Anti-Abortion Movement Mask Slips Further—Pay Attention

Progressives and moderates still kidding themselves that the anti-abortion movement is only concerned about the fetus should take note of the events swirling around the construction of a new Planned Parenthood clinic in south Austin, Texas. Anti-abortion extremists have successfully intimidated the major building contractor involved in the project to back out of its construction clinic, and pressure remains on sub-contractors to also drop out.

The anti-abortion activists working against the family planning clinic are using tactics similar to those used by right wing extremists against physicians by Operation Rescue, adult businesses by self-tyled “morality” groups, and most recently against corporate media who offend the Far Right by either planning programs or commercials the right wing doesn’t like. The anti-abortion activists employ such tactics as multiple phone calls to the business owners, letters, threats of boycotts, and pressuring those contractors’ pastors.

Pro-reproductive rights progressives and also those merely wishing to provide obstetrical and gynecological services to the poor and disadvantaged should pay attention to the ideology of these anti-abortion activists as well as the other right-wingers cheering these activists on. The leader of the initiative, one Chris Danze, accuses Planned Parenthood of being “a social movement that promotes sexual chaos, especially among our youth. Out of this sexual chaos comes the violence of abortion. This is the heart and soul of this movement.” Texas anti-abortion activists stand by Danze: the head of Texas Right to Life calls him a hero, and the news of the intimidation effort has spread by the Christian Broadcasting Network and other anti-abortion organizations.

This movement illustrates a growing skein of right-wing political thought that deserves to be challenged. In these people’s eyes, not only is contraception equated with abortion, but the very existence of these clinics, even if they provide such services as pap smears, breast cancer examinations, pelvic examinations, and advice on fertility offends them.

EDITED BY ADMIN: COPYRIGHT

Please consult today’s (Nov 6, 2003) Austin American Statesman for further details.

http://www.statesman.com/nation/content/auto/epaper/editions/thursday/news_f3aa0037d523615f003a.html

:grr:

I read in my university paper on Monday that they closed down the local planned parenthood clinic here in town. The only place to get contraceptives here now is at the university health center. The article was about the increase in sells of birth control pills and the morning after pill. The increase was due to the planned parenthood clinic closing down.

If the university stops providing contraceptives then you would have to drive 40 miles to El Paso to get them.

These wingnut douchebags are really starting to piss me off.

well, they love their work anyway...

it goes far beyond just abortion, when these idiots start protesting contraception, pap smears, etc. It's all about the women, and their "place"

It has nothing to do with "unborn children." It has everything to do with control. It has everything to do with enforcing their twisted view of Christianity on everyone else.

If they really cared about "unborn children," they would be working to create universal health care so that kids can grow up healthy. They would be working towards making sure that birth control is available to everyone, so that when they do have sex (and they will), they will be responsible.

But as with everything else with the right-wing, it has everything to do with fucking. Those people are obsessed with it - that's what you get when you suppress those desires rather than letting them into the open (within reason).

And a few years ago here in MN someone shot up a Planned Parenthood clinic in Duluth - one that doesn't even do abortions. I personally don't know any women who get their Pills from PP; they get a prescription from their regular gyn and fill it at any pharmacy. But PP is still a needed resource for poor women to get care and for the uninformed to learn about their options. The Religious Reich just don't want unmarried people to have sex (yeah, right) and I guess they want married people to only have sex if they want to get pregnant. If you already have ten kids or if pregnancy would be harmful or fatal to mom I guess dad has to break out the Playboys and and beat off - no, wait, that's a sin too.

"The christian right needs to meet the right christians."

I love that quote.

I have never had to use the services of PP for gyno services or birth control, but many young women do and if this resource is shut down then the result might be more unplanned pregnancies, more abortions, more dead babies in dumpsters. I have always known that these jokers, in the end, don't give two shits about "the unborn" only about trying to force everyone else to conform to their warped version of morality.