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Indybay Feature
Where is Everyone?
Where is Everyone?
Mariah Kornbluh
Mariah Kornbluh
On January 21st, legions of anti-choice activists converged upon San Francisco for the second annual “Walk for Life.” The following is an account of the pro-choice counter-protest.
I awoke early in the morning, excited to visit San Francisco and (more importantly) ready to voice my support for a woman’s right to choose. I met up with friends and we journeyed off to the city. Despite the ungodly hour and the grogginess from the night before, we were all excited about the forthcoming protest. In the car, we exchanged ideas about possible actions and news we had heard about what the day could bring. When we entered the city, we were glad to see that the rain had lifted and the sun was out. We parked our car and ventured towards the anti-abortion rally to meet with our counter-contingent of pro-choice supporters. Unfortunately, everything started going downhill when we were unable to find them.
As we looked for our group and wandered through masses of anti-choice demonstrators it shocked me to see how many people they had mobilized for their rally. I was feeling really pumped and excited to meet the counter-contingent and see what the day would bring, but the absence of pro-choice demonstrators caused my excitement to turn to fear. As we searched through the crowd we found three lone pro-choice activists yelling at the wall of anti-abortion demonstrators through a microphone. We heard news that the counter-contingent was meeting at the pier and so we headed down there, eventually spotting thirty to fifty pro-choice people standing around. I assumed that we must have gotten there much earlier than the call out, and so we walked around trying to find out who else was coming to support us. Small groups of people entered the group, but no big crowds appeared. I heard news that the pro-life rally was beginning to march and suddenly it hit me: this small group of people was it: the voice and presence of a woman’s right to choose.
I tried to get an idea of what people were planning and how we could make a visible presence and impact despite our small numbers. Unfortunately, it seemed that there was a general apathy towards actually mobilizing, while at the same time a lack of space to voice ideas. As the Walk for Life came marching towards us, our counter-contingent spread out and marched along side it. I felt like a mere spectator walking along the march.
A strong police presence surrounded the march, and at one point we were kicked off the sidewalk and into the beach. I didn’t realize until later that half of the contingent decided to stand their ground and not walk across the beach, thereby reducing our numbers even further. We then got blocked from the march and had to spread out and hike around to find it. When we finally found the march again, there was no real counter-contingent in body or spirit. We could do nothing – we were invisible. I looked at the pro-lifer’s march, which was ending in a celebratory rally and prayer on the grass overlooking the water. I wanted to shake my fist and scream. The day lacked presence, ideas, passion, and voice. If we do not make ourselves visible, then how can we be seen and heard? Where is everyone?
I awoke early in the morning, excited to visit San Francisco and (more importantly) ready to voice my support for a woman’s right to choose. I met up with friends and we journeyed off to the city. Despite the ungodly hour and the grogginess from the night before, we were all excited about the forthcoming protest. In the car, we exchanged ideas about possible actions and news we had heard about what the day could bring. When we entered the city, we were glad to see that the rain had lifted and the sun was out. We parked our car and ventured towards the anti-abortion rally to meet with our counter-contingent of pro-choice supporters. Unfortunately, everything started going downhill when we were unable to find them.
As we looked for our group and wandered through masses of anti-choice demonstrators it shocked me to see how many people they had mobilized for their rally. I was feeling really pumped and excited to meet the counter-contingent and see what the day would bring, but the absence of pro-choice demonstrators caused my excitement to turn to fear. As we searched through the crowd we found three lone pro-choice activists yelling at the wall of anti-abortion demonstrators through a microphone. We heard news that the counter-contingent was meeting at the pier and so we headed down there, eventually spotting thirty to fifty pro-choice people standing around. I assumed that we must have gotten there much earlier than the call out, and so we walked around trying to find out who else was coming to support us. Small groups of people entered the group, but no big crowds appeared. I heard news that the pro-life rally was beginning to march and suddenly it hit me: this small group of people was it: the voice and presence of a woman’s right to choose.
I tried to get an idea of what people were planning and how we could make a visible presence and impact despite our small numbers. Unfortunately, it seemed that there was a general apathy towards actually mobilizing, while at the same time a lack of space to voice ideas. As the Walk for Life came marching towards us, our counter-contingent spread out and marched along side it. I felt like a mere spectator walking along the march.
