The Supreme Court decides women's health is irrelevant

I'm shocked at this ruling. It's unbelievable that the court would totally disregard women's health & safety like this. Women and their doctors should decide what's right for them, not politicians.

I'm curious when NARAL is going to acknowledge their role in failing to provide any meaningful opposition to the nomination of Roberts and Alito, two of the votes to uphold that they pretend to be so shocked about.

I'd also like to know why NARAL actually endorsed the re-election campaigns of two of the senators who voted for cloture in the case of Alito.

What's done is done... we can't go back in time. What matters is where we go from here. The health of women is now in serious jeapordy because of ideology, and that should scare the hell out of everyone.

I was stunned to hear this news. Just another reminder of how our three branches of government no longer function well as a system of checks and balances, since they are increasingly fueled by ideology instead of wisdom and integrity. Little by little, it ebbs away at my faith in this democracy. I am hoping Congress still has enough autonomy (or has recently gained enough) to alter this truly heinous decision.

Adoption profiteering, all the way. I mean, we all know that we are not a "pro-life" nation considering the two (and counting) wars, the recent murders on the VA Tech campus, the rapes every 3 seconds and all the other violence, not to mention the 44,000 nukes sitting on our soil. Add to that the very violent and murderous, misnamed "pro-life" movement.

I agree with the above poster, we have become so busy (read: selfish) and complacent in this country that I'd say the right wing has earned their success and should pat themselves on the back. Hopefully we will not roll over and keep playing dead.

I must say I find it disturbing that NARAL is asking us to take action without out giving the full story. No where in the email I received or in the above article does it mention that the ban upheld this week applies to "Partial Birth Abortion". This is a far cry from a woman's right to choose within the first trimester. Yes, I support the pro-choice movement, but there does come a point where it's just too late. Please don't try to deceive me into protesting a move I actually applaud.

No one wants to get a partial birth abortion. It is ONLY used when the child is dead, severely deformed, or the mother's life is in jeopardy. I WANT THE RIGHT TO DECIDE if I want to take a chance on dying to allow my fetus/child to be born or if it is severely deformed and having the child would kill me I WANT TO HAVE THAT CHOICE!!!! No one has the right to make a decision that kills me but me!!!!! KEEP YOUR LAWS OFF MY BODY!!!

I want to make a comment. I have been reading where some are not clear on the abortion ban being upheld. Yes it was the Partial Birth abortion ban. However, let me make THIS CLEAR. States are each voting on abortion bans as early as 12 weeks or pregnancy, such as Mississippi and other states. Partial birth abortion is in the late 2nd term and higher. Having this federal ban upheld to allow states to vote how they want to vote is producing a 'SLIPPERY SLOPE' on the ban. Go into the NARAL and NOW sites and look at how each state's governor is signing in the bans. Mississippi's governor, for instance, just signed in a ban as early as 12 weeks. Women's rights are at stake here. We need to protest.
Janie

First it's partial birth abortions...what will it be next time? It's been said before, how can the 'pro-life' people honestly say they are pro-life when we have thousands of starving, neglected, abused and abandoned children in our own country? Worry about the rights of the already-living children rather than spouting off about the rights of the fetus! The patriarcy is trying to take away womens' rights one by one!

I am a married mother with 2 young daughters. It is terrifying to see my daughters rights to choose, and rights to birth control counseling and sex ed being taken from them. I believe that they and only they (we) have the devine right to decide what is right for ourselves and our bodies. I believe that abortion should remain safe and legal. I belive that we should all have access to birthcontrol and the morning after pill. I believe that with counsel from a physician, a woman has the right to end a pregnancy for any reason, and she has the right to do that in a medically safe environment. I do fear for my daughters" futures.

Please don't call it "partial-birth abortion". That is the name given by anti-choicers to the procedure known to doctors as dilation and extraction, or D & X. Let's not give more ammunition to the other side by using their language.

