Wow! One million Women Gather for Abortion Rights Rally in Washington!

[flpoljunkie]

http://nytimes.com/2004/04/25/politics/25CND-MARC.html

WASHINGTON, April 25 — Tens of thousands of protesters rallied on the National Mall today in support of abortion rights and to highlight what organizers' contend is the Bush administration's anti-abortion extremism.

The march followed several legislative defeats for abortion rights advocates, who have been battling a Congress and White House that are led by allies of the anti-abortion movement. Organizers say that by filling the Mall with a wide cross-section of demonstrators from across America and the world, they hope to send a powerful message to the administration and return the issue of abortion rights to the forefront of American politics as the presidential campaign heats up.

The event was the first large-scale abortion rights demonstration in Washington since 1992 and was also promoted as a march for wider access to reproductive health services and a right to privacy.

Addressing a pre-rally breakfast, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton said: "We didn't have to march for 12 long years because we had a government that respected the rights of women. The only way we are going to avoid having to march again and again and again is to elect John Kerry president."

Ms. Clinton was one of several speakers who said that the march was just the beginning of a political mobilization that would stretch through the fall.

"Any woman who shows up to march today and doesn't register to vote is wasting her time and ours," she said.

more...

[NMDemDist2]

1. they just announced over 1 million people

the largest march EVER in the history of our country

[flpoljunkie]

5. Really? Double wow!!! New York Times is vastly understating the crowd!!!

We are not surprised!

[JI7]

2. that's amazing, i love that pic

hillary rules.

[flpoljunkie]

11. Here's a pic of Hillary and Vanessa Kerry at the rally today!

AP Photo/Lawrence Jackson

[rocktivity]

3. TENS of thousands, my donkey!!!

:kick:
rocknation

[JanMichael]

4. Damn! Looks like about 3x/4x the March 15, 2003 Anti-War Protest!

There were about 100k during that protest.

We were supposed to go but just didn't have it in us this weekend...

[Webster Green]

6. Media Filter Conversion Table.......

Media Report vs. Actual Numbers

tens = hundreds
hundreds = thousands
thousands = tens of thousands
tens of thousands = hundreds of thousands
hundreds of thousands = millions

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

7. Depends on what's happening.

2 Freepers in lawn chairs= an impossible to determine sized crowd.

[Webster Green]

10. LOL!...but, but.......

didn't they get like a hundred thousand people to rally at the same time the LA Marathon was happening nearby?

[KoKo]

18. CNN reported about 200 Pro Life folks. Looked like 75 in front of the

"Porta Potties." The pix showed so few. At least they reported the difference. With the photo of miles of Pro Choice against the photo of a "few" Pro Choice. The photos didn't lie, even if the reporters on CNN did about the numbers.

Overwhelming the Power of this Demostration. Overwhelming...

[arendt]

39. Much more succinct than my rant in General Discussion

But, I will shamelessly plug my rant, anyway.

"The Slave Discount in the Media Constitution"
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=1477718

arendt

[uncertainty1999]

8. Camryn Manheim = GREAT SPEAKER!!

The best so far -- AND the standard IS high!

She asked Republican woman to bring back sanity to their party, and asked whatever happened to the "live free or die" republicans ... who now tell us what we can do with our bodies, who we can marry and what kind of music we can listen to!

[flpoljunkie]

9. Thanks for the heads up! Didn't realize it was LIVE on C-Span!

Sarah Weddington, attorney who argued Roe v Wade before U.S. Supreme Court up now!

[flpoljunkie]

12. NYT changes article to "VAST MULTITUDES" from tens of thousands!!!

http://nytimes.com/2004/04/25/politics/25CND-MARC.html?hp

WASHINGTON, April 25 — A vast multitude of protesters marched here today in support of abortion rights and to highlight what organizers contend is the Bush administration's erosion of reproductive liberties.

New York Times: Why can you not bring yourself to even say hundreds of thousands???

[spooky3]

32. I'm surprised NYT didn't say something like...

"How did all those secretaries get their bosses to let them take time off to march?"

That "sophisticated" newspaper is in the Dark Ages when it comes to treatment of women.