A strong police presence surrounded the march, and at one point we were kicked off the sidewalk and into the beach. I didn’t realize until later that half of the contingent decided to stand their ground and not walk across the beach, thereby reducing our numbers even further. We then got blocked from the march and had to spread out and hike around to find it. When we finally found the march again, there was no real counter-contingent in body or spirit. We could do nothing – we were invisible. I looked at the pro-lifer’s march, which was ending in a celebratory rally and prayer on the grass overlooking the water. I wanted to shake my fist and scream. The day lacked presence, ideas, passion, and voice. If we do not make ourselves visible, then how can we be seen and heard? Where is everyone?
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I’m with Bay Area Coalition for Our Reproductive Rights. We were the group that organized the counter protest.
We spent 5 months convening planning meetings, rallys and doing our level best to turn folks out. Despite our best efforts (and I unashamedly give myself and three other co-organizers an A+ for effort) we were only able to turn out, at the most, 600 people.
That was due to the efforts of two to three people. Toni Mendocino and I worked on building momentum and probably gave, all told, 25 hours a week (we both work full time and I'm finishing a thesis.)
We didn’t have the person power we needed to pull off the kind of person to person, meeting-hopping organizing we needed. What you saw, was what we could do given our resources. There’s a bigger story, of course, but that’s it in a nutshell.
It’s worth pointing out, that Planned Parenthood, NOW and NARAL all declined to organize anything, on the principle that we somehow empower the opposition by showing opposition. I do not agree with this analysis. One thing you could do is write a letter to all three institutions.
The face of anti-choice-ism is changing. And we need to be there to challenge it, but in order to get people out we need more people acting. We could barely pull 6 people for planning meetings and some people simply dropped their commitments. On the other side, I saw anti-choice women completely empowered by their activism. I didnt get that sense of busy-ness from the progressive community in San Francisco, save for those organization like Code Pink, which did work with us.
Some good things happened. In November, we scheduled the only debate between pro-prop. 73 folks (those who would force teens to tell their parents that they needed/wanted to get an abortion) and we also scheduled a debate between the organizers of the anti choice march and a reproductive rights activist. We got a ton of press.
But that’s cold comfort and doesn’t replace what we really wanted to see; common will and determination. The bottom line is this: not enough people gave of themselves to organize a meaningful and memorable counter protest.
There also seems to be somewhat of an age gap. The current consensus is that younger women do not know what they’re facing.
My analysis is that women who have had abortions- like me- have not become a visible community. The holder and interpreters of the history of legal abortion, to my way of thinking, are those women like me, who were able to have legal abortions. We are the ones who can legitimately speak to the necessity of abortion as a reproductive tactic. But I see women staying silent. They got their abortion(s). And that’s that.
Our silence has made room for two disastrous and inaccurate messages that have been very successful in organizing the anti-choice communities: one observes life more meaningfully by forcing women to give birth. And women who’ve chosen abortions have murdered their babies.
These are the questions we need to have answers to.
1. If fetal life is life, why isn’t an abortion murder?
Do you know how to answer that? If not, why not? I’m asking this respectfully, but urgently. How well do we know our own message? And are we seeking out opportunities to say those messages?
I see a lot of silent women.
The questions is- and, remember, I’m asking this in the eve of South Dakota banning abortion and forcing the whole issue to the Supreme Court, which will then pull out Roe v Wade for review- what do you want to see? And what are you prepared to do to make that vision happen? That’s what I asked myself in 2004, when I found out that the first “Walk for Life” was going to happen. And I haven’t stopped organizing since.
Go to
http://www.indybay.org/news/2006/02/1804713.php
to listen to some commentary I taped for KPFA’s “Women’s Magazine”. Tell me what you think. Want to write and record one of your own? I can make that happen, too, if you want.
And if you want to respond, you can post here, or email BACORR at
bacorrinfo [at] riseup.net.
Peace.
Elizabeth Creely
We spent 5 months convening planning meetings, rallys and doing our level best to turn folks out. Despite our best efforts (and I unashamedly give myself and three other co-organizers an A+ for effort) we were only able to turn out, at the most, 600 people.