I was saddened by this decision, but not entirely shocked. I had feared that this would happen when Alito and Roberts made it to the Supreme Court with hardly a murmur from the Democrats, including my own Senator Maria Cantwell, who first voted FOR cloture on Alito and then, in a meaningless gesture, voted not to approve him. The real meaningful and necessary vote was the cloture vote. And ever since then, I've been dreading this.

So how to regroup? How to take our power back? Let's all get on our Congressional representatives' collective backs and get them to back the Freedom of Choice Act, and study ways to make that act even stronger. I want to see a draft of the Act first, though. Come on, NARAL. If you're going to solicit funds from us to get this passed, at least let us read it.

Let me rant please. I am in utter dismay. It's fairly obvious that our "good president" doesn't care about womens' health. He'd rather see a woman die giving birth (and martyr her afterward) than see an unfinished fetus be destroyed. So what's it going to be? Pro-woman or pro-fetus? He's trying to deal with a problem in a frightfully wrong way. It's fairly obvious that some women (and men!) have turned into whores. But what about the women that need this kind of thing? Be celibate for life? Fertility played a cruel joke on women, didn't it? I know, I know. Childbearing is a miracle and a blessing. But it's the only miracle--besides love--that's painful. And it's only a blessing if you want it to be a blessing.

The dating world is worse than it used to be. Women like me (disabled) just can't win (can we say "double handicap"?). Men already have their negative attributes that drive us women to near-madness. But this harsh movement is making me see men in a further negative light. Now I know that not all men are rock-bottom scum. But this situation is making homosexuality seem more appealing.

If only I was a strong and modern woman, I'd never date again (despite the pangs of loneliness that hit me from time to time, I don't think such things compare to physical and emotional birthing pains).

Here's the thing... If they're decision was based on medical necessity, than shouldn't we ban all medically unnecessary procedures. I say we start with banning penis enlargement surgery. Oh, and while were at it, can my health insurance cover my birth control pills the same way they cover viagra?

Sarah (above, and others): I know a midwestern couple who were told, circa 1993, to rush to the nearest hospital that could abort her abnormally large late-term fetus before her life was threatened (a mother of a young child). They traveled over 2 hours to a Catholic hospital in the nearest metro area (they were devout, btw).

And... naturally, they were told to travel another 5 hours to find a municipal hospital that would do the procedure. (They were shocked since she was obviously in trouble -- yet they had always been anti-choice!)

Had this law been in place then, her husband and toddler would have lost her. Instead she lived, they had more children, and they're a beautiful family.

Stop to think in more than one dimension when you're imagining scenarios that allow OUR society to draw lines that don't concern yOUR life. (If this sounds harsh, think about why.)

^mispost.

In all seriousness, we should probably start to consider the possibility of setting up Family Planning services clinics over our Canadian and Mesican borders. I'm not sure if abortion is legal in Mexico, but it might be easier to get the law changed faster there than here. (The Mexican Gov't doesn't seem to mind to much if drug dealers bring money into the country) Canadian Pharmacies could also Express ship Plan B pills, or birth control bills. This may seem like a far fetched idea, but I fear our rights here are in a lot of trouble.

What is the most frieghtening of all, is the fact that our American government is going Backwards with Abortion and Mexico City (according to the Article in the Chronicle today) is trying to move forward with Abortion. Scary!
ALSO I truly believe that the only reason that Abortion is coming to such a head these days is because Men in politics are feeling threatened by all the women in Politics and that is their only way to keep a "Good Woman down!"

I am dismayed, though not surprised by the Supreme Court's decision on "Partial-Birth" abortion. This is the result of the anti-choice appointments of Roberts and Alito to the Supreme Court. To think this happened not to long after the defeat of the South Dakota abortion ban.

Well, it has been a step backward after this decision. I'm certain the champagne corks are popping at anti-choice groups across the country.

So, what are we going to do about it? What we have done in the past. Support and vote for pro-choice politicians, support pro-choice organizations, support comprehensive sex education, etc. That is the only way we can fight back the tide. As Paul Wellstone said: "Stand up, keep fighting."

