Parental Notification in Illinois......

Yesterday was a sad day for teens indeed. Doctors now have to notify the parents of a teen seeking an abortion 48 hours before their procedure. Once while lobbying in Springfield, a state representative said he was in support of parental notification because he would want to know about his daughter's decision to have an abortion. We like to think we live in a society where children live in 2 parent households who are supportive parents or even have parents at all. The reality is that isn't always the case. Some teens don't have parents or even a place to call home. What if the young women was raped (since we all know this culture promotes rapes and blames the woman) and doesn't want to tell her parents about any of it. Or what if the teen is a sex worker? The list goes on and on. Parental notification doesn't help anyone! All is does is further push society's need to control every single thing in women and girls lives. And what about the message it's sending to our youth? "You can't possibly be mentally able to make a decision like this!" Wait, that's the same argument people use when teens choose to carry a pregnancy to term and raise their children, right! I thought so. So again I must reiterate, yesterday was a very sad day for teens in Illinois. America has seen a flood of anti- abortion bills and Illinois has fell in line. Don't impose your freaking views on someone else's body!!!!

Say What???!!! Wait, I'm Not Surprised At All.....

So Paul Ryan wants anti- choice citizens to "respect the views of the pro-choice community and then encourage them to change them." Isn't that the opposite of respecting someone's views? He recently told the students of Howard University that the Republican party was the party of the Civil Rights Movement. What books have Ryan been reading? And let's not forget the agenda of the Republican National Committee, calling for more inclusion and outreach to women, minorities  and gay people but not to make changes in  policy. Reaching out to these group means changing policies. There is no other reason for "reaching out" unless the RNC is going to change its way of thinking. Perhaps the two sides will have tea and discussing the plethora of bills the RNC wishes to pass that will further oppress them.

The Reopening of Dr. Tiller's Clinic

This week the Trust Women Foundation has reopened the slain doctor's clinic under the new name, South Wind Women's Center, in Kansas. Dr. Tiller was murdered in 2009 by an anti- choice lunatic inside a church. The new clinic will offer abortion services for women up to 14 weeks gestation. News like this really motivates me to continuing the work that I do. Regardless of any gun- carrying lunatic or anti- choice legislation, the movement continues, just as Dr. Tiller would have wanted. http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/04/us-usa-abortion-kansas-idUSBRE93305020130404?feedType=RSS

Our Right to Choose........32oz Soda????!!!!!

While watching an upcoming promo for a TV show hosted by a doctor, whose name shall remain unrevealed, I heard the darndest thing. "Should America take away our right to choose?" No, this question wasn't about reproductive choice. Instead it was referring to our our right to choose what size soda we would like to drink!!! I immediately thought about reproductive choice not being the focus of the show. Here's why this bothers me so much: an entire show dedicated to health issues and concerns has a segment about being able to make sound decisions about what pop to drink instead of having one that questions whether a woman's choice should be taken away by America (hence anti- choice legislation)! Can you say "priorities and issues need to be adjusted!" We live in a society that clearly detests the possibility of laws governing what size soda to drink but sees no problem with laws governing our bodies.

My Experience with Depression and Abortion

When sharing my story about my experience when choosing to have an abortion. Opening up about my mental state is usually one of the hardest parts. I knew I was suffering from depression although I wasn't clinically diagnosed until a few years later. I knew that carrying a pregnancy to term wasn't the best thing for my family at that time. That is not to say that women who suffer from mental illness shouldn't have children. I am only speaking for myself. Suffering from mental illness wasn't the only or main reason for choosing abortion but it definitely contributed significantly in my decision making. I was so afraid of what I might have done to myself had I chosen to carry the pregnancy to term. In society discussing mental illness is just as taboo as abortion. I feel that I cannot share one experience without the other. In the beginning, I would never discuss my depression because I was still ashamed of it. Many women can relate to this shame. This only furthers my actions of being vocal about my experiences. If I can help one person acknowledge or share their similar experience, I have done my part.

Learning to Practice What I Preach

I was a mother for several years before joining the reproductive justice movement. I was a young mother of three girls and my only wish was at the time was that my children wouldn't have children while they were young. I would always say to myself of close friends that if they were to get to pregnant while under the age of 18, there would be questions asked. I would make the decision for them and they would have an abortion. Without realizing it I was taking away their choice, their right to choose. How could I be an advocate for women's rights and reproductive justice in the outside world but my personal life, especially my children, followed a different set of rules? This was a huge reality check for me. Yes I still have to be a parent but I cannot violate my daughters rights as women and individuals. This realization stretched beyond reproductive choice. I now find myself letting them choose what to where, how to style their hair, how to be individuals. Of course their is some governance being I am the adult who has "been there, done that." As a woman and mother who fights for the right to full autonomy over one's body, it's about time I started practicing it on the home-front.

