinics throughout the South.  He was known as a “circuit rider” because he traveled from city to city in his beat up car, performing abortions for a few hours then moving on.   Without his services (and energy), several clinics would have been forced to close because he was the only doctor.  Women would have had to travel much further to receive abortion services.

One of David’s regular stops was the Pensacola Women’s Medical Services, a relatively new clinic in a town that was well known for its virulent anti-abortion zealots.  David had mentioned to Susan that the anti-abortion activity had been picking up at the clinics he worked at and he decided to arm himself – to no avail.

That morning, David Gunn pulled up to the back of the clinic and parked in his usual   space.  There were a few protestors at the front of the clinic but when David pulled in, one of them made their way towards the parking space.  When David got out of the car, he did not bother taking his gun.  He took a few steps towards the clinic and Michael Griffin, a relatively new face to the protest scene, took out his gun and shot David in the back.  He died instantly.

The murder was the lead story in every paper and on the network news.  The inevitable had happened – an abortion doctor had been killed in the name of “saving babies.”

Soon thereafter, the dyke burst wide open.  Over the next few years there would be more murdered doctors.  Then, clinic staff people were targeted.  Those who provided abortion services, no to mention their families, were gripped with fear.  Suddenly they did not walk anywhere without checking their surroundings, looking under their cars for bombs, watching every protestor with a wary eye.  The sale of bullet proof vests escalated dramatically, clinics hired security guards and purchased expensive metal detectors.

And, yes, some doctors decided to abandon their practice and some clinics closed.  But the others hunkered down, refusing to surrender to the terrorists.  Indeed, the Tom Petty song “I Won’t Back Down” became the anthem of abortion providers everywhere.

Ultimately, the violence waned for many years.  That’s why the murder of Doctor George Tiller was such a shock because it had been a while since there was any violence of that nature.   And it will no doubt happen again but the “good” news is that that wave of violence that was ushered in on the morning in Pensacola is just a memory for many.  Still, we can never forget and we should use this “anniversary” to remember not just the sacrifice of David Gunn, but of the others who gave their lives to further the reproductive rights of women.

And rest assured that we will indeed not back down.

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February 24, 2013

Abortion

Posted by Pat Richards under Abortion, Abortion Blog, Abortion Centers, Abortion Clinic, Abortion Doctor, Abortion Information | Tags: , , |
[28] Comments 
Dr. Tiller

Dr. Tiller

George Tiller would have been proud.

In May, 2009, Doctor George Tiller was assassinated while serving as an usher at his church in Wichita, Kansas.  Over the years, he had become known world-wide as the doctor who performed very late term abortions.  As a result, he and his staff became a target for anti-abortion zealots.  Indeed, years earlier he was shot in the arm as he was leaving his clinic but he survived and was at work the next day.  For such a soft spoken man, he became a lightning rod in the abortion “wars” and ultimately one of those zealots caught up with him.

Soon after his death, his clinic in Wichita – Women’s Health Care Services – was shut down by his family.  His colleague, Doctor Lee Carhart, publicly declared that he would try to fill the void left by Tiller’s death and would try to accommodate those patients who he would have treated had he lived.  So, Carhart started doing late abortions in Maryland.  Meanwhile, however, one of Tiller’s former staff people, Julie Burkhart, had another vision.

TrustWomen.org

TrustWomen.org

Working under the auspices of the “Trust Women Foundation,” Burkhart and her troops raised approximately $1 million with the thought of re-opening Tiller’s clinic.   They have been busy renovating the office, recruiting doctors, getting permits, etc.  The new clinic will offer many reproductive health services, including abortions up to 14 weeks.  The clinic is now called the “South Wind Women’s Center.”

Needless to say, at some point the local Operation Rescue folks heard about the plans and they suddenly have a new cause (and a new fundraiser).  They are now a constant presence at the clinic (even though no patients are using it yet).  They even photographed a plumbing contractor hauling two large trailers onto the building parking lot and they then posted the name of the contractor on their website, encouraging their troops to barrage his office with phone calls.  That’s just what they do and, at times, they can be very effective.

Abortion

Abortion

Then, Operation Rescue turned their attention to Wichita’s Planning Commission where they attempted to get the clinic property rezoned to prohibit it from opening.  Despite receiving thousands of letters and emails from pro-lifers, the Commission voted 6-4 against the rezoning request.  Talk about courage!.   It is possible, however, that the Wichita City Council could still decide to take up the rezoning request on its own so that battle is not over yet.

