Supporting PLANNED PARENTHOOD March 7, 2011
On Monday a couple of board members from McHenry County Citizens for Choice traveled to Geneva Illinois to support Planned Parenthood. They joined the I Stand with Planned Parenthood rally. While there, a woman by the name of Judy was interviewed for their blog.
Brigid Leahy of Planned Parenthood Illinois was a key speaker.
"Hidden behind the high-held signs, was a group of antis trying to shout down the pro Planned Parenthood speakers. Fortunately, Planned Parenthood had a mike and they didn't", reported one of the woman who attended via email.
When you see a group of Planned Parenthood supporters such as those present on Monday in Geneva Illinois, you will see a cross section of people, all ages, socio economic levels and races. The woman speaking in the video, Judy, is 74 years old. She knows what it was like for women before Roe. She is a mother and a grandmother. Her sons are successful, one is a doctor, one a lawyer. Her grandchildren are also successful, with many attending ivy league schools. She is hard working, a woman of limited means and has devoted the last 25 years of her life to helping women access their right to chose.
Others in the group were in their twenties, they know that reproductive health care is a significant part of their lives, if they want to be healthy women. Both men and women were present to help ensure that all women will always have access to birth control, abortion and medical services that help them stay healthy. They know that with the current state of health care in this country, many women would not have access to any of these services without Planned Parenthood.
One woman I know of is in her eighties and attended. She is always there, whenever she is needed to carry a sign, and to stand up for women and their reproductive rights. I often wonder what her personal story is, like so many who were young women in the time of her youth, she probably knew of someone whose life was cut short due to a back alley abortion, or knew of a woman who died because of lack of access to reproductive healthcare. So many women, so many stories.
If you can understand how a young medical intern might have felt before Roe, working in a teaching hospital, witnessing women dying of septicemia due to infection resulting from abortions gone wrong or done badly, then you might appreciate why some doctors support abortion rights. These doctors, no longer students, but well practiced, are also appalled by this attack on Planned Parenthood and abortion rights in general. They do not want to see women die needlessly, when pregnancy prevention could have been available and affordable, and safe abortions available if needed or necessary.
People who lived through these times are here, still able to speak. They are the survivors of their generation when access was denied, birth control not available and there were tragic results. Why anyone would want to return to this sad time is not imaginable to me.
Copyright 2011 by SheilaTGTG55
Here are two videos from the
Geneva Planned Parenthood Rally March 7, 2011
TIP:
Enter the amount, and click "Tip" to submit!
AJCalhoun
Chicago Guy
Michelle Coulter
Wren Dancer
gremadcha
elizabethkirby
Salon.com
Comments
Judy is clearly an extremely intelligent person.
She enunciated clearly and correctly and made succinct points.
It is clear who are those who ride up on and park their jezuz ponies to show up to hassle these good people.
My answers: All of us must. And, yes, they have forgotten because it was never documented properly and never taught what the true consequences of unsafe abortions are and what is at risk.
Why is it so different between two countries?
Is it the water? Is it the air?
This is all so insane.
Rated with hugs
XJS: Judy is awesome. She is one of those people who never gives up, doesn't live large, but has the personal commitment to put her energy and stamina to what she believes in. Don't ever have her edit anything you write, she is ruthlessly correct.......hahhahahah
Bonnie: I know these women pretty well, they never give up.
Razzle: We hope younger women will hear what we hear and see what we see. There comes the point in life, when you really realize there is a beginning and an end to it, and you stop thinking of yourself and your own needs, but determine that you will fight for things you believe in to make it better for someone else. As you know you will not live forever, you start to see who will live after you, and how you want their lives to only get better, you think globally, universally and understand that if you go forward and keep trying, then others might too. Fortunately some people live this way well before their end years, and they spend their lives thinking beyond themselves and living for the betterment of all. Kudos to them.
And eternal shame on ANYONE in Congress trying to visit a medieval standard of reproductive rights and health care on women of childbearing age!
We've just Gotta get those bastards out!
rated