Tag: anti-choice

Applaud Senators Gillibrand & Blumenthal for Speaking Out for Women’s Health

United States Senate

SENATORS GILLIBRAND AND BLUMENTHAL CALL ON COLLEAGUES TO UPHOLD WOMEN’S ACCESS TO REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH

Senators Say Republican House Bills Represent “Unprecedented Effort to Restrict Access”

Washington, DC – Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)  called on their Senate colleagues to prevent efforts to block access to reproductive health care for millions of American women, citing recently-introduced Republican legislation in the House of Representatives designed to restrict choice and prevent access to vital health care services. In a letter to Senate colleagues, Gillibrand and Blumenthal noted that bills introduced by Representatives Mike Pence and Christopher Smith would constitute an “unprecedented effort to restrict access” to women’s reproductive health care.

“When we should all be focused on creating jobs and growing our economy, extreme forces in the House are mounting a new effort to cut critical funding for women’s health care and curtail women’s rights,” said Senator Gillibrand. “I strongly urge all of my colleagues in the Senate to stand strong against this unprecedented effort to restrict access to women’s reproductive health care. We cannot allow this type of assault on American women to gain any ounce of traction.”

“Women in Connecticut and across the country deserve nothing less than unfettered access to their trusted health care providers and vital health care services,” said Senator Blumenthal. “Efforts by Republican House leadership to overturn long-settled understanding of the law are deeply troubling, and I will strongly oppose them. I am asking colleagues to join in a bipartisan fight against any measure that would so severely set back and sabotage women’s health care and rights.”

In the letter, Gillibrand and Blumenthal tell Senate colleagues:
The Republican House leadership has made it a top priority to move legislation that would redefine the long-settled understanding of what constitutes federal funding of abortion, and to defund Planned Parenthood health centers around the country. Both bills introduced by Representatives Smith and Pence are likely to pass the House, and we will no doubt see attempts to pass these bills in the Senate.

We must work together to stop these bills in their tracks, as they represent an unprecedented effort to restrict women’s access to reproductive health care and to their trusted health care providers.

Gillibrand helped lead the fight in the Senate to oppose the harmful and dangerous Stupak Amendment to health care reform and has long advocated for affordable access to quality reproductive care for all women.

Blumenthal has been a steadfast supporter of a woman’s right to choose; as Connecticut’s Attorney General, he consistently advocated for expanded access to vital reproductive health services.

Text of Letter Follows:
Dear Colleague:

We wanted to call your attention to a recent New York Times editorial highlighting two pieces of legislation introduced in the House that seek to undermine the ability of women to access comprehensive health insurance coverage and to see the trusted health care providers on whom they rely for medical care.

The Republican House leadership has made it a top priority to move legislation that would redefine the long-settled understanding of what constitutes federal funding of abortion, and to defund Planned Parenthood health centers around the country. Both bills introduced by Representatives Smith and Pence are likely to pass the House, and we will no doubt see attempts to pass these bills in the Senate.

We must work together to stop these bills in their tracks, as they represent an unprecedented effort to restrict women’s access to reproductive health care and to their trusted health care providers.

We hope you will take the time to read this editorial and consider the many ways in which the Smith and Pence bills would negatively impact the health care available to women. We look forward to working with you to make sure that women can continue to have access to reproductive health care and the health care provider they rely on.

Sincerely,
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand
Senator Richard Blumenthal

Click to read The New York Times editorial The Two Abortion Wars: A Highly Intrusive Federal Bill

Calling All Pro-Choice Supporters: Co-sponsor of Bill Redefining Rape to Speak Monday 2/7 at Mount Sinai!

Congressman Phil Roe, M.D. (R-TN) who is co-sponsoring the bill to redefine rape, to make it  forcible rape—in other words, physically brutal—will be speaking at Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

Monday 7 February 1:00 PM
Hatch Auditorium
Mount Sinai School of Medicine
1468 Madison Ave
Guggenheim Pavilion 2nd Floor
New York, NY

We are calling on as many pro-choice supporters to be there. We must be there to show him we know what he is trying to do, and we say, “NO!”