Ms Burkhart and her staff have cajones.   They could have sat back, held an annual vigil in Doctor Tiller’s name and gone on with their lives.  But Burkhart has Doctor Tiller’s same commitment to providing health care to women despite the dangerous climate.  And, yes, she has his guts.  As she recently said in an interview:  “We’re not going to be pushed around by the antis.”

They are facing daunting opposition.  And Julie knows better than anyone that her life is on the line, just like Doctor Tiller’s was.  But she and her tenacious staff are plowing forward.   They will not be bullied.

You go, girls!

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February 10, 2013

“One of Our Patients Died”

Posted by Pat Richards under Abortion, Abortion Clinic, Abortion Information | Tags: |
[101] Comments 
Abortion

Abortion

“Pat, sorry to bother you this morning but I wanted you to know that one of our patients died yesterday.”  I could barely understand the caller, her message being obscured by her audible sobs.

It was a Saturday morning in 1996 when I got the call at home from the director of an abortion clinic in Illinois.  As a staff person at the National Coalition of Abortion Providers, all of the directors and owners had my home phone in case of an emergency.  Generally, the calls I got at home were to tell me a doctor had been killed or a clinic firebombed.  This was the first time I got a call about a patient dying in a clinic.

The director told me that the woman had died of a pulmonary embolism, something that was totally unpredictable.  Still, although they were not responsible it was clear that the entire staff, from the director to the receptionist who checked her in that morning, they were stunned and they spent hours going back in their minds (and in the charts) to see if they missed any sign.

Despite what the anti-abortion advocates would have you believe, deaths in abortion clinics are an extremely rare occurrence.  So rare, in fact, that when it happens, it becomes ”national news” amongst the abortion provider community.  Indeed, upon speaking to the director I immediately sent out a broadcast fax to our clinics letting them know of this unfortunate event.  I was told later that the clinic received a number of calls, emails and flowers as a sign of support for the staff.

But the fact is that abortion clinics are medical facilities that conduct surgery and, as in any other medical facility, sometimes things can go wrong or there can be a unfortunate, natural occurrence.  The death could also be the result of blatant negligence or just an unfortunate set of circumstances.  It’s possible that the patient did not tell the clinic some vital information that led to her death.  It could just be anything

I thought about that incident years ago when I heard that a 29-year old woman had recently died when she was having a late term abortion performed by Doctor Lee Carhart in Maryland.  Of course, the anti-abortion groups were quick to pass judgment.  “The avoidable death of this young woman dramatically illustrates the dangers of third trimester abortions that are done outside of the safety of obstetrical standards,” said Troy Newman, President of Operation Rescue and Pro-life Nation.

This is par for the course.  A woman unfortunately dies and the anti-abortion folks will jump all over this, making it appear as if nothing was done to save the woman’s life, that the staff just sat around watching Oprah while a woman died in their clinic.  They’ll suggest that staff tried to cover up the “botched abortion.”  And, of course, they’ll then argue about the “dangers” of legal abortion.

Approximately one million women each year get abortions.  Some will be injured, some will have a bad reaction emotionally and a very small handful will die from the abortion itself or have some complication.   Those who oppose legal abortion will fail to mention that on average only six women die from complications of a safe/legal abortion in the United States and that there are actually 13.3 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. And more than 68,000 women nearly die in childbirth in the United States every year.

No, instead they will spend their energies trying to bring as much attention as possible by focusing on this one very unfortunate incident, they will rush to judgment without collecting any official facts and they’ll argue that, because of a rare incident like this, abortion should be made illegal in this country.  Oh, and they’ll probably throw in there a pitch for money to their organization.

In the meantime, they will totally ignore the hundreds and thousands of women who get abortions safely, who go home after the procedure, go to work the next day and move on with their life with no regrets.

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February 3, 2013

The Last Abortion Clinic In Mississippi?

Posted by Pat Richards under Abortion, Abortion Centers, Abortion Clinic, Abortion Information, Abortion Pill | Tags: , |
[161] Comments 
Abortion

Abortion

Susan Hill and I were having lunch at the Mayflower Hotel years ago when she informed me that she was opening up another abortion clinic, this time in Jackson, Mississippi.  I looked at her incredulously and asked her why?    “Because the women down there need a good facility” she answered.