Despite what the media might have you believe, there are still more on our side than the other side. I was reading in Ms. this month that Randall Terry, not long after the 2006 election, organized a pro-life rally in Wichita, KS "Wichita: A Cry for Justice". Despite Fox News' call for "thousands" of pro-lifers, only a few dozen pro-lifers showed up, greatly outnumbered by the hundreds of pro-choice demonstrators. So we need to keep up the momentum.

It is appalling that the Supreme Court would do such a thing. By outlawing abortions, women may end up turning towards unsafe methods, like backstreet alley clinics where the woman has a high chance of having her reproductive organs damaged. I cannot believe that the court would dare put American women in danger like this.

This is just plain flat unbelievable. I have known women who have faced unintended pregnancies, myself included, and I would hate to have any person not have the right to choose whether or not she should have the baby.

And not just that, but some women have to abort their fetuses for health concerns.

What happened to the brains and feelings of these people? Why would they impose their beliefs on everyone else? It's not like everyone agrees.

And if someone doesn't believe in abortion, they should just not get one - not everyone has the same beliefs, and it's wrong to try to force everyone to do what you think is right.

Some talking points I wrote on the Ed Shultz Shows discussion board today:

Life begins when a mother decides to give her love.
Pro-Choice is Pro-Life
----------------------------------------------------------

I think women have it right. If men gave birth every family would have one child and abortion would never become an issue.

To the affluent, there never have been any restrictions on abortion nor will there ever be. Abortion laws and restrictions only apply to the little people. It's the poor that suffer the most.

It doesn’t matter if abortion is illegal or not. Abortion laws don’t apply to the wealthy. The affluent do as they please. It’s the poor that suffer the most. Bush and company are well aware of it too.

I remember a terrible event that happened back before Roe v. Wade. One morning my mother took me to a wealthy aunt’s house. I was plopped in front of the TV to watch cartoons and heard parts of my mother and aunts conversation. I heard enough to reconstruct what was said years later. Somebody my mother knew was in medical trouble, a victim of a botched abortion. My mother was trying to get some sympathy and money from my aunt to pay a doctor to keep it hush because doctors by law had to repost suspected abortions.

In the end both were yelling and my mother finally said, “Damn it, if we can get a little more money in the kitty, we can get her taken care of”. My aunt shot back, “That’s what she gets for being poor”!

My mother grabbed my arm and we flew out the door. She stopped in an empty parking lot and sobbed saying that some people can be so cruel. I was a child and wasn’t sure what was going on but I tried my best to comfort her.

Join me and fight so that others like Sharon will not die in so much humiliating indignity.

Join: Naral.Org

Pro-Choice is Pro-Life

Yes I’ve told the story before and in many different discussion groups. It resonates well and I’ve told it many times at church when the opportunity arises. My church is largely pro choice as a result of my efforts. It’s the older people that instantly recognize my talking points. The congregation is well aware that there are abortion opponents who use the issue to line their pockets with our donations and politicians that use the issue to sucker us for our votes. A lot of the older politicians are well aware that overturning Roe v. Wade is not in our best interest.

You can bet that I’ll always be there to stand up to the wickedness of abortions foes.
Perhaps wicked was a bit much, it's just that I'll never forget the look of terror on my mothers face. I recently heard an abortion opponents lie that women feel guilty after an abortion. Oh really? Is that why women do it? So they can feel terribly guilty inside? On its face that statement is a lie that only an idiot would believe. Yet nobody calls it on the carpet.

Abortion opponents start the guilty myth as a means of preventing an abortion – not that women actually feel guilty afterwards. They are well aware of this. That’s what I mean by “standing up to their wickedness.” Although I’ll concede that it probably didn’t resonate well. I’ll leave it out in the future.

However there have been many women that abortion opponents have made to feel guilty where there is no guilt resulting in depression, psychiatric consultation and medication(s). I would like to start a fund so that these women can get counseling to counter abortion opponents damaging effects as well as have legal recourse to seek monetary awards against their tormentors.

In closing I’d like to say that I’m sorry for the wraps. I wish I had more time to rewrite it all. What’s needed is education. Abortion laws and restrictions have never applied to the wealthy. It’s the poor that suffer.