Join with members of AMSA, Medical Students for Choice, Physicians for Human Rights, and  other groups who are planning to be in front of the auditorium.

Remember this is one of the Congressional extremists who wants us to: forget about the victim who was given a drug, passes out and becomes an unconscious target; forget about incest where a child is scared of her attacker; forget about the wife who is raped by her husband and forced to succumb; and forget about the rape that occurs with a knife to your throat.

A special thank you to the medical students of Mt. Sinai for organizing a strong opposition.

ALERT: Anti-Choice Extremists Work to Change Definition of Rape

Anti-choice crazy extremists in Congress—mostly Republicans but with some Democrats thrown into the mix—are fighting to redefine rape so as to limit any form of funding for victims (in this instance that’s definitely we women.)

They want to redefine it as “forcible rape.” One would think the definition of rape is forced sex, but not to these zealots. They want it to only constitute rape when the victim is pulverized.

Forget the rape where the victim is given a drug, passes out and  becomes an unconscious target. Forget about incest where a child is scared of her attacker. Forget about the wife who is raped by her husband and forced to succumb. Forget about the rape that occurs with a knife to your throat.

Why are they doing this? Because they believe in their perverted hearts that if they successfully change this definition and then apply it to the Hyde Amendment, they will eliminate the funding of abortions that are now permitted.

The Hyde Amendment, which is enshrined in federal law targeting poor women, prohibits the use of federal funds for abortion except in a very few specific cases, two of which are rape and incest.

Today’s Congressional crazies think that this rape and incest exception is too broad. If that child was not beaten when her father raped her, to them, it doesn’t count! My suggestion is let’s see how these zealots each fare after being raped. The men won’t end up pregnant but at least they’ll experienced forced intercourse—anal, with an object, or otherwise! Then, they can come forward, putting their entire lives on the line, testify and be told it wasn’t rape because they weren’t beaten.

They want to include this new definition in their No Taxpayer Funding for Abortions Act. Trust me and those in Congress who fight for our cause, there is NO funding for abortion in the Obama Health Care Law now. This is simply a vehicle to further destroy our right to choose. Passing No Taxpayer Funding for Abortions Act is a top priority of these anti-choice crazies.

Astorino Proposes Budget using Right to Life Philosophy!

Right to Life County Executive Rob Astorino is wasting no time building his first budget on the tenets of Anti-Choice Extremism: Champion the Fetus, but once it’s born, throw it under the bus…deprive it of food, health care, shelter and education.

Astorino’s Anti-Child Anti-Family Budget
The first thing Astorino did to draft his Anti-Child Anti-Family Budget was to go after the truly defenseless.

He took a sledge hammer to child care funding, pulverizing it by taking away 4.3 million dollars—this after the most recent census data reported that 16.7 percent of Westchester children under 5 years of age are living in poverty, which is up from 9.6 percent in 2005.

Even the business community opposes the Astorino-style anti-child budget. Why? Because they insist that we will only stem our country’s declining competitive advantage in the global economy if we invest in our children’s early years. The strongest advocates for increasing spending for quality services for young children are leading economists like Nobel winner James Heckman and Art Rolnick, and national groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and America’s Partnership for Economic Success.

Astorino also cut all the 4-H programs in Westchester, which rely on matching grants to survive. If Westchester does not provide any funding, there is nothing to match!

Anti-choicers like to claim the moral high ground and supposed family values, but, in reality, those like Astorino don’t care about people—or at least not about families that are financially different than their own.

Astorino’s Next Target: Families.
Astorino is planning on closing one of the most highly regarded family shelters, WestHelp, which houses 70 homeless families. The shelter is part of the HELP agency which was founded more than two decades ago to provide transitional housing to the homeless. It has 108 units and offers its residents job training and day-care services. WESTHelp’s occupancy rate has doubled since September and can be expected to continue to rise as applications for food stamps have risen in recent months.

