Category: Updates

Dorothy Height – The Irony of It All

Dorothy Height – “The godmother to the Civil Rights Movement”
President Barack Obama

A portrait of Dorothy Height is on the Black Heritage forever stamp this month. She was an amazing woman with more credits to her name than most of us could ever dream of. She spent almost 50 years of her life fighting for race and gender equality.

She helped organize the 1963 March on Washington, and was the only woman to stand on the stage with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  But, despite being a march organizer and representing the National Council of Negro Women, she was not asked to speak.

Dorothy Height recognized a fundamental truth – a truth that we must embrace today. Women’s rights, including the right to choose – the very right to control your own body – encompasses all women and must, therefore, include all women on the front lines.

Height and other black women leaders sought to empower the black community to fight restrictions on abortion. The African-American Women for Reproductive Rights, an influential black political, social and grass-roots organization, gave voice to that.

We will include Dorothy Height on our 45th anniversary wall Recognizing the Pro-Choice Voter.

The irony that it took until Trump was in the White House for her image to appear on our 1st class postage stamp cannot be overlooked. Trump and his administration seek to  destroy all we have fought for, for  so many years – including birth control and abortion rights. Dorothy Height’s portrait stands as a reminder that we can neither stand idly by nor can we isolate ourselves in groups as we wage this battle.

Where Will Our Women Go?

Reproductive freedom in the United States has been under siege for years. Since November, state governments have been passing abortion restrictions at a record speed. Every new regulation passed further limits what was once a recognized Constitutional right – the right for every woman to be able to have a safe, legal abortion. Ironically, these regulations – which according to Roe v. Wade are unconstitutional – are being passed in the name of protecting the health and safety of women. In reality they are endangering women by forcing them to return to back alley abortions – all at a time when Trump has promised to overturn Roe.

Earlier this month the Center for Reproductive Rights filed a law suit in the Louisiana District Court challenging the onerous regulations that serve only to impede access to abortion care.

Louisiana could be Any State, USA. Only one year ago, the US Supreme Court affirmed that a similar Texas abortion restriction was unconstitutional because the burdens imposed on abortion access outweighed the so-called benefits conferred by such action.

Under the guise of “health and safety,” Louisiana is again trying to pass a version of the Texas T.R.A.P. law, but now we have a new anti-choice Supreme Court Justice. T.R.A.P., Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers, is exactly that. These bills target abortion providers with a series of arduous requirements that affect every aspect of the medical care being provided. The restrictions are issue-specific: they are only being applied to abortion providers, not to any other low-risk healthcare providers. Abortion providers and their facilities are already subject to the State’s medical licensing laws so these bills are further unwarranted.

These new regulations are not structured to make the medical procedure safer. The sole goal is to close clinics, thereby making safe and legal abortion access impossible. As Whole Woman’s Health (2016) clarified, states may not infringe on Americans’ constitutional right to abortion by subjecting it to sham medical regulations and by pressuring abortion facilities to close.

Louisiana is not the only State crafting this type of deceptive legislation. It is happening across the country, in every state.

The threat to abortion access is real and only proliferating. Under this administration and with a new Supreme Court justice changing the balance of the Court, no previous decision is safe.

We need a state that is committed to being a reproductive rights sanctuary – a safe zone where any woman can safely, swiftly and legally terminate her pregnancy.

You might believe we, New York, are already that State, but we have only become less friendly to reproductive rights as time has passed. Our abortion law is arcane, and still in the penal code. It was passed in 1970 and has never been updated to include 21st century medical care or the full constitutional protection guaranteed by Roe. 53% of NY counties have no abortion clinics. If a woman’s health is at risk or something goes wrong in her pregnancy after 24 weeks, she must seek care outside of NY because State law doesn’t allow a doctor to provide abortion coverage. Where will she go when Roe is overturned?  We need New York State to be a leader again. To accomplish that, we must pass the Reproductive Health Act.

