Quickie: Action on Choice

Drunkenatheist compiled a list of things to do to support a woman's right to choose. Click here for the full list. Many of the ideas have links to organizations, action items, and research information. Good stuff. Some highlights:

8. Volunteer! Local clinics often have a variety of regular volunteering opportunities. They range from stuffing envelopes to administrative duties. Bonus: Volunteering for a clinic is a great way to get your foot in the door with non-profit employers!
9. Thank your local abortion providers! National Abortion Provider Appreciation Day is March 10th. Send out postcards to thank clinics, doctors and staff members for staying open despite the dangers they face every day.
21. Are you crafty? Artsy? Have a lot of junk lying around? eBay your stuff and donate a portion of the proceeds to a pro-choice group through eBay’s partnership with Missionfish.
22. Contact your local or preferred clinic/non-profit if they aren’t listed through Missionfish. They might not be aware that you can easily donate money via eBay & Missionfish’s partnership.
28. Get involved in pro-choice politicians’ campaigns. This can be as seemingly small as donating $10 to a campaign or as time-consuming as volunteering to canvas for him or her.
29. Find out how your money is being spent. Don’t support anti-choice companies unless it is unavoidable.

h/t WeNews

Quickie: Condemn the killing of Dr. Tiller

Please go to Change.org's petition here.

This terrible tragedy is a chilling reminder of what can happen when the debate over women's reproductive health is conducted without responsible bounds and without recognition that people of conscience can hold different views.

Join people across the country in condemning the unspeakable murder of Dr. Tiller and express your support for doctors and other health care providers who refuse to be intimidated.

Reproductive Health

I had to post this. Madame Secretary provides some really helpful talking points on the issue of global reproductive justice:

Thirty six years - and at least 4 more: UPDATED

Today is the 36th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. From Planned Parenthood:

On January 22, 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its landmark decision, Roe v. Wade, recognizing the constitutional right to privacy and a woman’s right to choose abortion. Many of us don’t recall the deadly days before Roe when abortions were illegal and "choice" for too many women meant a dangerous back-alley procedure. In fact, in 1965, before Roe, nearly one-fifth of all maternal deaths in the United States were due to illegal, unsafe abortions.
It’s more than three decades later, yet a woman’s constitutional right to choose still isn’t safe and Roe is in serious jeopardy. In 2005, Congress confirmed the appointment of two new anti-choice Supreme Court justices — Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., both of whom had been nominated by President George W. Bush. As a result, the court is closer than ever to overturning Roe.

Two years later, in a 5–4 decision, the court upheld the federal abortion ban passed by Congress and signed by President Bush in 2003. Although Roe v. Wade is still the law of the land, the ban criminalizes abortions in the second trimester of pregnancy that doctors say are often the safest and best to protect women's health. Thus, the ruling allows politicians to make medical decisions that should be made by women and their doctors. Now, anti-choice legislators are attempting to launch a wave of state abortion bans, in the hope that the new anti-choice court will overturn Roe, leaving a woman’s right to choose safe and legal abortion in the hands of 50 different state legislatures...

Here are ways to commemorate the day:

• Blog for Choice - it's not too late...
  
• Find an event in your area
  
• Support President Obama's efforts at repealing the global gag rule
  
• Learn the history of women's health care prior to legalized abortion
  
• Send a letter to your members of congress urging them to support pro-choice legislation
  
• Write a letter to the editor about why Roe is important and how thankful you are to have at least 4 more years of choice.
  
  UPDATE:
  

Press release from the President:

On the 36th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, we are reminded that this decision not only protects women’s health and reproductive freedom, but stands for a broader principle: that government should not intrude on our most private family matters. I remain committed to protecting a woman’s right to choose.

While this is a sensitive and often divisive issue, no matter what our views, we are united in our determination to prevent unintended pregnancies, reduce the need for abortion, and support women and families in the choices they make. To accomplish these goals, we must work to find common ground to expand access to affordable contraception, accurate health information, and preventative services.

On this anniversary, we must also recommit ourselves more broadly to ensuring that our daughters have the same rights and opportunities as our sons: the chance to attain a world-class education; to have fulfilling careers in any industry; to be treated fairly and paid equally for their work; and to have no limits on their dreams. That is what I want for women everywhere.

Word.