(Images: Sy Bean/Special to CHS)
A crowd nearing 300 gathered in 25-degree temperatures Saturday as part of a global day of rallies and marches in support of women’s rights sparked by the efforts to strip another chunk of federal funding from social services including Planned Parenthood. Chanting, “Our bodies, our choice,” the crowd marched at a brisk pace down Pine, police escort in tow, en route for a rally at Westlake Center.
At least along the Hill portion of the march, no opposition groups were present and marchers — including the ubiquitous Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence — received shouts, honks and raised steaming hot coffee cups of encouragement from those out and about on a chilly Saturday.
You can learn more about the organizers of the rally at http://walk4choicesea.tumblr.com/
I heard about it here and haven’t seen it reported elsewhere. Thanks!
damn it was cold out there – but also very invigorating.
Also wanted to express thanks because this was the site that had the info about time and location. I would have missed it otherwise.
If Planned Parenthood really offered choices for women in the form of comprehensive health care, then this march would have more support. Planned Parenthood is the number one abortion provider in the country and that is nothing to be proud of. It’s amazing that the folks who marched today are willing to look the other way in regards to the recent Live Action films that showed Planned Parenthood is all about profiting and exploitation of the women they claim to serve.
Sophie – Here is a link to an article showing how BS those Lila Rose videos are:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/24/planned-parenthood-
I know you’re probably not going to read it and that even if you do you won’t change your mind, but you should know that abortions only account for 3% of what PP does. The rest is stuff like STD testing/treatment, annual exams, pap smears, breast exams, etc. Please do some research before you claim that PP doesn’t offer comprehensive health care for women.
I can only speak for myself, but I suspect I’m not alone in saying that my choice to march was not solely about Planned Parenthood. I marched to voice my concerns about legislation that proposes to make significant changes that will LIMIT the ability for women to control their reproductive rights and care for their bodies. I am pro-choice and pro-unrestricted and affordable women’s health care. I was standing up for my rights as a woman and as an individual to control what happens with my body.
Please research the information you are providing here. The Live Action has been shown to be a bogus report, by the same people who destroyed ACORN and their good work. If you look at the good that PP does for poor people who are without health care available, the majority of its work is to provide that health care and a small portion is in terminations. What is sad is that other people are telling women what to do with their bodies, which should only be between the patient and the doctor, not some old men who are professing to be doing work for the good of our country.
Ursula, Sophie and Barbara,
In response to the “comprehensive” health care debate, since when does comprehensive health are LIMIT itself solely to reproductive right issues? I’m sorry, but offering birth control and treatment for STDs does not qualify or define itself as comprehensive.
Oh, and yes, I read Ryan Grim’s HuffPo piece the day it was posted and his response was predictable. What is fascinating, as was eluded to in his piece but not really thoroughly investigated, was the totally scattered response by Planned Parenthood to the videos as they were being released. Yes, one employee is fired. One. Then Planned Parenthood releases a statement that all of its employees will be retrained. O.K., let me get this straight, a pimp walks in to your clinic with what may or may not appear to be an underage prostitute, and asks you about abortion services and instead of reporting this creep to the police you, instead, refer them to another abortion clinic. Wonderful. Way to go! Girl Power!
If Planned Parenthood is so great and the services they provide are so fucking invaluable to the community, then why are we not marching in celebration of its founder Margaret Sanger? Oh right, she was a fucking racist who didn’t want certain elements of the population to reproduce, what with them being “socially undesirable people” and all.
And for all of you who delight in this post Roe v. Wade freedom, where, exactly are the gains? Did the abortion get you that job? Did it save your relationship? A reduced rate on that credit card? What? Wasn’t this “freedom” supposed to help us? Well, as a country, we can be proud of 50 million plus abortions! What an achievement! Think about it, what would today’s 35-ish generation look like if it were complete? Wrap your minds around that number. 50 million. What has this resolved, exactly? Are we (women) better off? Are we? And how do we respond to the Norma McCorveys, Bernard Nathansons and, now, Abby Johnson who were once like you? How do we explain that the figureheads of a movement, which resulted in unfettered access to abortion in this country, came to realize that their former beliefs were constructed on a pile of lies? And before you label them wackos, consider this, they had everything to lose and nothing to gain by speaking the truth. And the truth hurts.