But…we have a serious roadblock. There is a group called the IDC (Independent Democratic Caucus).  They obstruct all progressive legislation from coming to the floor of the Senate for a vote because they have chosen to leave the Democratic Caucus and, instead, govern with the Party of Trump. They took the electorates decision to elect a Democratic Majority away from the voters! For personal gain, they instead joined forces with the Republicans, and are blocking the Comprehensive Contraceptive Coverage Act and the Reproductive Health Act from coming to the floor of the Senate for a vote.

We must educate the public about the IDC and the actual state of reproductive rights in New York

Let’s make NY the progressive state it once was.  Let’s protect the reproductive rights for all women.

Resist – Day of Action – Thurs. July 13th

Join Us 
Thursday, July 13th,
for knocking on doors and canvasing in Ossining! 
Meet up at  5 p.m.
First Village Coffee
123 Main Street
(across from the Post Office)
Ossining, NY 10562

RSVP to Nicky@ChoiceMatters.org

We are targeting all 8 IDC* districts
beginning with NYS Senate District #38, David Carlucci’s district.

Why start with Carlucci’s District?
He is one of the original 4 founding members of the IDC, AND he joined immediately upon being elected to his very first term.
Carlucci started betraying his constitutents on Day One of his first term in the NYS Senate.

Our Purpose: 
To educate voters about the IDC and their State Senator!

fyi: The IDC  is blocking all progressive legislation including the Reproductive Health Act, Comprehensive Contraceptive Coverage Act, and  Contingency funding for Planned Parenthood from coming to the floor of the NYS Senate, INCLUDING a New York State bill that would force Trump to disclose his taxes.

The 8 IDC = LIARS

The IDC* Mantra: When all else fails, LIE
(Sounds like Trump, doesn’t it?)

Clearly Choice Matters’ expose of the IDC’s anti-choice actions as well as their tactics of obstruction of all progressive legislation is taking its toll.

They just sent out a mailing  implying that their 8 rogue members were endorsed by Planned Parenthood — NOT!

The truth is:
1. Planned Parenthood had nothing to do with the mailer.
2. The 8 IDC members stopped the Reproductive Health Act & the Comprehensive Contraception Coverage Act from coming to the floor for a vote.
3. The IDC members did nothing to advance the Reproductive Health Act and Comprehensive Contraception Coverage Act to the floor, despite these bills having bipartisan sponsorship and support – BUT the mailer falsely implies that IDC members successfully passed both bills.
4. In addition, the IDC members REFUSED to support a bill that would have provided contingency funding to Planned Parenthood.

Call All 8 IDC members & tell them to stop lying!
Click 8 NYS Democrats for their names & telephone numbers!

fyi: The IDC is blocking all progressive legislation including the Reproductive Health Act, Comprehensive Contraception Coverage Act, and  Contingency funding for Planned Parenthood from coming to the floor of the NYS Senate, INCLUDING a New York State bill that would force Trump to disclose his taxes.

Schneiderman Respects Reproductive Rights!

by Ruth Colburn

On June 20th, in a much-welcomed victory, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman introduced a lawsuit to “protect women from abuse and intimidation outside of a reproductive health clinic in Queens.” If successful, it would create a cushioning of 16 feet outside of the clinic to guarantee women have the freedom to exercise  their constitutional right to access reproductive healthcare without the intimidation and harassment that has become far too familiar.

This is a much-needed, celebrated win for the women of New York. We commend the Attorney General for his continued support and empowerment of women when too few officials are willing to stand up for basic human rights.

In the time of Trump, this is exactly the kind of action that is imperative, now more than ever. We hope AG Schneiderman’s action will inspire others in cities and states across the country to follow New York State’s top law enforcement officer’s lead.

Read more about AG Schneiderman’s action to protect the rights of women to safe access.

New York State’s Attorney General Sues Women’s Clinic Protesters
New York Just Took The First Steps In Ending Abortion Clinic Harassment

Reproductive Rights: Now You Have Them – Now You Don’t!

On May 23, 2017, join us for an educational forum to discuss the national reproductive rights landscape as it has changed since Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973, and how the Trump Administration has already impacted women’s health choices. We will examine what it mean for abortion to be a state’s rights issue and where, exactly, New York State fits into the equation.

