July: We Have Been Called To Action!

Reproductive Freedom. January 6 Trials. Climate Change. Independence Day.

National Rainbow president Jesse Jackson, far left, joins Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton, former NOW Presidents Pat Ireland and Eleanor Smeal and other political activists in a March for Women’s Lives near the White House in Washington, April 5, 1992. Read Here.

Protesters cry out to keep bans off women’s bodies. Read more.

The January 6 Trials Continue to hold those involved accountable. Read Here.

Kids’ vaccines are ‘a game changer,’ experts say—here’s what else needs to happen to end the Covid pandemic. Read Here.

As we recognize Independence Day, we need to improve on our founding concepts – not dismantle it.

A note from Heather:

The Supreme Court decision is outrageous, but not surprising. The Court has taken away the ability of people to control their own bodies and lives and turned that power over to politicians. It is outrageous because it is against the popular will, against morality, against precedent, against the expansion of freedom.

This is an undermining of the most basic freedom and most intimate decision of a person’s life: when or whether or with whom to have a child. It is against the popular will. Eighty percent of people in this country believe that no politician should come between a woman and her doctor in this most intimate decision. Seventy-five percent of people do not think Roe should be overturned.

One in five people who can have a child will have an abortion in their lifetime. One in five. This means it could be your friend, your sister, your mother (and the majority of people who have abortions already have one child—and so know what it means to bring a child into this world). It could be you.

It is not surprising because the right-wing/MAGA faction of the Republican Party has been chipping away state by state, rule by rule, law for law for decades. Especially impacting those without financial and family support, women of color, poor and younger women are the ones who will be left with no good alternatives to a forced and unwanted pregnancy.

This ruling will give rise to mob-run enterprises when something that is so needed is made illegal. It will help turn us into the kind of authoritarian country where neighbor reports on neighbor with these bounty laws (as in Texas and Oklahoma) where people are paid money—$10,000 or even $100,000—to report on someone they hear is searching for an abortion. It may again create the septic abortion wards in hospitals for those who have harmed themselves or were harmed seeking to end an unwanted pregnancy. Many states will not allow exceptions for rape or incest—though it is not for others to determine what those who are pregnant decide, for whatever reason they decide, about their own health.

I have been involved with this issue for many years. In 1965, a friend was pregnant and nearly suicidal—not ready to have a child. Her brother asked if I could help her find someone to provide an abortion. I hadn’t thought about the issue before, but approached this as a good deed—as in the Golden Rule: treat others as we would want to be treated. I did find a doctor for her—Dr. T.R.M. Howard.

I didn’t know it at the time, but he had been a civil rights champion in Mississippi until his name appeared on a Klan death list. The procedure was successful. Then word must have spread, and more women called for help. This led me to set up an underground abortion service before Roe; I told people to ask for “Jane.” Over time, I recruited others to this Service. After Dr. Howard was not in touch (likely because he had been arrested), I found another provider whose name was Mike. The women of the Jane Collective learned how to do the procedures themselves and provided 11,000 abortions that were safe and accessible before Roe. But they were not legal.

The Service (as we called it) had a Front—where the women came initially and had support and counseling, could bring their partners/support/kids and be welcomed into a caring space (often with food and diversions). A driver took them to the Place (initially a borrowed apartment) where the procedures were performed. After the women recovered, they were brought back to the Front.

Reproductive freedom has become a partisan political issue, and that is reflected in this Supreme Court decision. While there are people who may join this from personal belief, there are also the cynical self-serving politicians who made this a partisan issue in a deal between some churches and the right wing of the Republican Party. In spite of public opinion and with enough money and media echoing their message, they are dominating political decisions in many states and much of the U.S. Senate and the Supreme Court.

Now we are on a knife’s edge in this country—not only about reproductive freedom, but about freedom to vote, freedom to marry who we love, freedom itself. But we do have the majority of the country on our side. We do have morality on our side. And now we need to organize to have the power to make these decisions to reflect the popular will.

But just imagine what two more senators and holding the House could do. We could overturn the filibuster and codify Roe—and have sensible gun laws, and expand voting access, and address climate, and more. And the same is true at every level—including in the states and local areas. We need to use every tool at our disposal. We need to tell our stories, educate, activate, agitate, elect, and organize. We need the 4 M’s: Members, Message, Money, Movement.

Members: Will we recruit the people we need to act—will we register, recruit volunteers, volunteer ourselves, vote and engage others to vote? We need to sign up for shifts, make the calls, the texts, go door-to-door and build the operations for those candidates who support our freedom.

Message: Will we tell the story, share the message, speak to the public, engage in language that will motivate people about what this means for their own lives in personal terms? And then send out that message in social media, in personal and group conversation and communication.

Money: Will we raise and give the money that is needed to support these efforts? Will we counter the impact of the dark money with our contributions and the massive grassroots support that we can generate?

Movement: We need to show up. To protest—but the protest is part of a strategy to build long-term power, to build the organizations, dig deep into the state and locals, connect with people, engage them on their concerns. Really listen to people and connect them with others who have shared concerns.