Astorino also has Westchester’s health care system on the chopping block. Treating thousands of patients annually, the community health centers, Open Door Family Medical Center and Hudson River HealthCare have taken on the role of the Department of Health’s local clinics, providing preventive health care to the poor and uninsured. Astorino plans to savage their budgets, resulting in, among other things, kids without inoculations, women without prenatal care and seniors without necessary medical treatment.

Astorino’s pièces de résistance budget cut: He is closing all the community mental health clinics this year—50% on January 1, 2011 and the remaining 50% on July 1, 2011. Clearly Mr. Astorino is out of touch with the needs of real people and their families.  Depression which often leads to domestic abuse, murder, and suicide is a direct result of unemployment and feeling out of control.

Remember, Astorino is dong this as job loss has driven more Westchester residents into the ranks of the uninsured and underinsured.

Astorino is Playing Three-Card Monte with Your Tax Dollars!
Astorino claims that he is doing all this to lower taxes by 1%-but there really is no 1% decrease.  Astorino is raising fees and borrowing money to pay: 1. tax certiorari payments, 2. increased cost of pensions, and 3. pension buy-outs.

We will be paying for that for years to come. If anyone sees a reduction in his/her county taxes it will be approximately $20, and then only under very limited circumstances!

Call Your Westchester County Legislator and
Tell Them to Say NO
to Right to Life County Executive Astorino’s Budget

CBL 1 John Testa [-]                         (914) 995-2828                
CBL 2   Peter Harckham [+]          (914) 995-2810
CBL 3 John Nonna [+]                    (914) 995-2847                
CBL 4   Michael Kaplowitz [+]      (914) 995-2848
CBL 5 William Ryan [+]                  (914) 995-2827                 
CBL 6   Martin Rogowsky [+]        (914) 995-2834
CBL 7 Judy Myers [+]                     (914) 995-2802                
CBL 8   Alfreda Williams [+]         (914) 995-2833
CBL 9 William Burton [+]              (914) 995-2812               
CBL 10  Sheila Marcotte [-]           (914) 995-2817
CBL 11 Jim Maisano [+]                  (914) 995-2826               
CBL 12 Thomas Abinanti [+]        (914) 995-2821
CBL 13 Lyndon D. Williams [-]     (914) 995-2837               
CBL 14 Bernice Spreckman [+]    (914) 995-2815
CBL 15 Gordon Burrows [-]           (914) 995-2830                
CBL 16 Ken Jenkins [+]                   (914) 995-2829
CBL 17 Jose Alvarado [+]              (914) 995-2846

 (+) = pro-choice
 (-) = anti-choice

Right to Life Committee Endorses Dan Donovan and Rene Atayan

A True Halloween Horror
Atayan wants to make the laws banning a woman’s right to choose and Donovan wants to enforce them! By the time their done, women will have absolutely no control over their reproductive rights and, thus, also not over their economic, social, or political lives.

Atayan is running against staunch pro-choice advocate Amy Paulin.
Donovan is opposing 100% pro-choice ally Eric Schneiderman.

We need both Paulin and Schneiderman in Albany fighting for us.

 

Standing with Eric Schneiderman for NYS Attorney General

“We are thrilled to endorse Eric Schneiderman for Attorney General. From the frontlines at clinics to the courtrooms to the State Senate, Eric has proven his commitment to a woman’s right to choose. It is vitally important who the Attorney General is when it comes to freedom of choice. Across the nation, anti-choice attorneys general have abused their position targeting women’s reproductive rights: in Kansas harassing the late Dr. Tiller; in Virginia, working to close 20 safe clinics; and in Michigan trying to outlaw abortion. Eric will protect clinic access, stop harassment, and aggressively push for greater protections. New York needs Eric Schneiderman as our next Attorney General.” Catherine Lederer-Plaskett, President, WCLA – Choice Matters

Join Choice Matters in Endorsing Eric Schneiderman for NYS Attorney General – Click Here

Tell Dan Donovan: Stop Blaming Religion

Candidate for Attorney General Dan Donovan claims being Catholic made him anti-choice.

Fact: Many of the most ardent advocates for reproductive rights are Catholics.

