Reproductive rights still under attack after 39 years
By Julianna Crowley, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Montana.
The anniversary of Roe v. Wade was Sunday and it is hard to imagine that after 39 years of legal abortion, reproductive rights are still under constant attack from extremists who oppose the American values of freedom and privacy. Even in Montana, where we have a strong state constitutional right to privacy, we have seen challenges to a woman's ability to make the health care decisions that are best for her and her family. In fact, over the past several legislative sessions, Montanans have seen dramatic increases in the number of attacks on reproductive and privacy rights. The 2011 Montana legislative session brought the most anti-choice bills introduced in the 24 years NARAL Pro-Choice Montana has tracked choice-related votes at the Capitol. If you're asking yourself why our legislators spent their short time attacking choice after pledging to focus on immediate challenges, such as the economy and jobs, you're not alone. Unfortunately, Montana is not an isolated case; it is part of a disturbing trend. A majority of states saw attacks on choice. There were 26 states that enacted a total of 69 anti-choice measures in 2011 - that's only one measure short of the 70 recorded in 1999. If it wasn't for Gov. Brian Schweitzer, a strong supporter of a woman's constitutional right to privacy who vetoed four anti-choice bills here in Montana, the nationwide record would have been broken. In addition, 2012 will be the third year that Montanans will be faced with signature gatherers attempting to qualify a "personhood" initiative for our ballot, a repeat attack on the fundamental right of all Montanans to make personal, private, medical decisions that Montanans neither want nor support. This dangerous measure would establish legal rights starting at fertilization with the intent of banning abortion in our state and threatening stem-cell research, in-vitro fertilization and birth control. Last November, voters in Mississippi, one of the most anti-choice states, rejected a "personhood" measure by a 16-point margin. The landscape in Washington, D.C., is no better. This year, the U.S. House of Representatives took eight votes on choice-related issues - the highest number of recorded votes on choice since 2000. The House voted to eliminate the federal family-planning program that provides thousands of Montanans access to contraception, cancer screenings and other basic care. In addition, the House passed a bill (H.R.358) that would let hospitals refuse to provide emergency abortion care to women who would die without it. Another bill, H.R.3, could force rape survivors to prove to an Internal Revenue Service agent they were assaulted. And, while the best way to reduce the need for abortion is to increase the availability of contraception, candidates down the ballot want to make it harder to access birth control. This is outside of mainstream Montana values. As we mark the 39th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, it is critical that the majority of Montanans who support a woman's right to choose increase their intensity in supporting that right. Abortion is never an easy choice for women who face this decision. We acknowledge the complexity of feelings some have about this issue; yet no one knows the situation of every woman who considers abortion - and that's why we support her ability to make this decision without interference from politicians. Politicians in Washington, D.C., will soon start where they left off in 2011 - attacking choice. And here in Montana, anti-choice politicians are already campaigning on "small government," except when it comes to a woman's most private medical decisions. We must stand up and speak out. Talk to your friends and neighbors about your opposition to this intrusion into women's personal, private decisions. Post a story about reproductive health on your social media pages. I promise, you won't be alone, and you will inspire others to display their pro-choice values in a similar way. And most importantly, find out where your local legislators stand on choice. If you get a chance to meet candidates running this cycle, ask them about choice and press them on their record. Freedom and privacy are not buzz words in Montana; they are part of our way of life - and it's up to us to stand up for these values at the ballot box. Read more: http://missoulian.com/news/opinion/columnists/reproductive-rights-still-under-attack-after-years/article_cdc8274c-45d2-11e1-a104-0019bb2963f4.html#ixzz1kKHw22kz
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