Okay, Sophie, let’s go through your argument. I could use the practice.
First, Sanger. PP is no longer set in her image. It’s a different organization, and should not be solely judged by the founder, or any one person. Like how we don’t try to judge all religious Republicans by Glenn Beck.
Planned Parenthood (PP) provides care for low income families, youth, and others who need family planning services, including birth control and STD screenings. For these people, who may not have access to full health care, this is a necessary right. It allows for, yes, some modicum of comprehensive care. The focus is on abortion because it attracts attention.
You know who else relies on PP? AmeriCorps. As in, those men and women that work for Habitat for Humanity, or VISTA, or read in schools for underprivileged youth. You know how I know this? I was in AmeriCorps. My co-workers and I relied on PP so we could afford birth control and stay healthy, as the AmeriCorps insurance is awful. I think you’d at least like to support the men and women that devote their lives to serving your country without guns.
As for those 50 million people, would they have led happy lives, or lived at all? It’s not like abortion is something done cavalierly – it’s done because the mother can’t afford it, or the fetus is going to die, or whatever reason makes the woman feel she cannot support another life. It is challenging enough to receive assistance, and often shrouded in lies that you call as truth. PP offers one of the few ways to gain assistance relatively easily during an incredibly difficult time.
We do gain freedom. People are going to continue to have sex, regardless of what you feel is right in the eyes of your religion, and the best way to prevent abortions is through proper, comprehensive sexual education and access to health care. If birth control is used often and properly, there will be fewer abortions, period. Planned Parenthood assists in providing those incredibly vital tools that our society doesn’t like discussing because we’re an oversexualized culture that also doesn’t want to discuss sex in public. Until we decide as a country to stop this, things will not change. Removing abortion access only means that ‘back alley abortions’ will increase. Women and children will die. And no one wants that.
I consider myself lucky to have had access to Planned Parenthood when I was in my teens-20s. Because of their help I never had to have an abortion (or make a choice) BECAUSE I was given reduced cost birth control and gynocological care.
Now that I’m well into my 40s, maybe I should be giving back to that organization. Where’s my checkbook?
Alright Sophie, Jessica already did a good job of saying basically everything that I’m going to say but I figured that I might as well respond anyway.
First of all, you’re right – PP isn’t a comprehensive healthcare provider like Group Health or Swedish is. However, PP also isn’t trying to be Group Health or Swedish. They have medical clinics that provide sexual and reproductive health care and in that area they ARE comprehensive. Like I said before, it’s NOT NOT NOT just about abortions. They do annual exams, pap smears, std screenings, etc. So while comprehensive health care is not limited to reproductive care, I would say that when you are a reproductive health organization offering all the services that PP does qualifies you as comprehensive.
Moving on to Margaret Sanger. Yes, she founded PP. Yes, she also believed in eugenics. That sucks. I’m not going to make excuses for her. However, like Jessica said, PP has moved away from that. Completely. PP is not a racist organization and does not believe in eugenics. End of story.
Lastly, the big A issue. Look, you believe one way and I believe another and we can shout at each other until we are blue in the face and neither of us will change the other one’s mind. I will just say that after taking to my parents and hearing their horror stories about what it was like before Roe V. Wade I can say that I hope we never go back. Women had abortions then, it was just that a lot more of them died. Making something illegal doesn’t make it go away, it just means it’s harder to get (drugs is a good example of this). Also, you’re wrong when you say that there is “unfettered” access to abortions in the US – despite it being legal there are still many parts of the country where it is really hard to get an abortion. Abortion clinics are not like Starbucks, there isn’t one on every corner.
Okay, I’ve said my piece.
In my early 20’s and as a student I can not afford the cost of birth control. With planned parenthoods help I can get my birth control for 3 months at a time. And for, from my experience, the best form of birth control out there: the Nuvaring. At no cost to me with the request of a donation. After that I don’t even have to think about the chance of having an abortion. Stop pregnancy before it starts, we need Planned Parenthood!