End the Global Gag Rule for Good!
A few days ago JanieBelle wrote about the Senate vote that would end the global gag rule if it isn't vetoed. A veto is a very real possibility, though. And before the President even has a chance to veto the bill, it has to get through a reconciliation conference with the House. NARAL Pro-Choice America is calling for 50,000 people to write to Congress to make sure that the gag rule repeal stays in the bill that goes to the President. That'll also help build a good base to organize an override of the veto if it becomes necessary.
The "global gag rule" essentially prevents any US aid money from going to foreign clinics or organizations that provide information about abortion as an option, or that provide abortions, even if the clinics or agencies use only their own money to provide those services and even f those services are perfectly legal where the agencies are located. Because of this rule, clinics and organizations in poor countries. are bound to either reject US aid, or deny women medical care.
Click here for the NARAL Pro-Choice America call for action, or use the "Speak Out!" link on the left to get contact info for your senators and representatives and let them know what you think.
Photo Women's Health Care Clinic, captioned, "Waiting extremely patiently for prenatal care, family planning, and basic OB-GYN services," by Advencap and found on Flickr. Licenced using Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike licence.
May I?
Elizabeth,
Thank you for the link love, for starters, and for posting this as well.
With your permission, I'd like to repost this in toto at UDoJ.
May I?
Kisses,
JanieBelle
Dream a little dream of me.
Of course you may
...because public space really matters!
Elizabeth
Thank you
Yes, UDoJ is also under the CCNCSA license (with one small exception, noted at the bottom of the right hand side bar).
I was pretty sure you would be OK with it, and I just wanted to get your permission first.
Kisses
Kisses,
JanieBelle
Dream a little dream of me.
The Difficulties of Activism
I must be getting old.
Activism like this gets harder and harder for me; much as my brain insists that actions like are necessary, and that I shouldn't surrender to the grip of apathy, it's harder to convince my heart that stuff like this will do anything. I don't think a veto is likely; I think it's certain, unless the Dems get together and make a real push that not only gets them a 2/3rds majority with which to overrrule the veto, but can stand up to the inevitable slanders that the Republicans will hit them with about how the Dems are a bunch of baby-killin' homos and whoremongers. Yeah, it's true that assaults like these are not only ironic but positively ludicrous in light of recent events, but they still work, partly because the Dems fear them so damn much. If more prominent Democrats, like say, Hillary Clinton, were willing to be unambiguous in their support for abortion rights as a good thing, I'd have more faith, but instead they spend their time pussyfooting around and try to triangulate a "third way" that will allow them to keep their base while not looking like they like this abortion thing too much.
In the end, the Republicans aren't the real enemy of liberals; it's the Democrats.
“Writing is like prostitution. First you do it for love, and then for a few close friends, and then finally y
I'm Feeling It
Your pain, that is. I've been utterly discouraged by the (lack of) Democratic actions since they've taken control of the Congress.
They had a resounding mandate to fix things, but have pissed it away.
I believe the word for which you may be reaching is "betrayal".
Kisses,
JanieBelle
Dream a little dream of me.
Betrayal?
If I were feeling very, very polite, that would be the word I would grab for. Generally, my description of the situation would include a lot of very rude descriptions of anatomically impossible acts and speculations upon their lineage.
“Writing is like prostitution. First you do it for love, and then for a few close friends, and then finally y
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