Hasn’t he heard of Catholics for Choice? Or Frances Kissling and Jon O’Brien? (From the mouth of a pro-choice Catholic, click here.)

Fact: Donovan wrote on Choice Matters’ candidate questionnaire, “I believe life begins at conception.”

Fact: According to the New York Times, Donovan is “against abortion except in cases of rape or incest.”

Fact: Donovan claims he’ll represent New Yorkers and follow the law, but he kept his alliance with “crisis pregnancy centers” (CPCs) a secret. CPCs are anti-choice facilities that pretend to provide comprehensive reproductive-health clinics but in reality deceive women and spread misinformation about abortion and birth control.

The CPC of New York on Staten Island liked him so much they gave him an award in 2003. Why? Because Donovan got the CPC grants while he was working in the office of the Staten Island borough president, including when he was the deputy borough president. Imagine what he might do for them as Attorney General.

Women cannot trust Donovan!
Fact: A good attorney general can advance our reproductive rights. A bad one can take them away.

Across the nation, anti-choice attorneys general have abused their position targeting women’s reproductive rights: in Kansas harassing the late Dr. Tiller; in Virginia, working to close 20 safe clinics; and in Michigan trying to outlaw abortion.

Take a moment and watch: Dan Donovan: It Could Happen Here

Choice Matters is proud to endorse Eric Schneiderman for Attorney General. From the frontlines at clinics to the courtrooms to the State Senate, Eric has proven his commitment to a woman’s right to choose.

*********************************************
“… I am a prochoice Catholic because my Catholic faith tells me I can be. The Catechism reads, “[Conscience] is man’s most secret core and his sanctuary. There he is alone with God whose voice echoes in his depths.” Even St. Thomas Aquinas said it would be better to be excommunicated than to neglect your individual conscience. So really, I am just following his lead. After years of research, discernment and prayer, my conscience has been well informed. Being a prochoice Catholic does not contradict my faith; rather, in following my well-informed conscience, I am adhering to the central tenet of Catholic teaching — the primacy of conscience.”

Excerpt from I am a Prochoice Catholic by Kate Childs Graham, writes for ReligionDispatches.org and YoungAdultCatholics-Blog.com. She also serves on the Women’s Ordination Conference board of directors and the Call to Action Next Generation Leadership Team.

Myth Busters #2 Tell Joe DioGuardi Women DON’T Fake Rape and Incest

FACT: When in Congress, DioGuardi cast his vote against abortion rights every time he had a chance including voting against abortions for women pregnant from rape or incest.

He explained, to a group of pro-choice lobbyists while in office, the number of real rapes and cases of incest were minimal.

DioGuardi opined, women cry rape and incest long after the fact.*
(hmmmm) ”he really doesn’t understand sexual trauma”, (wonder what he says about victims reporting sexual assault by religious leaders that occurred years ago.)

Joe DioGuardi was a two-term anti-choice incumbent when he lost to women’s reproductive rights advocate Congresswoman Nita Lowey in 1988. When he challenged Lowey again in 1992, DioGuardi took the Right to Life line.

Today DioGuardi is again endorsed by the Right to Life Committee. He has become more conservative over time, not less.

Now he is running against Senator Kirsten Gillibrand”and there is no stronger advocate in the Senate for women than Kirsten.

Tell DioGuardi New York women have no use for recycled Right to Life extremists!

*WCLA – Choice Matters has wonderful archives, and we have substantial files on Joseph (Joe) DioGuardi, past and present.

Growing Number Of Candidates Oppose Abortion In Cases Of Rape, Incest

A startling number of candidates up for election this year are anti-choice even to the extent that they oppose abortion in cases of rape, incest, or even to save the life of the woman. RNC for Life has endorsed 63 House candidates who are against abortion in all cases.

New York State has a horrific number running for all levels of government.

The following are NY Right to Life (RTL) endorsed anti-choice candidates:
*Senatorial and House challengers DioGuardi, Townsend, Mele and Russell and *State Senate and Assembly candidates Vernucchio, McLaughlin, Ball, Block, Ramondelli, Katz and Borkowski all want to overturn Roe v Wade; * RTL gubernatorial hopeful Carl Paladino made clear in his now infamous CNN interview that women should have no reproductive rights.