[The Backlash Cometh]

13. Oh my God! You found MY lost tribe!

Do they have an e-mail address I can reach them?

[flpoljunkie]

16. try: [e-mail]

[cally]

14. Hughes..anti women's rights because of 9/11

"She also said that abortion-rights activists were moving against what she said was popular momentum, particularly since the terrorist attacks of 2001, in favor of anti-abortion policies"

Karen Hughes

:crazy:

[AgadorSparticus]

15. Ani DiFranco's poetry is fantastic!! love the music too!!

What a GREAT march!! Just wished I could be there. I can't believe the numbers! holy cow.

[KoKo]

17. And a TOAST to THEM ALL! Every one of them created a Mass Movement

that sent a message right to Rove's Gut!

:toast: to them all! What a powerful message. Did you see the pictures!

The whole Washington Mall, FGS! Incredible!

[NewYorkerfromMass]

19. 1 out of 50 Gore voters nationwide made it.

that's mind boggling.

[mdguss]

20. Imrpessive Display:

As a pro-lifer, I'm disappointed that Randall Terry was representing our side. That guy is a total moron. Remember there are pro-life Democrats out there. I saw several dozen people on the train this morning with the NOW and NARAL signs. The people who organized the rally did a great job.

[flpoljunkie]

21. What exactly do you mean when you say you are a "pro lifer"?

Are you against abortion in all cases, or in the case of rape or incest, or to protect the life and/or health of the mother?

Most people do not realize that under the Roe v. Wade decision, states retain the right to restrict abortion, especially in the third trimester. So under the present law, there is no unfettered right to choose an abortion. However, the Bush administration along with their Republican colleagues in the Congress, are passing laws to restrict this right as fast as they can--partial birth abortion, and the recent Laci Peterson law, evidently elevating even a newly formed zygote to personhood.

Someone always has to make the decision. The question is--will it be the government, the church, or the woman who makes the choice for the woman?

[mdguss]

22. I think Roe v. Wade is terrible:

I think elective abortion (and a substantial majority of abortions are elective--actually it is nearly all abortions that are elective) is flat out wrong. Making an innocent person (fetus) pay for one's own mistakes is just flat wrong. I support exemptions for rape, incest (in the first 24 weeks only) and when the life of the mother is endangered. I'm not a Republican because I believe the best way to get rid of abortions is to make sure that the poor (who have a disproportionate number of abortions) are fed, housed, have ok jobs with fair pay, etc.

But this is a fight I know I'm not going to win. I'm happy as long as the Democratic Party continues to realize that abortion is an issue of personal beliefs, and welcomes all people into its party (the 2000 plank of the platform).

I'm pro-life, and always will be. But guys like Randall Terry embarass me. (There are somewhere around 50 pro-life Democrats in the Congress).

[flpoljunkie]

23. Questions and comments regarding your response.

What about the health of the mother? The courts have thrown out laws regarding so-called "partial birth" abortion which do not take into account the health of the mother.

The best way to "get rid of abortions" is for all persons to use birth control when they have sex--regardless of their incomes.

I am glad that we do agree that Republicans need to go.

[mdguss]

24. Depends on the definition of health:

Health itself is way too broad. Somebody shouldn't be able to basically kill a viable human being because they have a hang-nail. If health as defined as paralysis or permanent brain damage, ok I can agree to that, so long as the doctor as looked at all options for allowing the fetus to live.

[flpoljunkie]

25. I would leave it to the woman with her dr's input to decide if health risk

is sufficiently serious to require a late-term abortion--rather than having the government, and the likes of people like John Ashcroft, make the decision unilaterally.

I reject making laws and setting public policy on the basis of riduclously overblown anecdotes such as women having late term abortion to fit into prom dresses.

[mdguss]

26. Sucks for the kid who could've been adopted:

And, while very rare, it happens. It's wrong, and it's why I'm pro-life. The most reasonable pro-choice argument that can be made is that with globalization those who can afford it will just fly to Canada or Europe to get an abortion, while those that won't don't get access to a choice. I still don't buy it, but it's the most reasonable pro-choice argument out there.