I had known Susan for many years by that time.  She was a vivacious, articulate woman who could sweet talk anyone to get what she wanted.  She’d also rip your lungs out if you crossed her.  At that time, she ran seven abortion clinics in cities like Jacksonville, Raleigh and Fort Wayne.  She also owned what had to be the most famous abortion clinic in the country, the Fargo Women’s Health Organization – the only clinic in the state.  Because it was all by itself in that conservative part of the country, it was the target of incredibly intents anti-abortion activity.  Protests with thousands of people, fire bombings, constant death threats.  Their doctors had bodyguards and were smuggled into Fargo in the back seats of cars.  The clinic was featured on the cover of the New York Times Magazine.

Abortion

Abortion

And Susan loved all of the attention it got.  It was her political statement against those who sought to make North Dakota an “abortion free state.”

At that time in Mississippi, there were two other abortion clinics that left much to be desired.  “The women deserve better and I’m gonna build the Taj Majal right there in Jackson,” Susan told me.  She was anxious to go into the belly of the beast and build a state of the art abortion facility in that backward state.   Over the next year or two, she spent a lot of time flying back and forth to Jackson.  I can still visualize her walking the streets in her skin tight dresses, usually a black ensemble that offset her outrageously blond hair.  When she walked into a room at the Ritz in Manhattan, she attracted attention.  I could only imagine the ruckus she caused in redneck country.

Susan ultimately built her clinic, which I was fortunate enough to visit on two occasions.  It was a jewel, albeit an eyesore to the anti-abortion zealots who now had a new target.  And they camped out front for years thereafter.   But the clinic survived and served thousands and thousands of women.

A few years ago, Susan Hill died of breast cancer.  I think of her often.  And I could not help thinking about her again just a few days ago when I read that the Jackson Women’s Health Organization was on the verge of closing.  It seems that the Health Department has announced that it would revoke the clinic’s operating license after an inspection found that it is has not complied with a state law that requires that all abortion doctors to maintain local hospital privileges.  Closure of the clinic may take up to six weeks until a hearing can be held and a formal revocation can take place.

But I also heard that the clinic staff was fighting hard to keep the only clinic in Mississippi open.  They are apparently grasping onto any straw and fighting at every turn to assure that women in that state have access to good reproductive health services.

They may or may not ultimately prevail.  But their courageous efforts deserve much applause.  I know Susan is rooting them on right now.

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January 13, 2013

Is the Pro-Choice Movement “Losing?”

Posted by Pat Richards under Abortion, Abortion Clinic, Abortion Information | Tags: , |
[51] Comments 
Abortion

Abortion

The January 20 edition of “Time” Magazine has an interesting cover story.  It suggests that since abortion was legalized by the 1973 Roe v Wade decision, the abortion rights groups have been “losing ever since.”   I’m sure it’s an interesting piece.  I say that because I still have not read it.  Frankly, I don’t read a lot of pieces like this one because I can predict by now what they will say.  And, in this case, I’m just not sure how one can make the determination that we are “losing.”

If you are just looking at the hard numbers, such as the number of abortion clinics in the country, you might think we are losing because there are fewer clinics.  Indeed, the pro-choice groups always harken to that statistic which says that 78% (or thereabouts) of the counties in the country have no abortion providers.  So, yes, there are fewer clinics, especially in some rural areas.  But let’s think that through a little.  The fact is that the number of women seeking abortion services has also slowly decreased over the years and fewer patients mean that some clinics will not be able to survive.  That’s just plain ole capitalism.  So, if the number of clinics is decreasing does that mean we are losing?   I’m not so sure.   Indeed, I consider abortion a very specialized form of medicine and, unlike chiropractors or dentists, there just isn’t an abortion clinic on every corner.  In some rural states, women do have to travel to get an abortion but does that mean we are losing the battle?