There are some great comments on here and everyone should be congratulated (NOT "Barrie" or whatever it thinks it's called). But there's a question that's been bothering me, namely,

Why is this the only place to hear these comments?

Yeah, new media and whatnot. But tens of millions of Americans leave their TV on all day. Where are the advertizing campaigns proclaiming that America was founded on the idea of individual rights and of choice? Where are the volunteers handing out pamphlets in mall parking lots? Where are the full-page color ads in the New York Times and every other capital city's newspaper?

Yeah, new media and whatnot. But we're deluding ourselves if we think we can win this war (yes, I said war) on the blogosphere. It made Howard Dean nominally famous, but where is he now? The enemy is attacking in places where we do not seem to be defending (much less counterattacking).

We have historically been reluctant to realize that this is a war and it is one we have to win at all costs. The other side fights dirty (cases in point: TRAP legislation, "crisis pregnancy" centers) and we are handicapping ourselves by refusing to do so as well. Considering that TRAP legislation basically involves closing abortion clinics by changing the building code, someone could equally do something similar to the local crisis pregnancy center (eg. complaining to the council that it is a source of noise pollution or obscures local views).

"Wake up, America . . .
. . . the Christian Right has you . . ."

I keep looking at that picture of bush and friends the day bush signed the federal abortion ban, and I can't help wondering, what is it that is really motivating these people? Is it really misogyny, or machismo, or a deeply-seated desire to have absolute control over women and their reproductive capacity, for fear that otherwise these men won't be able to breed? Is it their vested interest in capitalism, which demands women's submission? We know that it is not that they love children and babies and will do anything to protect them, not with the 3 million homeless children every night sleeping on streets and in corners and cars in the United states. Is it that the only way they feel manly is if they can dominate women and our uteruses? This ruling makes me feel as if all those men in that picture just put their fingers up my vagina, and that is essentially what they did. How dare they. And why isn't every single woman everywhere marching in the streets, now, yesterday, the day before, tomorrow, until we break this terrible terrible patriarchal oppression that puts its boot heels over our faces every day and makes our breath harder to breath than that of our brothers?

Since this ruling happened, I have spent so much energy and time thinking about it, talking about it, writing about it - on April 18th we as women were demoted to second class people. And you know what, I have a 1 year old son whom I love infinately, and this ruling has made it harder to be a parent. It's made all the daily chores heavier, I can't do them as gladly. I feel resentment against them, which I didn't before. Why? Because this ruling tells me that I, as a woman, as a mother, as a daughter, as a sister, as a wife, as a friend, am not valuable, that the work I do is mandated servitude, and the gift of life, that is only mine to give or not to give, is a requirement, not something I do with love. Well I say, go walk off a plank all bushies and friends if you want to try to imbue these ideas in my head, your voices will deteriorate to background static and then to nothing, no matter what laws you pass. We women hold the key to the door to life, and we are the ones who choose whether to open it or not, whether you like it or not.

ERROR: Unholy chains.

Those who say 'iAMchristian', yet impose more chains, are LIARS... Christians_have Free Will. Remember?

Know them by their names/works/fruits.

Step out in the day; bend the dark, to its knees, TO the righteous. StepUp, UP. upTempo:march.

See pious lies: Christians comfort us - chooseNOT 'myComfort:yourChaos'. WAKE UP.

Christians trust all to know/KNOW; *know* it isn't theirs to say (chastise/criticize/punish forfeitSCORE). LOVE:listenHear.

Re 'talking points', simplify: "LIFE IS a MOTHER'S LOVE." (are you listening) [Someone make a tag... I'm so tired of all the masks. {witness:amen.}]

(And btw, comments-formatting here is confusing (and I don't mean just my offbeat rhythm); peaceON.)

I too was shocked this was upheld seeing as there was no exception made for the woman's health.

I don't understand what we are supposed to do in the eyes of this administration and the anti-choice advocates. They seem to be systematically taking away our right to choice, while at the same time making it increasingly difficult to obtain birth control. On top of all this, young people are now not being prepared to protect themselves with the current 'abstinence only' sex ed programs!