(Check out the voting guide for more, and pay special attention to the judicial candidates like Murphy who is up for reelection to the Supreme Court. Last time he took the Right to Life line and now is trying to hide that truth. He knows New York is pro-choice and his truth will hurt him!)

A few quotes from around the country:

Carl Paladino, running for Governor of New York

In a Sept. 15 interview with CNN’s Rick Sanchez, Carl Paladino said unequivocally that women should not be able to have an abortion even in cases of rape and incest. “Should a woman have a right to have an abortion if she’s — if she’s been raped?” Sanchez asked. “No,” replied Paladino. When he asked about cases of incest, Paladino said, “The baby can be adopted.”

Nevada Senate Candidate Sharron Angle

“two wrongs don’t make a right,” and said a young girl who had been raped by her father should think about making “a lemon situation into lemonade” by having her baby and either raising it or giving it up for adoption.

Delaware Senate Nominee Christine O’Donnell

On her campaign website, Christine O’Donnell states that she “[s]trongly believes in protecting the sanctity of life at ALL stages.” She has repeatedly said she opposes abortion even in cases of rape and incest. She also condemned the use of condoms, calling them “anti-human.” “And what…if the population is increasing, so what?” O’Donnell said in a 2006 interview on Fox News. “People aren’t bad. When did humans become a bad thing? Why is it that we have to, you know, stop people from getting pregnant?”

According to the news media, voters are frustrated and apathetic. We must keep our focus. We cannot allow anti-choice extremists to win elections. Think about what is at stake and VOTE.

Source: Huffington Post and RNC for Life

Myth Busters #1 Nan Hayworth is NOT Pro-Choice!

Fact #1: Nan Hayworth is NOT Pro-Choice!!
She is running for Congress against Pro-Choice John Hall, in the 19th District which encompasses northern Westchester County, and parts of Orange, Dutchess and Rockland counties.

Nan Hayworth is a Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing.
In the Republican Primary she wanted voters to believe she was as anti-choice and reactionary as her opponent, and as soon as she won that, she started claiming she was pro-choice.

How do we know this?
Because her campaign told us that they did not want to hand in our questionnaire until after the Primary. Then, when they saw the questionnaire, she refused to complete it out of fear that we’d reveal the truth. Nan Hayworth is anti-choice.

What they did not bargain for is that back in December 2009, soon after Hayworth announced she was going to run, we emailed her. We had an on-going communication in which her campaign as authorized by her clearly stated:

Hayworth wants to:
1. Severely limit a woman’s right to choose;
2. Restrict access to women’s reproductive rights; and
3. She would have voted in support of the Stupak Amendment which is the greatest attack on women’s reproductive rights since the passage of Roe v Wade.

The reason given for her support of the Stupak Amendment was because she “would have voted with the GOP [Republican } Conference.”

In other words, Hayworth is in lockstep with her Party. All for independent thought!!

Apparently, a vote for Nan Hayworth is a vote for whatever her party tells her to do.

Lest You Forget
Why it is Important to Use Your Right to Vote to Vote Choice
(We are posting a different story each email. Take the time to read someone else’s pain.)

“A doctor brought her in. He called me and said, “Will you admit her on your service? She’s got a strangulated hernia.” I said, “Well, why don’t you send her to general surgery?” He said, “I think it’s in your field.” She came in and she had a loop of bowel hanging out of her vagina wrapped in newspaper and that was the “strangulated hernia”. And what he [the abortionist] did was perforate the uterus. He pulled out the bowel with his aborting instruments and he thought it was fetal bowel. She had literally over thirty inches of bowel hanging out of her vagina. And the poor woman should have died from several causes:  bowel obstruction, septicemia, and everything else. I operated and did a bowel resection, pulled this damn dirty bowel out of the uterus and vagina, and she lived. But many others died.

(Taylor Buckley, former chief resident in a big city general hospital in the early 1940’s, in Doctors of Conscience, by Carol Joffe, Beacon Press, 1995)