Abortion

Abortion

The “Time” Magazine piece will no doubt discuss the thousands of anti-abortion bills that have been introduced on the state level.  Yep, there is a lot going on and by this time just about every state has some kind of law requiring parental consent, a 24 hour waiting period and other insulting measures.  And, sure, these are “victories” for the anti-abortion movement but keep in mind that their ultimate goal is to outlaw abortion and they are nowhere near that goal.  In fact, they couldn’t even pass that “Personhood Amendment” in the friggin state of Mississippi.  It also failed in Colorado.  Also on the national level, keep in mind that the anti-abortion folks control the House of Representative, meaning they control what bills they will consider.  And John Boehner and his crew would never, ever think of bringing up a national “Personhood Amendment” for a vote because they know it would never become law.  And why make your own members walk the plank voting on such a controversial issue when it’s not going anywhere?   Also, on the national level keep in mind that with Obama’s re-election, he will certainly have a chance to appoint some more pro-choice justices who will further enshrine Roe as the law of the land.

Abortion

Abortion

I’m sure the piece will discuss the polls and how support for “choice” has dwindled a bit over the years.  But I’d be really interested in looking very closely at those polls.  How was the question asked?  Who conducted the polls?  I cannot prove it but I still believe that a majority of people in this country, if engaged in a dignified honest conversation, would eventually say that they support some access to abortion services.

So, yes, over the years we’ve taken our hits and access to abortion services might not be what it used to be.  But, for the most part, if a woman in this country wants to get an abortion, she can get one.  Does that mean that the pro-choice movement is “losing?”

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December 23, 2012

Abortion and Reproductive Rights

Posted by Sharon Carly under Abortion, Abortion Clinic | Tags: |
[7] Comments 
Abortion

Abortion

Abortion & Reproductive Rights.

The role that reproductive rights played in the 2012 election outcome was significant. Republicans repeatedly tried to minimize its importance, claiming repeatedly that women in particular, young and old, cared far more about the economy. Fifty-five percent of the female vote and sixty percent of the youth vote went to President Obama because he got it right. Reproductive rights are as much an economic issue for women as they are a private, personal matter of no concern to any elected official.

Abortion

Abortion

Obama’s position connected with women of all ages, but many men also paid attention. While men may not have the same level of personal or economic concern about contraception or abortion, they do have concerns about extremism and privacy.

Let’s start with abortion. When the Republican Party included the goal for a “Personhood Amendment” to the U.S. Constitution in their platform during the 2012 convention, the party seemed more like a nightmare fringe group than a political party promising economic policies to support the American Dream. Their position clearly did not attract votes for Republican candidates. Twelve of the sixteen Senate candidates supported by the Tea Party faction of the party lost. That is a loud statement.

Even with such remarkable losses, since the election, several prominent Republicans have hit the airwaves with theories that they lost votes because they were not conservative enough. Some have gone on to say that had the Republican Party more pro-actively promoted their strong pro-life position, they would have attracted more women.  The president of the anti-abortion Susan B. Anthony List stated, “Voters overwhelmingly disagree with the extreme positions on abortion taken by President Obama and the Democrats. [T]he Republican Party…never highlighted this vulnerability.” Really.

Abortion

Abortion

It is time for all politicians to get out of the abortion discussion. It is a medical procedure regulated by the same licensing and oversight authorities as other medical procedures. In some states, there are additional unnecessary laws in place.  It is the only medical procedure I am aware of in which politicians meddle so shamelessly, primarily Republicans.

Due largely to religious and moral beliefs, there will never be consensus on abortion. The only objective way public policy can view abortion is through science and medicine period. Any attempt politicians make to impose their religious views about abortion on voters will ultimately be a loss to their electability and credibility. There are indeed disagreements within the scientific and medical communities about abortion. However, even the most ardent anti-abortion biological scientist or doctor will ultimately acknowledge truth once s/he removes religious leanings or preferences.

Specific to the Personhood Amendment, I will acknowledge that life does begin at conception; every life form has a beginning. But to consider a zygote, the cell formed after ova and sperm unite, deserving of legal and moral status is not realistic. Imagine a world in which a zygote has legal status. The stage would be set to arrest pregnant women for any behavior that could potentially bring harm to the zygote. Medical providers would take on law enforcement roles. Never mind thinking about what civil and criminal courts would have to establish just to process the volume of cases. This is not nonsensical thinking. If legal status is granted to the content of a pregnant womb, be it a zygote, embryo, or fetus, if a law is in place it will be enforced. This would be extreme by all reasonable legal and moral standards but there it is, in the Republican platform.