Whether you agree with abortion or not, the fact is it will never go away. Seeing as I'm 31, I don't remember a time abortion wasn't legal. However my mother (also pro-choice) has told me stories of the 'back-alley' abortions. She tells me how scary it is for her to think we could end up back in that same situation. Even people who don't think abortion is ok understand this, want to keep it legal, and therefore safe.

We cannot afford to sit by silently and let our rights be taken away.

Could it just be that this very thoughtless administration, looking only for power, money and legacies beyond all dreams, is making a stab at getting rid of R. v W. so that after the current debacle has gone on for years, enough time will have passed to ensure more warriors that are expendable? It's just a numbers game and a way to get someone's way without change, reason or need.

We are supposed to have checks and balances in our Constitution. Am I wrong to think that means among the Congress, President and Supreme Court? If I'm wrong just let them all do whatever they want (they will anyway, won't they?).

LET THE WORD GO FORTH...to all women who now know that their right to control their own body has just been usurped by 5 (Roman Catholic) men in WASH DC. I call upon all women who regularly post to comments, or blogs, to use the power of the pen, to disrupt the topic of the thread they follow by presenting the TRUE facts and consequences of this ruling within the discussion of the thread. Yes, I am saying, disrupt the thread, take over the thread/blog by continuing to interject anecdotes, true stories, 'what if's', and anything that will cause other bloggers to get involved with the topic.

In this past week, the SCOTUS decision has been overshadowed by VA shootings, Space Center Shootings, Gonzales Hearings, and etc. It not for these things, this should have been a leading story. Now we women have been relagated to page 32, and the implications of this ruling have been largely overlooked. It falls to us, women who understand the implications and potential applications of this ruling to get the word out to the many, many, women who have not yet realized that their right to control their own bodies has just been given to the justice system. I believe that we, grassroots commenters and bloggers can make the Main Stream Media finally begin to cover this story and the anger it has produced by taking to the internet (and elsewhere) and injecting ourselves into ALL political discussions. I don't much care if the discusion is about IRAQ or the minimum wage.

Somewhere in each thread there is an angle that relates to women who have or don't have children. If we do this, we can force the main stream media to begin to cover the subject and if we begin to re-frame the procedure of D&E of D&X as it is accurately called instead of the inflammatore 'partial-birth abortion', (which it is not) we will begin the process of educating women and men about the truth, and about how they have been bamboozled by the Religionists into thinking that somehow a nearly full term baby has been almost delivered and then killed for the convenience of the monther. THIS IS THE IMAGE THAT THE PUBLIC HAS NOW, AND IT IS A FAILURE OF THE LEADERSHIP OF OUR ORGANIZATIONS TO COUNTERACT THIS IMAGE THAT HAS CAUSED THIS RULING. The reality is that this procedure, rare as it is, occurs most often in the 2nd trimester, when it is discovered that the fetus is 1)hopelessly deformed; 2)has a fatal diseases, i.e. Tay Sac's; 3)Spina Bifida; 4)Hydorcephalus. There are many other severe problems for the fetus. It may also occur if the potential mother has Eclampsia, Severe High Blood Pressure which would likely cause a stroke (possibly fatal) if forced on to delivery, and there are also other conditions like Brain aneurysms, too numerous to delineate. And because there are so many variable reasons that this procedure may be necessary is exactly why there can't be a hard and fast law against it, nor even the requirement to go before a judge to get an exception. It would often be too late by the time the judge heard it. (For an example, see my comments under 'I love Ginsburg).

I believe that because this issue has been so misrepresented (read:lied about) and under reported we regular bloggers can make a difference by bringing this issue to every blog or thread we frequent and thus forcing it into the public conscience. We hear that polls tell us that the public favors a ban on this procedure. Well, that may be because they do not understand that this is not what they have been led to believe it is by the Anti-Choice Groups. It falls to us on the grass-roots individual level to provide truthful information to those who have been lied to. I believe they will see this situation for what it is when they know the truth.