That was due to the efforts of two to three people. Toni Mendocino and I worked on building momentum and probably gave, all told, 25 hours a week (we both work full time and I'm finishing a thesis.)
We didn’t have the person power we needed to pull off the kind of person to person, meeting-hopping organizing we needed. What you saw, was what we could do given our resources. There’s a bigger story, of course, but that’s it in a nutshell.
It’s worth pointing out, that Planned Parenthood, NOW and NARAL all declined to organize anything, on the principle that we somehow empower the opposition by showing opposition. I do not agree with this analysis. One thing you could do is write a letter to all three institutions.
The face of anti-choice-ism is changing. And we need to be there to challenge it, but in order to get people out we need more people acting. We could barely pull 6 people for planning meetings and some people simply dropped their commitments. On the other side, I saw anti-choice women completely empowered by their activism. I didnt get that sense of busy-ness from the progressive community in San Francisco, save for those organization like Code Pink, which did work with us.
Some good things happened. In November, we scheduled the only debate between pro-prop. 73 folks (those who would force teens to tell their parents that they needed/wanted to get an abortion) and we also scheduled a debate between the organizers of the anti choice march and a reproductive rights activist. We got a ton of press.
But that’s cold comfort and doesn’t replace what we really wanted to see; common will and determination. The bottom line is this: not enough people gave of themselves to organize a meaningful and memorable counter protest.
There also seems to be somewhat of an age gap. The current consensus is that younger women do not know what they’re facing.
My analysis is that women who have had abortions- like me- have not become a visible community. The holder and interpreters of the history of legal abortion, to my way of thinking, are those women like me, who were able to have legal abortions. We are the ones who can legitimately speak to the necessity of abortion as a reproductive tactic. But I see women staying silent. They got their abortion(s). And that’s that.
Our silence has made room for two disastrous and inaccurate messages that have been very successful in organizing the anti-choice communities: one observes life more meaningfully by forcing women to give birth. And women who’ve chosen abortions have murdered their babies.
These are the questions we need to have answers to.
1. If fetal life is life, why isn’t an abortion murder?
Do you know how to answer that? If not, why not? I’m asking this respectfully, but urgently. How well do we know our own message? And are we seeking out opportunities to say those messages?
I see a lot of silent women.
The questions is- and, remember, I’m asking this in the eve of South Dakota banning abortion and forcing the whole issue to the Supreme Court, which will then pull out Roe v Wade for review- what do you want to see? And what are you prepared to do to make that vision happen? That’s what I asked myself in 2004, when I found out that the first “Walk for Life” was going to happen. And I haven’t stopped organizing since.
Go to
http://www.indybay.org/news/2006/02/1804713.php
to listen to some commentary I taped for KPFA’s “Women’s Magazine”. Tell me what you think. Want to write and record one of your own? I can make that happen, too, if you want.
And if you want to respond, you can post here, or email BACORR at
bacorrinfo [at] riseup.net.
Peace.
Elizabeth Creely
I got involved with BACORR at my first clinic defense last July.
Women have to realize that they need to make their friends aware of how serious this is and get them involved. The laws they are proposing in South Dakota (and now Mississippi) are to test the basic right of Roe v Wade. They are written by Right wing extremists so they can appear to be reasonable when they renegotiate on the right to abortion for rape and danger to the mother's life. In fact, they don't really care whether women in those situations have a right to choice.
Roe v Wade is only available now to informed women with money who live in certain states.
A couple of our supposed allies in this battle (NARAL, Planned Parenthood) have been found to be lacking in leadership, which is part of the reason we're in the state we're in. I would stongly recommend getting involved with N.O.W. which has been consistent in their unequivocable position on the right to abortion. And get on the case of the other 2 organizations, as they need a wake up call to get back on track.
Women have to realize that they need to make their friends aware of how serious this is and get them involved. The laws they are proposing in South Dakota (and now Mississippi) are to test the basic right of Roe v Wade. They are written by Right wing extremists so they can appear to be reasonable when they renegotiate on the right to abortion for rape and danger to the mother's life. In fact, they don't really care whether women in those situations have a right to choice.
Roe v Wade is only available now to informed women with money who live in certain states.