The despicable references to rape, and its connection to abortion, by at least nine too many Republican candidates during the 2012 campaign season has kept people on both sides of the issue particularly attentive this presidential election year. Many of us were in disbelief to hear Missouri Republican Senate candidate Todd Akin say that pregnancy resulting from rape is “really rare” because “If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut the whole thing down.” Not to be outdone, Indiana Republican Senate candidate later stated during a debate that he opposes abortion even if the result of rape because “it is something God intended.” Illinois Congressman Joe Walsh, who was seeking to be reelected, believed that enough technology is available today that there are no longer any circumstances in which pregnancy would put a woman’s health or life in jeopardy.

The extreme right-to-life view has always held that rape is unacceptable in any circumstance. A handful holding the most extreme position will accept abortion to save the life of the mother but they dangerously define “life of the mother.”  Just how close to death must a woman be before she can have an abortion? If the Personhood Amendment is ever to be taken seriously, it will be critical to motivate all abortion opponents to completely drop allowances for rape, incest, and life of the mother.

It is arguable that the Republican candidates this year who connected rape to abortion were actually engaged in a policy strategy to begin the process of motivating their base towards a campaign mode for the Personhood Amendment.

When Akin said, “legitimate rape,” he was actually introducing voters to the concept of false reports of rape and therefore we should all be suspicious when women claim they became pregnant from rape – they might be lying. Like other crimes, there is a percentage of false reporting of rape. Likewise, there is a percentage of underreporting. Law enforcement officers and crime statisticians typically believe the underreporting if far more significant. Regardless, if Republicans can convince enough people that there are distinctions between the types of rape that occur, over time they will alter how pregnancy resulting rape is perceived.

Akin’s undeniably incorrect and woefully incompetent remark that “the female body has ways to shut the whole thing down” implied that women are so stressed during rape they can’t get pregnant. Anti-abortion zealots of his ilk took a concept from some infertility literature that suggests that high stress levels might affect a woman’s ability to conceive and, therefore, since rape is stressful, it is unlikely conception can occur. Pathetic, for sure, but, think about it – to the uninformed, leaning pro-life voter, if this message is repeated often enough, it makes is easier to deny abortion to rape victims. It slowly brings such voters to the “personhood” at conception philosophy necessary to mount a campaign for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Mourdock’s contention that God intends every life even if it begins violently was an appeal to the devoutly religious who oppose abortion but will allow in cases of rape, incest, or life of the mother.  Yep, throw God in there to tear at the convictions in the hearts of the deeply religious. A fair number of voters respond favorably to difficult issues when God is invoked. Romney obviously counted on that to happen with Mourdock albeit, like the marketing of anything, it takes time and saturation before it is an effective strategy. Although Akin was denounced by many in the Republican Party, Mourdock was quickly forgiven for his “inartful” articulation of belief. The only difference between the two men, really, was that Mourdock artfully used God.

When Walsh touted the technology available today, chances are the only technology he really has any familiarity with are ultrasound images that are now quite capable of showing embryonic and fetal development in multidimensional forms. Anti-abortion organizations have long used such imagery to imply that the development so clearly depicted in the images is the equivalent of viable life. Each pregnancy that jeopardizes the life, or health, of a woman is unique. There simply is not some master one-size-fits-all technology available to change the circumstances. Unfortunately, though, Walsh suggesting that there is might convince a certain group of voters. After all, a Congressman is expected to speak only about things he knows to be fact. In this particular case, Walsh minimized the incidence of maternal death due to pregnancy with the tone of his statement alone. Nope. We should not trust people when they say that abortion must be available to save the life of the mother.

The Walsh misstatement caught my attention for another reason. If one were to look through all the anti-abortion rhetoric of the campaigns throughout the year, language about “health” of the mother has not been referenced much. Health of the mother and life of the mother are not interchangeable. How convenient. Before you know it, the Republican Party will have successfully convinced enough voters that rape is not always rape, every pregnancy is a directive from God, and technology can ensure that all women, even the unhealthiest, survive pregnancy.

All three of these men lost. For that, we can all be grateful.  But make no mistake about it, their words were not as off the cuff as many Republicans would have the public believe. The Personhood Amendment was officially sanctioned as a goal of the Republican Party this year. The strategy to begin developing support for it has to begin somehow. Why not have a few candidates start the process?