We will need to continue the services—the access to medical abortions and support for providers above and underground. People can go to www.abortionfinder.org or www.ineedana.com for additional help. There are so many organizations in the field—both national and local, large and small. We will need legal defense funds. We will need to protest. We will need a movement. And most of all, we will need political power.

When we organize, we have changed this world—won voting rights, expanded participation in the society, and elected a Senate and president who made Roe the law of the land. And we can do that again … but for that we need to organize. And if we organize, we can change the world.

“Before Roe, not only were women denied the right to control our own reproductive lives, but you couldn’t have many jobs if you had children. You couldn’t have many jobs if you were pregnant. They were sex segregated want ads. Women could only apply in the women’s section, and men only in the men’s section. The well paying jobs were in the men’s section. A friend of mine was a flight attendant, then called a stewardess. She said if you showed that you read a lot of books you weren’t allowed to stay as a stewardess. Women in sports, women in politics, women wherever we want to be in American life. All those changes happen because people organized.” – Heather Booth

This is about our freedom to decide whether, when, and with whom to have a family. The opposition believe politicians have the right to make our most personal decisions, based on their faith and values. We believe in the freedom to make our own decisions, based on our faith and values.

ABC News Story: Abortion rights activists vow to continue decades long Roe v. Wade fight: ‘They’re not going to win’

The Hollywood Reporter: ‘The Janes’ Directors on “Unimaginable Anger” of Doc’s Underground Abortion Activists as Supreme Court Overturns Roe v. Wade

In the 60s an underground organisation in Chicago helped women access abortions – will the Roe v Wade ruling spark its return? by Metro.co.uk

AP News: A ‘sucker punch’: Some women fear setback to hard-won rights

Crowdfunder: Reclaim your rights! A New Post-Roe Strategy.

Synagogue Sues Florida, Saying Abortion Restrictions Violate Religious Freedoms

As we’ve now seen, SCOTUS is poised to strip our freedom to decide for ourselves whether and when to have children. What happens next is in our hands: We must seize the storyline and make it absolutely clear that the majority of Americans support safe, legal and accessible abortion care and we will fight today and vote come November with this top of mind. Now is the moment to grow our base and turn up our volume on this issue to demonstrate to justices and lawmakers what exactly voters demand and to amass the collective will needed to protect our freedoms. People all across the country are sharing this video using the hashtag #SomeoneYouLove to spark a conversation with the ones they love about abortion. Together, we break through. Together, we win.

“We can do this only if we take action together and organize. You are people who can do this. You can add your voice, provide visibility on the issues, help people register and vote.” – Heather Booth at the 2022 Embrace Ambition Summit

Heather Booth speaks at the All In to Win Virginia 2022 Women’s Summit

A Criminal Attack On Our Country – Planned, Paid For, and Promoted by MAGA Republicans: January 6th.

Watch above video for the latest January 6th Hearing Highlights.

Nearly two in three Americans support the investigation by the Committee, as public hearings have started in the U.S. House Committee’s investigation into the January 6th insurrection. People see Republicans who side with the attack as “power hungry.” Conservative criticism of the investigation that it is too focused on the past fails against arguments that the investigation is important and Congress is able to focus on more than one issue at a time. See Full Report Here.

We Must Win a Set of 2 More Senate Seats and Hold the House.

With the redistricting process functionally complete for 2022, it is now possible to fully assess

how redistricting adjusted the congressional battlefield for the decade. There are three major

takeaways following this redistricting cycle:

1) Democrats are in a stronger position than Republicans

2) Democrats are in a stronger position than last decade

3) Fairer redistricting has led to fairer maps, which is good for democracy

It’s up to us! We surely lose if we don’t act. We have won before and can win again IF WE ACT. The key is engagement – NOW. Think of consequences of 2 more Senate votes. Motivation of thinking what we can do (child care, pre-K, lower drug prices, elder care, climate, voting rights and more). Issues are motivating people to be involved. IF we promote the issues with a VALUES BASED POPULIST message for the people against the powerful interests and if we ORGANIZE, we can win.

President Biden’s Climate Executive Actions.

On June 6, President Biden announced new executive actions to spur domestic solar energy production and clean energy development. The President’s actions are a win for families across the country. Investing in American-made clean energy will boost domestic manufacturing, lower costs for families, create millions of good paying jobs, and position the United States as a global leader on the cutting edge of clean energy innovation. Read More.

Supreme Court Update:

The extreme MAGA Republicans are dismantling our freedom to make the most personal decision of our lifetime–when, whether, or with whom we have a child. The great majority of the public supports keeping Roe. The 6 Extremist Right Wing members of the Supreme Court were each nominated by presidents who did not win the election with a majority of the popular vote. Democrats have won a majority of the popular Presidential vote in every election since 1988, except for 2004. We have to organize to build the power reflecting the popular will. This is a battle between Freedom and Tyranny. Read More.

July 4: Independence Day (USA)

July 17: National Ice Cream Day