Disgust and Disappointment Regarding Arkansas

How is it that we're in the year 2013 and abortion bans such as the one just passed in Arkansas even have a the possibility of passing? Oh yeah, that's right! We do live in a society that deems it acceptable to control women and girls by any means necessary! The same society that elects these anal politicians who can't figure out the importance of reproductive justice because they can't see the injustice in the first place (mainly because they created it). This ban which is set to go into affect this summer, bans abortion in the state of Arkansas after 12 weeks. Some women are just finding out they're pregnant by the time they are 12 weeks. Not to mention those of us who have to save up for our procedure because we are under/  unemployed or only have state funded health insurance. I use the term "us" because I myself was in this very situation. Not only does this ban under Roe v. Wade, it denies women their given right to make their own decisions regarding their reproductive health. I'm furious!!! There aren't enough words to express my disgust right now. Simply appalled!!!!

Is Pro-Choice Enough?

Reproductive justice means that women have the right to choose if and when they want to parent and that the resources to do so are available; socially, economically, environmentally. Being pro- choice is not enough when there is no access to the needed resources when making those decisions. Choosing abortion or parenthood is more than making a choice. What do you do after you choose abortion but the nearest abortion provider is out of state because of anti- choice legislation denies women access in their home state? What are the parents to do when their are no jobs to help them support their families? What about the parents who live in food deserts with no access to fresh fruits and vegetables? Or what about the women who are forced to carry a pregnancy to term because she can't afford her abortion due to her -underpaying job. Yes I am pro-choice and very vocal about it. I have shared my abortion story from Chicago to D.C. and live television! However, I do realize the importance of reproductive justice and its movement. It doesn't imply that women are victims. Instead it acknowledges and addresses the injustices that women face regarding their reproductive rights and health. Without ACCESS there is no CHOICE!

Here's To A New Trend!......I Hope

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/17/nyregion/cuomo-bucks-tide-with-bill-to-lift-abortion-limits.html?smid=pl-share

While abortion advocates rejoice his efforts the anti- choice community is in an uproar. The fact that abortion bans exists at any level speaks to how far this country has not come. Roe v. Wade ended abortion as a crime yet the anti- choice politicians and community have stopped at nothing to take away ACCESS to abortion. State bans on abortion means that women have to travel out of state to seek a procedure that is legal and medically safe. Where is the woman's choice if she doesn't have access?! The choice is then between which state to travel to in order to have an abortion. Let's hope Gov. Cuomo's legislation is passed. Maybe it will start a trend of abortion bans being lifted vs the wave of abortion bans being introduced.

Economics of Abortion

Many people don't realize the economics behind abortion. For women seeking an abortion there are several factors to consider; money, time, and family. First trimester abortions are less expensive than 2nd trimester abortions. That does NOT mean that it affordable. It simply is costs less than a 2nd trimester procedure. When I made the decision to have an abortion I was still in my first trimester. However, I could not afford the procedure so by the time I came up with the full amount I was in my second trimester. This also required that I miss two days from work since the procedure required that I return to the clinic for two consecutive days. I was only employed part-time which meant that I would be short on my rent money. Providing for the children I already had was going to be even harder as I had to miss work. My story is not an extreme case. This is the plight for most women who choose abortion. Most women who seek an abortion are unemployed or underpaid and are mothers already. These are real issues that real women face when choosing abortion!

Silenced

that scratchy feeling in your throat
knowing that the worst is soon to come
the fever, the runny nose, the aches and pains
And then nothing
You open your mouth to speak
yet nothing comes out
alas, your are silenced by something beyond your control
the flu has taken over
unfortunately women aren't silenced by the flu
we have anti- choice elected officials
who constantly attack us to thank for that
rather it's newly introduced anti- choice legislation,
another comprehensive sex- ed bill shot down
a new definition for rape
or attacks against abortion providers and clinics....
this is why i drink orange juice and feminist punch daily

Indiana's War Against Women

In the state of Indiana there is a Chinese immigrant being prosecuted for murder because she tried to end her own life while she was pregnant. Although the woman gave birth and her daughter lived for three days, she is still being charged with murder. There is no link between the suicide attempt and the newborn's death. This another case of  the rights of the woman vs. the rights of a fetus. I believe the focus should be on the woman's mental state or help should be given to her because of the suicide attempt. When a person's life seems so bad to them that they resort to suicide, they need supportive services and not jail time (besides, no crime occured in this case).