A couple of our supposed allies in this battle (NARAL, Planned Parenthood) have been found to be lacking in leadership, which is part of the reason we're in the state we're in. I would stongly recommend getting involved with N.O.W. which has been consistent in their unequivocable position on the right to abortion. And get on the case of the other 2 organizations, as they need a wake up call to get back on track.
i do think alot of women who have had abortions value their privacy over their activism. benefitting from its legal status and then not doing anything to help it is...kind of cowardly. and, of course, i'm NOT talking about women in hostile environments...there are many of us out there who can afford lots of disclosure, know what I mean? its like I got mine and i'm outa here. in the meantime, staff workers like emily lyons who got maimed in a clinic bombing, and who will walk around for the rest of her life with a scarred face and schrapnel in her body, what about her work to ensure access to this right? how do we honor that by remaining mute? we need to stand up for the clinics and staff that served us, often at the cost of thier own life! RIP Dr. Bernard Slepian.
Elizabeth Creeley wrote:
"Our silence has made room for two disastrous and inaccurate messages that have been very successful in organizing the anti-choice communities: one observes life more meaningfully by forcing women to give birth. And women who’ve chosen abortions have murdered their babies.
These are the questions we need to have answers to.
1. If fetal life is life, why isn’t an abortion murder?
Do you know how to answer that? If not, why not?"
Women are only forced to justify abortion and answer to the anti choicers if they continue to deal with a legal arena owned, funded and controlled by anti choice men.
Women must IGNORE anti choice laws and learn how to use herbs and Menstrual Extraction at home to control their reproduction in private without having to answer to anyone.
Google "Menstrual Extraction" and Sister Zeus and get a copy of A Womans Book of Choices' to learn how to SAFELY prevent or end a pregnancy.
We are not children who must ask permission. We own our bodies.
"Our silence has made room for two disastrous and inaccurate messages that have been very successful in organizing the anti-choice communities: one observes life more meaningfully by forcing women to give birth. And women who’ve chosen abortions have murdered their babies.
These are the questions we need to have answers to.
1. If fetal life is life, why isn’t an abortion murder?
Do you know how to answer that? If not, why not?"
Women are only forced to justify abortion and answer to the anti choicers if they continue to deal with a legal arena owned, funded and controlled by anti choice men.
Women must IGNORE anti choice laws and learn how to use herbs and Menstrual Extraction at home to control their reproduction in private without having to answer to anyone.
Google "Menstrual Extraction" and Sister Zeus and get a copy of A Womans Book of Choices' to learn how to SAFELY prevent or end a pregnancy.
We are not children who must ask permission. We own our bodies.
In my last post I wrote that its NOT necessary for women to justify abortion. But how do we women answer an anti choice women's belief that abortion is murder and that a fetus is a "baby"
(it isnt a baby just as an acorn isnt a tree and the blueprint is not a house but this arguement wont convince many women who have been indoctrinated )
As Elizabeth Creeley wrote:
"Our silence has made room for two disastrous and inaccurate messages that have been very successful in organizing the anti-choice communities: one observes life more meaningfully by forcing women to give birth. And women who’ve chosen abortions have murdered their babies.
These are the questions we need to have answers to.
1. If fetal life is life, why isn’t an abortion murder?
Do you know how to answer that? If not, why not?"
The antis have cleverly cast the belief that "abortion is murder and that the fetus is a baby" as a universal sectular non religious moral stance, such a killing a person is wrong.
However the *belief* that abortion is murder is a *religious belief* that cant be argued against, just like we cant argue with someone's belief in God or heaven etc. Belief is **non rational.
All we can do is spread the fact that opposing abortion violates the religious beliefs of many women whose religions dont believe abortion is wrong, such as many jewish and protestant sects. It also violates the so called "separation of church and state.
(it isnt a baby just as an acorn isnt a tree and the blueprint is not a house but this arguement wont convince many women who have been indoctrinated )
As Elizabeth Creeley wrote:
"Our silence has made room for two disastrous and inaccurate messages that have been very successful in organizing the anti-choice communities: one observes life more meaningfully by forcing women to give birth. And women who’ve chosen abortions have murdered their babies.
These are the questions we need to have answers to.
1. If fetal life is life, why isn’t an abortion murder?
Do you know how to answer that? If not, why not?"