Equally important to the women and youth vote this year are contraceptives. The February 6, 2012 online edition of U.S. News and World Report had an opinion piece by Laura Chapin, “Mitt Romeny and the GOP’s War on Birth Control.” Chapin did a great job spelling out the challenge Romney, and really all Republican candidates, would have appealing to women voters. From various credible sources, she noted that ninety-nine percent of women use contraception at some point during their reproductive years, ninety-eight percent of Catholic women use contraception that is banned by the Church, and seventy-seven percent of Americans favor insurance coverage for the birth control pill. Chapin ended with an admonition that the Republicans were on the wrong side of the issue with the voting public.

In 2012, contraception should not be an issue at all for anyone. It was an issue indeed, supposedly because the Affordable Health Care Act (“Obamacare”) required employers to include contraception in their insurance plans. Churches were exempt from the requirement; it was reasonable to assume that churches hire people of their own faith who subscribe to the doctrines of the church. Therefore, if the church opposed contraception, it was reasonable to exempt them from the requirement. Church-affiliated employers, on the other hand, were not exempt. This meant that employers such as Notre Dame University or Catholic Charities that hire a diverse range of people would be required to include contraception coverage. The Republicans quickly tried to frame the requirement as an assault on religious liberty.  They refused to consider that to exempt church-affiliated employers from the requirement was actually imposing religion on the numerous atheists, agnostics, or followers of other religions who were employees. It apparently did not occur to the Republicans that they were discriminating against women.

A truthful review of the statements from the Republican Party and its candidates will reveal that their real interest was imposing their own religious ideology and controlling women. They were also fighting funding for Planned Parenthood healthcare services and Title X.  According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, around seventy-five percent of U.S. counties have at least one clinic (many operating through Planned Parenthood) receiving Title X funds. The funds are dedicated to providing comprehensive family planning and related preventive health services to men and women with a priority place on providing services to low-income people. Any reasonable person can see that if the contraception controversy during this election year was only about religious liberty, there would not also be a fight over Title X funding.

It has always been ironic that the Republicans maintain an anti-abortion platform at the same time they seek to decrease funding for programs that assist children and families. By now holding the position that they do not support pregnancy prevention under the guise of religious liberty, they are actually making their views about the role of women in society very clear. They have transformed themselves from a party focused on economic policy to a zealous religiosity-imposing fringe group.

If any rational Republicans exist these days, the smartest thing they can do is share with their colleagues the significant role of reproductive rights in the 2012 election. They need not ask a single Republican to change their position to the pro-choice view. They only need to take a page from the playbook of Grover Norquist and persuade them to sign a pledge to stay completely out of any discussion or legislation about reproductive rights.

Americans – and the courts – decided long ago that contraception is a personal issue, abortion must remain safe and legal, and they don’t like it when politicians focus too much on our private lives.

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December 9, 2012

Don’t Blame the Kids of Pro-Lifers

Posted by Pat Richards under Abortion, Abortion Clinic, Abortion Information | Tags: , |
[17] Comments 
Abortion

Abortion

In August, 1996 I decided to visit an abortion clinic that was located in Phoenix, Arizona.  They had just joined the National Coalition of Abortion Providers, so I thought I would fly out and check them out.  To be honest, I did that as much as I could as a way to make sure the clinic we were now representing was an upstanding facility.

I arrived at the clinic early on a Saturday morning.  I always tried to visit on Saturdays because I knew that, if the clinic had regular protestors, they were more than likely to be there on a Saturday.  When I arrived at about 10:00 a.m. the temperature was already 101 degrees.  Sure, the heat was a little dryer out there but it was still rather oppressive.  As I drove up I counted about 50 protestors – including a group of children who could not have been more than 10 years old.  Being somewhat well known to the pro-life community, one of the protestors recognized me and yelled something about me being a baby killer.  Always eager to talk to my pro-life friends, I ambled over to say hello.   They were actually rather civil (as most of the protestors I met were) and they politely asked me why I “continued to represent these baby butchers.”  No shock, just the usual stuff.  We talked calmly despite the heated words.

Then I asked about the kids.  “Did these children decide to come out here on their own?”

