Today is National Day of Appreciation for Abortion Providers

And they have a lot to be appreciated for!

I'd like to thank everyone who helps women obtain the abortions they want and need- from my fellow co-workers at CAF and the volunteers/leadership group members who dedicate their time to help make choice possible to the other funds & logistics organizations that help women pay for their procedures, help drive/fly them to clinics, or watch their children while they are at the doctor's.

A big, big thank you to the clinic staff, who walk through picket lines and are targeted for harassment (or worse) in their service to women & their families. A special thanks to the ones who take the time & energy to really counsel the women in their care to make sure that, not only is an abortion the best option, but whom go out of their way to help in any other way they can- referring to other agencies and organizations, even if the patient decides to continue the pregnancy. I always appreciate when the clinics we work with take the time to not only make the space a healthy, safe environment but also a warm, inviting and caring place.

And of course, where would we be without our doctors, nurse practitioners, pharmacists and all others who directly perform and/or assist women with their abortions? Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for what you do. Under constant attack- verbally, emotionally & all-too-often physically-, you continue to press on with your much needed skills. I am ever so grateful that you continue to help women.

My heart goes out to Dr. Tiller's family & staff today, and hope that they are comforted by the good he did.

My Take on What Happened at Dr. Carhart's Clinic

I have a twitter account, and I was micro-blogging the whole day while us CAF folks were helping to defend Dr. Carhart's clinic from an ad-hoc protest called by Operation Rescue and local anti-choice groups in Nebraska. I thought I'd post what I saw and heard, from the beginning.

6:13 AM
At the clinic... Lines of pro choice folks surrounding clinic, some stayed all night(?) Most have been here for 2 hours already.

6:43 AM
The antis said they'd be here 30 minutes ago... We already have the sidewalks surrounding...

6:53 AM
Saying "pro-abort" does nothing more than make you sound like a moron, folks.

7:08 AM
Cops kicked us away from the front if the clinic, saying it's the anti-choice folk's spot... We've been here over 2 hours.

7:21 AM
They're here! Yelling! Praying underneath gas station signs!

8:01 AM
Two bomb sniffing dogs onsite. Plus riot cop van in waiting.

8:09 AM
Patients starting to come in. Chants of "Welcome, welcome, this clinic stays open," to drown out anti-choice folks on bullhorns.
(Actually, I was wrong. There weren't any bullhorns, one guy had an amazingly loud voice.)

8:24 AM
Again, with the "fetuses are not babies" sign. Grrrr. Bad sign. Fetuses ARE babies in some peoples' eyes, even prochoice ones.

8:26 AM
Also, stop trying to sell your newspapers. *mutters under her breath so her commie and socialist friends don't hear her*

8:51 AM
Most of the anti-choice folks are older, all white and they seem to be all Catholics. I said the rosary with them. It's been awhile.

9:05 AM
Why do anti-choice folks think they have a monopoly on religion? I'm an atheist, but the only one at work! Everyone else attends church.

9:41 AM
As soon as my group walks up, the guy starts shouting about how, "slavery was legal!" Way to go, white dude.

10:02 AM
Oper. Rescue is claiming there's about 60 for both sides. Liars. There's about that anti-choice, yes, but double that pro-choice.
(Later, it was more like triple that, at least, for our side, with more like 70/80 for the anti-choice folks' side.)

10:15 AM
Two people who have been convicted of committing felonies against clinics/staff (one arson, one injury) are here, protesting Dr. Carhart.

11:34 AM
RT @rhrealitycheck: http://twitpic.com/fpo4t - This is jennifer mccoy. She burned down a clinic in virginia. #carhart

12:07 PM
McCoy's parading a black child that's clearly not hers (her white kids aren't interacting w/her) AND her children are playing in the street.

12:55 PM
People kept on screaming at women coming into/out of clinics, "Mama! Mama! Mama!" Obnoxious.

12:56 PM
Somebody from Army of God was here, too. Which is why there was a swat team.

1:43 PM
1 in 3 women will have an abortion by the age of 45. Over 60% of those women who have an abortion already have children.

1:47 PM
Goodbye parting: a little girl trying to wave a Bible at us, which was too heavy for her to hold. I think that sums up the day.

Other clinic defenders stayed longer than we did, to make sure the last patients and the staff got safely to their cars, but we had a 7/8 hour drive home, so we left (I got home at 1 in the morning on Sunday, after leaving Chicago around 8 on Friday!). I'm really happy that we went and I got to meet Dr. Carhart. He was a very nice man and very, very appreciative of us being there (and so were at least two of the patients/support that we saw).

The Secret Life of the American Teenager

First off, wow, what a horrible name! :)

Has anybody else been following this show on ABC Family? I don't have cable, but they stream the video online the day after it's been shown on TV, so I've been eagerly watching it whenever I get a chance.

You've gotta hand it to Brenda Hampton (creator of the show), after skirting around abortion and whitewashing a lot of issues on Seventh Heaven, she's actually diving into some serious issues that are hard to mention and discuss, especially when the adults in the picture are very rarely moral authorities to guide the kids.

The abortion episode ("Love for Sale") was... frustrating. Decent, but frustrating. First off, most clinics would NOT allow such a scene to be had in the lobby room. It was built up during the episode to be some big, scary thing (complete with Amy- the 15 and pregnant main character- crying when she was "rescued" off the exam table- why wasn't there a doctor or nurse with her?!) when in reality, I feel like a 15 year old giving birth is a much bigger, much scarier thing.

The preview before that episode had Molly Ringwald (Amy's mom) "confessing" to having been in a similar situation. I was really hoping she would 'fess up to having an abortion! The fact that her marriage is falling apart because she married her baby's dad due to being pregnant so young is interesting, though....

Ultimately, for TV, the episode was somewhat supportive of Amy's choice (she ended up deciding against abortion at the clinic). But the drama that was happening around her while she was changing her mind- and the show's insistence that she give up her baby for adoption- is a bit maddening. At an abortion clinic, there would have been counseling to make sure she wanted to have the abortion, and discuss adoption or parenting if not. Now, how many OB/GYNS are going to have counselors on sight to make sure giving birth is something you want to do?

There's so much more I want to say about the show, but two quicks things: one- it's great that they're working with The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy but- I'm frustrated with the details. Most teen pregnancies do not involve 2 teenagers. Often, the male in the situation is at least 5 years older, often in their twenties. But a show about predatory men and victimized girls- that'd be a bit hard to make a romantic-funny-family sitcom about, no?