This forum is being co-sponsored by WCLA – Choice Matters & the Ethical Culture Society of New York.

Tuesday, May 23, 2017
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
at
The Ethical Culture Society of New York
2 West 64th Street
New York, New York 10025

To Register, click here!

IDC Members Vote “NO” to Planned Parenthood Funding

On April 4, 2017, NYS Senator Persaud introduced an amendment to the NYS budget that proposed emergency funding for Planned Parenthood if and when the federal government cut funding to the organization.

In her comments, Senator Persaud detailed the need for the services and the people who rely on them.

All 8 IDC members voted against the amendment to fund Planned Parenthood.

What does that mean? It means that they – joining forces with the Republicans – voted to deny women necessary healthcare services.

All 8 IDC members voted against women of all colors; against women of all ages; women of all religious affiliations; against women of all ethnicities – they voted against all women.

The IDC members clearly displayed their total disregard for the women of New York State!

** 8 NYS Democrats, who comprise the IDC (the so-called Independent Democratic Conference), have aligned themselves with the Republican Party of Trump, and govern with them. They have deliberately turned the duly elected Majority Party, the Democratic Party, into the Minority Party, and have catapulted the Party of Trump, the Republican Party, into the majority. No progressive legislation can come to the floor of the Senate until these 8 return to the Democratic Caucus, or are replaced.

Buy This, Not That!

Round #1: Retail
By Liza Lederer

One of the most challenging aspects of resisting oppressive regimes is working to ensure that your dollars aren’t fueling the powers you’re trying to resist.   In a capitalist country, where the dollar often speaks loudest, it’s imperative that we spend our money with businesses that do not support – or better yet actively work against – the powers seeking to strip us of our rights.

So this new series of posts looks to inform you of the businesses you might currently patronize whose top representatives are actively supporting the Trump administration, and to provide you alternative businesses with better track records.

Put your money where your mouth is and move your purchases to businesses that aren’t actively working to strip your rights away.

Standing by Our Values!

SHOP at REI

 

 

 

 

Exclusionary all the way to the bank.

NOT at L.L. Bean 

 

 

 

 

L.L. Bean heiress Linda Bean is one of 50 family members who own and run the outdoors supply store. Bean spent the 2016 election season fundraising and donating to Donald Trump’s political action committee. She is a member of the company’s board of directors, and has longtime ties to the Republican party. Bean personally donated $60,000 to the Making America Great Again LLC.

This donation flew largely under the radar until Trump himself tweeted a thank you to Bean for her support. While the LL Bean PR department rapidly got to work, insisting that the other family members had no such ties to Trump, and thus the company was not deserving of backlash for Linda Bean’s actions, she remains a vocal member of the board, and a staunch supporter of racist, misogynistic, bigoted candidates.

 

SHOP HERE: REI

REI has long held a sterling reputation as a fair employer, environmental advocate, and all-around excellent retailer of outdoor sporting supplies – And since the Trump inauguration, their progressive voice has only gotten louder. Shortly after Trumps signed his initial travel ban, CEO Jerry Stritzke sent a letter to his co-op employees:

“Over the course of the first week alone, we’ve witnessed actions that conflict with our co-op values on issues including climate, the environment, women’s rights and the singling out of individuals based on nationality and belief,” Stritzke writes. “These issues are core to the health of the outdoors and the ideals of our nation.” “We are an organization, and a country, built on inclusion,” he continues. “We believe we are better when we come together, when we are open and when we are welcoming. Accordingly, we do not support the executive order issued by the President on Friday regarding immigration. I have reached out personally to all employees currently in the immigration process to ensure they have the support they need.”

Stritzke’s words echo the history of actions of REI. The company leads volunteer programs around the world, helping to maintain parks and reduce the effects of climate change and human presence.   While we don’t know how he votes, Stritzke’s active stance against a hallmark of Trump’s platform is a great reason to move your business to REI, to support an ethical employer with progressive ideals.
Here is a link to REI (coupons & all!)