The antis have cleverly cast the belief that "abortion is murder and that the fetus is a baby" as a universal sectular non religious moral stance, such a killing a person is wrong.
However the *belief* that abortion is murder is a *religious belief* that cant be argued against, just like we cant argue with someone's belief in God or heaven etc. Belief is **non rational.
All we can do is spread the fact that opposing abortion violates the religious beliefs of many women whose religions dont believe abortion is wrong, such as many jewish and protestant sects. It also violates the so called "separation of church and state.
People listen to this and wonder- if it isnt murder and a fetus is a form of humanity, what is it? I am pro reproductive rights, and so am not acting as an agent provocatuer (sp) but the anti's trump us everytime when they get the conversation into this area and we...have nothing to say
There are also many leftists who thinks its murder. For them its a belief based on how they construct the terms humanity, person, baby- there are too many people doing pretty good work who think abortion is murder...George galloway is out there with his critique and Wangari ? the environmentalist who plants trees in Africa has a critque of abortion. I don't agree with either of them. But I think we need to become better thinkers.
I know this stuff is painful, but we need to know this, and speak to the truth of it-
There are also many leftists who thinks its murder. For them its a belief based on how they construct the terms humanity, person, baby- there are too many people doing pretty good work who think abortion is murder...George galloway is out there with his critique and Wangari ? the environmentalist who plants trees in Africa has a critque of abortion. I don't agree with either of them. But I think we need to become better thinkers.
I know this stuff is painful, but we need to know this, and speak to the truth of it-
If women are forced into extralegal practices which affect their reproductive health or cause their deaths, that should be called what it is: a murderous attack on the lives, freedom and safety of women.
There is NO VALID reason for a law to be signed which negatively impacts the health or safety of a pregnant woman. The life of a fetus does not supercede the life of a woman.
Moralising about why a woman is having an abortion presumes to know why she made that choice. No one should have access to that knowledge except the woman and her healthcare provider.
There is NO VALID reason for a law to be signed which negatively impacts the health or safety of a pregnant woman. The life of a fetus does not supercede the life of a woman.
Moralising about why a woman is having an abortion presumes to know why she made that choice. No one should have access to that knowledge except the woman and her healthcare provider.
based on what statistics show it to be (in the main): for reasons other than rape or incest. Most women, myself included, had an abortion, because aside from economic concerns, there was this simple fact. We did not want to have a child and we did want to have sex. I had an abortion because i did not want my DNA extended outside of myself. And i would never consider having a tubal ligation or a hysterectomy(which has been suggested) and have always felt that my right to sexual intercourse (ideally with birth control but admittedly without it sometimes) superseded any fictional "persons" right. And that I have no obligation to progressing the life that begins as a result.
A blueprint is not a house.
An acorn is not a tree.
A fetus is not a person.
Abortion is not murder.
The anti abortion movement and the military are contrlled by men who use language against us. They define abortion as "murder" but not killing people in war. Those already born who are killed are "collateral damage."
Also, the women who has an abortion is supposedly a "murderer: but not soldiers (although they are serial killers) They are "heroes"
The male controlled anti abortion movement uses a RELIGIOUS BELEF that states abortion is murder.
However, many religions are OK with abortion, so to deny a woman access to abortion IS TO DENY HER OF HER RELIGIOUS RIGHTS AND VIOLATES THE SO CALED SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE.
Google "menstrual extraction" and "Sister Zeus and learn how to control your reproduction at home. Its time to ignore these medieval assholes who want to use us as their baby factories.
An acorn is not a tree.
A fetus is not a person.
Abortion is not murder.
The anti abortion movement and the military are contrlled by men who use language against us. They define abortion as "murder" but not killing people in war. Those already born who are killed are "collateral damage."
Also, the women who has an abortion is supposedly a "murderer: but not soldiers (although they are serial killers) They are "heroes"
The male controlled anti abortion movement uses a RELIGIOUS BELEF that states abortion is murder.
However, many religions are OK with abortion, so to deny a woman access to abortion IS TO DENY HER OF HER RELIGIOUS RIGHTS AND VIOLATES THE SO CALED SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE.
Google "menstrual extraction" and "Sister Zeus and learn how to control your reproduction at home. Its time to ignore these medieval assholes who want to use us as their baby factories.
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