[Nailzberg]

27. Hey, don't leave out the Dudes!

Plenty of fathers, brothers, and sons got on buses and made it out there. There's plenty of women I care about in my life, and there's no way I'm letting the government dictate their medical decisions for them.

I was really proud of the amount of men that made it out there. Percentage-wise it was perhaps the highest male turnout for a pro-choice event I've ever seen.

[flpoljunkie]

28. Kudos indeed to all the fathers, brothers and sons who came to the rally!

Three cheers for their making the effort to support women's reproductive rights.

[Nailzberg]

29. I was really proud of the diversity of this crowd.

My bus alone ranged in age from 6 to 80 years old. I was the only man in my bus, but others came on the Chicago buses. And my brother came down from Hyattsville to join us also. The men were very well represented in all the organizations that made the trek. When the rights of women are at stake, men need to speak up also.

One of the better t-shirts I saw at the March were these hot little t-shirts that said "I love pro-choice boys." I gotta kick out of those.

The March included men and women, gay and straight, from 60 different countries. There were clergy members, med students, high schoolers, Republicans, doggies, it was just amazing. Absolutely amazing. I would say it was one of the greatest experiences of my life.

[flpoljunkie]

30. Thank you Nailzberg, for giving us your first hand account of the rally.

It is always great to hear from those who are present at events.

[spooky3]

33. Yes, and thank you and everyone else who marched!

[flpoljunkie]

37. I was there as a "virtual" marcher only so I appreciate your account.

Virtual marchers signed up online with Planned Parenthood or Naral Prochoice America if they were unable to attend the rally in person.

[MaineDem]

45. I carried the names of many virtual marchers

...who signed up through the Women's Vote Center of the DNC.

All the virtual marchers names were on labels and we attached the labels to the gold sashes the DNC handed out at their rally. I was abel to carry many many names of Mainers who had signed up. I felt honored to do this!

I'm sure the other groups did pretty much the same thing so you were with us in spirit at the rally and on the march!

Thank you. :)

[flpoljunkie]

46. Thanks for letting us virtual marchers know how we were represented

at the rally.

[alarimer]

31. Was John Kerry there?

I haven't seen anything that said he was. I don't know if he had somewhere else to be but it might have been nice for him top ut in an appearance. I fear that he may have avoided it because it was too controversial or something- didn't want to piss off the "swing" voter. I am not sure about this-correct me if I am wrong but makes me a little uneasy.

[flpoljunkie]

40. Kerry spoke on Friday at a rally of the groups' organizers in Washington

Kerry Promotes Abortion Rights at Rally
Location: Washington
Posted: April 23, 2004 4:49 AM EST
URL: http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0404/141728.html
Washington (AP) - Democratic candidate John Kerry said Friday a woman's right to abortion is a major part of his campaign for president, ignoring a prominent Vatican official's call for denying Communion to Catholic politicians who support abortion rights.

"I believe that in the year 2004 we deserve a president who understands that a stronger America is where women's rights are just that, rights, not political weapons to be used by politicians of this nation," Kerry said during a rally he had scheduled with women's rights groups.

"More than 30 years after Roe vs. Wade became the law of the land, it has never been more at risk than it is today," Kerry said. "We are going to have a change in leadership in this country to protect the right of choice."

<>Kerry scheduled the rally to compare his stand on abortion with what he says are Bush's extreme anti-abortion positions. On Sunday in Washington, the National Organization for Women, NARAL Pro-choice America, the Planned Parenthood Federation and other groups plan to march for abortion rights.

[flpoljunkie]

41. There is a video link to Friday's rally at johnkerry.com.

http://www.johnkerry.com

[GreenInNC]

34. Life affirming event

That rally was so cool. I was able to march with my Mom, brother, sister in law and niece. Saw lots of great speakers and Gloria Steinem gave all of us guys there a free pass when women take over the world, so I got that going for me.

[DaveSZ]

35. To MDGuss

I don't like abortion either, but I believe that the number of abortions can be reduced by implementing similar policies to those Western European nations where abortions rates are very low (like Holland).

Axing Bush's "abstinence only" sex ed programs is one of the most important steps, and making emergency contraception available over the counter is another.