Abortion

Abortion

Of course, the parents insisted that their children were there on their own volition and that they understood that “children were being killed in that butcher shop.”  Trying not to be a smarty pants, I just looked at them with a wry grin, as if to say “gimme a break, folks, they don’t know why they’re out here.”

I just couldn’t help thinking that these kids were being used.  But did the parents really think that, on this sweltering Saturday morning, their children preferred to be walking up and down a sidewalk holding pictures of aborted fetuses instead of swimming with their friends at the neighborhood pool?  I watched the protest closely for another thirty minutes and was tempted to go over and ask the kids directly if they wanted to be there, but I held back, not wanting to put them in an awkward position.  On the other hand, if I had asked them if they really wanted to be out there, they may have been so indoctrinated by that point that they may have said they actually preferred being out there to “save the babies.”

Pro-choicers love to criticize how pro-lifers use their kids.  And when you see a situation like this, it’s easy to do so.  On the other hand, I’ve been to many a pro-choice rally and, lo and behold, there are kids in those crowds as well, holding their own signs supporting reproductive rights.

I have two boys and, let’s face it, all parents “indoctrinate” their kids to some extent.  We talk openly about our values, they see us reacting to political campaign commercials and speeches, they hear us arguing with others about the issues of the day.  And while I never sat my kids down and insisted they support the Democratic Party and abortion rights, they somehow wound up in those camps.  So, in some way we’re all guilty of influencing our kids.

But I know these kids did not wake up that morning looking forward to protesting in front of an abortion clinic.  In some way, subtle or not, they were forced to march up and down a sidewalk in very dangerous weather.  I think it’s great that kids get politically active but, as I watched those kids that day, I just wanted to cry.

 

November 21, 2012

Thanks Givings

Posted by DrK8 under Abortion, Abortion Centers, Abortion Clinic, Abortion Information, Abortion lies, Abortion MisInformation, Catholic, Catholic Church Abortion, Catholic Murder, Murder
[13] Comments 

Every Thanksgiving I’m reminded of the fairy tales taught in school about pilgrims and Native Americans. All the little hands who make quaint pilgrim hats and “Indian” headbands made of construction paper in November celebrations belie the tragedies foisted upon Native Americans. It’s our shameful heritage that never makes the elementary history books. Contemporary celebrations have long forgotten the Native American genocide in favor of a gluttonous affair that’s packed into one day. It’s the consumerist approach to all things American.  And speaking of consumerism, despite the underhanded attempts to buy the 2012 election, the GOP, drunk on a weird brew of American virtue and Christian Armageddon, refuse to understand the American majority. So, they got a whopping spanking. And I’m thankful for that.
To those in the GOP who blamed the decline of America on homosexuals, abortion, gay marriage, non-believers, separation of church and state, evolution, science, you should know that you are what is wrong with this country. I’m thankful that your draconian ideology didn’t work. I’m very thankful that President Obama won a second term, despite his many foibles.

On a more regional note, I’m thankful to all those who have donated time and money to those impacted by Hurricane Sandy. Especially, to all the thousands of utility workers from across the nation who left the comfort of their homes, thanks for working such long hours and laboring so diligently to restore power to those without.

And for all things reproductive, to those clinics that endured difficulties to ensure access to women seeking abortions during and following the hurricane, you are heroes to those of us who respect and trust women. Similarly, I’m thankful to technology that can diagnose pregnancy and fetal anomalies earlier than ever. It’s making the battle against later abortions a shrinking target for protesters. I’m also thankful for the contraceptive revolution causing a steep drop in abortion rates through better prevention. And along those lines, I’m thankful for the open conversations about contraception costs and economic justice. All too often economic and class issues are smothered to death by the onslaught of GOP debris.

And speaking of debris, let’s talk about the rubbish over abortion laws. Let us pause for a moment to remember 31 year old Savita Halappanavar, a 17 week pregnant woman/dentist/daughter/neighbor/wife/citizen/friend, who tragically lost her life because she had the unfortunate circumstance to land in an Irish Catholic hospital. The University Hospital Galway demonstrated utter disregard for this young woman’s life by refusing to provide an abortion, a refusal of treatment that is typical of the global culture war on women. Despite the shameful and horrendous circumstances of her death, women and men from around the world have spoken out and stood up against institutions that allow a woman to die because of their bad faith. It’s ironic that for all their propaganda about prolife, the sanctity of life, it’s the Catholic Church that essentially killed Savita. For their solidarity on behalf of Savita and other women here in America and beyond, I am thankful.