For me, the final realization regarding the misinformation of America came form watching the "Real Time with Bill Maher" show on Friday. He is a left leaning political comedian. Even he, who is usually politically well informed, took the position that this Ruling was probably a good thing, and Bill Maher doesn't even believe in GOD. That alone told me that we, as a group have failed to inform the public about what this is really about and particularly what this procedure really involves and why it is sometimes, the best choice. Let me also say, that I have attended over 200 abortions and I know wereas I speak.

There was a quote I heard on PBS the other day: it is,

"Use what is dominant in a culture to change it quickly."

I love this quote, because it gives me direction. This means, rather than signing petitions or even protests in front of the capital, what we have to do is seize what is dominant in this culture, and that is the MEDIA, to get our side told, the true stories of women's reality, from women's point of view. We have to get people to realize the facts rather than making decisions based on the misinformation that the current media provides. The way the anti-choice lobby presents it, this abortion procedure, as well as abortions in general, are undertaken for the convenience of the mother, who is supposedly selfish and irresponsible, and otherwise blameworthy. Just like when people realized the reality behind the issue of trying juveniles as adults after the television program "Juvies" came out. People who, without the real stories, thought it was a good idea to try adolescents as adults, were shocked to hear that 14 year-olds were getting life sentences in adult prison for simply being present when their friends committed certain felony crimes. In general, people don't know many, if any, real abortion stories. The culture of shame surrounding it does a good job of keeping women silent, even feminist women.

We need to, like Merg (above)said, start interjecting ourselves, making ourselves present, in ALL the debates on ALL the blogs we follow, not being silent anymore or talking only around people who will agree with us. I also think there are other things to do; grab a video camara and ask friends to tell their stories, or tell your own story, and host a viewing in a public place on a wall, like 3rd street promenade (los angeles). Call radio talk show programs that are anti-choice, make up some pseudo-story to get past the screeners, and let your voice be heard on the air before they cut you off. Post signs with the picture of bush and friends signing the ban all around your city, school, job place, whatever, with the caption "LOOK WHO MAKES WOMEN'S CHOICES FOR THEM" or something of that nature. Host sit-ins, talk ins, house parties, put up banners, get HEARD!

I think that we have to stop being nice and using only the outlets that are given to us, and start taking our place in the public sphere to get our voices heard, in the media, on the airwaves, and in writing. I really believe that if all the women who are currently outraged by this phenomenon start raising h*ll to get our voices heard, more people will become outraged and we will have a movement.

A phrase I dedicate to all anti-choicers:

KEEP YOUR NOSE OUT OF MY WOMB!

Pro-Choice supporters need to take a public stand on our views more now than ever. The anti-choice crowd has been doing so, and it has finally gotten them where they want to be. It's time for a little Pro-Choice Defense!

Take a stand in your own personal life by becoming more involved, and speaking your mind! This country has officially stopped moving forward because of this ruling. I cannot believe that a woman's health, her mind, and her CHOICE are in the hands of the Supreme Court thanks to our incapable president.

GET INVOLVED IN YOUR COMMUNITY! Check out other pro-choice platforms as well as NARAL: Planned Parenthood, RCRC, etc . . .DO YOUR PART. We've taken this right for granted and now part of it has been taken away.

A dead or malformed fetus has been deemed more important than a woman's health. Think about this. This is not a "partial birth" abortion - it is a late term abortion. Many abortions cannot be performed until second trimesters because of the waiting time due to the lack of abortion providers. It's an ugly cycle that needs courageous, moral people like ourselves.

God Bless - Take A Stand TODAY!

I am very concerned about the effectiveness of NARAL. I listened to Warren Olney's "To the Point" program on my local NPR station today (Mon. 4/23) and was profoundly disappointed that, although NARAL was asked to participate in the show today, no one from NARAL agreed to do so.

NARAL is absent at times when it really matters, when their presence is needed to lead the charge and to inform others, especially in a public forum when the opportunity arises.

I understand the need to be strategic, to frame issues, etc., but NARAL seems to be absent more than it is present.