I’m thankful, as well, for the women who are using social media to tell their abortion stories. They poignantly reveal the emotional and physical as well as the pragmatic elements of an unplanned, unwanted pregnancy. Their stories reject other people’s limited perceptions of them and, thus, counter ignorance as a point of view.

And, last, on a local level, I’m thankful to Harrisburg PA city council for recognizing how the seams of respect have been ripped loose by antiabortion activists and for creating a buffer zone for women entering and leaving abortion clinics. While it is well documented that escorts provide a buffer against the protesters’ shameful departure from civilized norms of society, it’s often not enough to facilitate women’s perceptions of a safe passage.  I can only hope that the rest of the state will follow.

And to all those progressive, philanthropic individuals contributing to abortion funds, reproductive health care associations such as the Abortion Care Network and to the building of a new abortion clinic in the Lehigh Valley, thank you, thank you, thank you.

 

November 18, 2012

Where is Lorena Bobbitt When We Need Her?

Posted by Pat Richards under Abortion, Abortion Clinic, Abortion Information | Tags: |
[24] Comments 
abortion

abortion

Representative Scott DesJarlais (pronounced Des-Jar-Lais) is a Republican Tea Partyer who represents the rural portion of Tennessee, i.e., the non-Elvis portion.  If you’ve never been there, it’s beautiful country and the residents are hard working, shoulder to the earth folks who like to mind their own business.  In 2010, DesJarlais was elected in the Republican tide on a platform of tax cuts, spending cuts, fewer hand outs and, yes, family values.

So, it should come as no surprise that his official website notes that “All life should be cherished and protected.  We are pro-life.”  In his short time in Congress, he has compiled a 100 percent pro-life voting record.  Keep that thought for a second.

abortion

abortion

On November 6, the Congressman won re-election with 57 percent of the vote.  Then the proverbial poop hit the fan.  Word started coming out that this oh-so-sanctimonious, family values, save-the-fetus paragon of virtue had gotten himself into a spot of bother a while back.  It seems that, right AFTER the election, court papers were released showing that during DesJarlais’ 2001 divorce trial (family values?) the Congressman had testified that that he slept with two of his patients (he’s a doctor), two co-workers and a drug representative while he was a practicing physician.  And it seemed that, hoping to break the mood with one of those patients, the good doctor also smoked marijuana with her.  As far as I know, Tennessee has not yet legalized marijuana but I’ll check my records lest I unfairly besmirch the Congressman.  Oh, and just for good measure, during one of the affairs, DesJarlais prescribed the woman drugs, gave her an $875 watch and bought her an airplane ticket to Las Vegas.

Now, there was something else…Oh, yeah, I almost forgot.  Did I happen to mention that the pro-life Congressman also encouraged his wife to have not one, but two abortions?  Did I mention that he also pressured one of his mistresses to terminate her pregnancy as well?  Before you condemn the Congressman for hypocrisy, understand that these abortions were okay because, as he testified during his divorce proceedings, his wife’s first abortion was “therapeutic” because there were “potential risks.”   And the second one was okay because “things were not going well between us.”

Yep, this oh-so-pompous Congressman who, if it were up to him, would ban abortion (unless, perhaps, if it was a result of a legitimate rape) actually availed himself of this legal medical procedure on at least three occasions.  But, let’s not hold that against him because you see these were extenuating circumstances.  I mean, his former wife and mistress were in tough spots and while those other women who get abortions are sluts, his ex-wife is a fine upstanding woman who, yes, didn’t satisfy him enough, forcing him to go out and screw other women but, well, I’m sure you understand his difficult situation.

I grow weary of these hypocrites, these pompous slobs who can rationalize anything as long as it suits their own purpose.  And I’ve heard these stories before.  On many occasions our abortion doctors would tell me how they had performed an abortion for a pro-life Congressman’s wife, daughter, niece, etc.  But the Congressman would imply that their situation was different – versus that run of the mill, low-life twenty two year old promiscuous slut who could just bear the baby and put it for adoption.

Congressman DeJarlais’ biography starts with “Scott grew up in rural America, where people value hard work and HONESTY.”

Paging Lorena Bobbitt, Paging Lorena Bobbitt…

 

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