[DaveSZ]

36. The global gag rule is leading to the deaths of thousands of women:

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2003/12/12/MNGRE3KKJT1.DTL&type=printable




Published on Friday, December 12, 2003 by the San Francisco Chronicle


U.S. Policy Blamed for Abortion Deaths in Ethiopia
'Global Gag Rule' Prevents Agencies from Discussing Pregnancy Alternatives

by Gavin du Venage

DUNA, ETHIOPIA -- Yemmi Samta didn't know that her 14-year-old-daughter, Saron, was pregnant until she found her unconscious and bleeding profusely on the dirt floor of her ramshackle house.

Samta begged a neighbor to load Saron onto a donkey cart and take her to the nearest clinic, 12 miles away. But the girl died on the way from septicemia, a form of blood poisoning, and loss of blood caused by an illegal abortion.

"I held her and pleaded to God not to take her," Samta recalled. "God took her to his arms, and I saw the life go from her body."


Saron's death represents a staggering reality about women and mortality in Africa. African women have a 1 in 16 chance of dying while pregnant, according to a report released last month by the World Health Organization, the United Nations Population Fund and UNICEF.

-more-







You could argue that the US no longer has a responsibility to fund the UN population fund that it helped found in the first place, but when the only other nations that side with the US on reproductive health policy (including global treaties) are the Vatican and a few extremist Islamic countries like Iran, I consider that to be quite significant.

In the US the far right (not all!) Fundamentalists do indeed intend to create a state of similar nature to Iran, and that will happen if Bush wins another term. Once the Fundamentalists gain control of the US Supreme Court, freedom and liberty will be stamped out and a state religion imposed.

Since the US is one of the most influential nations in the world, I would argue the people of the world also have much at stake in seeing that the country does not descend into that kind of state.

[DaveSZ]

38. Another reason why they marched:

The extremists in the Bush Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are blocking approval of emergency contraception for OTC sale on purely ideological grounds.

It's estimated that unintended pregnancy could be reduced by as much as half in the US if this were made widely available for women OTC.

These people claim to want to reduce the number of abortions, yet they oppose policies that could actually reduce the need for abortion significantly.



Their real agenda is crystal clear. Like the Islamic radicals, they oppose sexual intercourse on any and all grounds other than for procreation.



http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=healthNews&storyID=4790633§ion=news



Doctors See Politics in Morning-After Pill Delay
by Lisa Richwine

WASHINGTON - Political objections to wider access for a "morning-after pill" may result in restrictions that intimidate women from using the emergency contraceptive, according to an editorial published on Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The Food and Drug Administration in February announced it was postponing a decision on Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s request to sell the contraceptive, called Plan B, over the counter. A ruling now is expected by May 21.

-more-

[ngGale]

42. Before Roe v Wade the above article could have...

been written about the U.S. It's more than about abortion, it's also about cutting off birth control. Wish I had a death count in the U.S. of babies born dead since Bush came in and cut Medicaid ultrasound for pregnant mothers from 2 to 1. How many have died because of 'Parental Right' consent? Becky Bell died in the 80's. 251 laws have been enacted since the Republicans took over Congress in 1995. I just chose the above article under which to write this as I remember before Roe v Wade and most don't. 87% of the counties in this country do not have an abortion clinic. This is a deep subject and why a big march. Don't rationalize that abortion is all this is about. It's about respect of and about women. And in the end, it's the woman that has the choice or no choice. It was the biggest and grandest march since MLK. Now, I feel that there are people, men and women to carry on. Into the future and never forget the women who fought before and for you.

[mdguss]

44. Hey, I'm saying it was an impressive display:

And that you on the pro-choice side embarassed us pro-lifers who were represented there by that moron Randall Terry. There's a line between common sense protection and abortion. I'm firmly pro-life, but I'm not a right-wing wacko. Abortion, in most cases and in my mind, is wrong and not justifiable. I'm pro-life, but I'm looking forward to working with the pro-choice people on the election. I agree with them on other issues.

Though, funny story, I was working for a campaign that had some support from Emily's List. On election day they sent some volunteers down. In the car, the conversation eventually got around to choice/life. Had, essentially, the same conversation with them that is seen in this thread. It's a moral issue, and like all moral issues we (including myself) will try to convert other people subconsciously without much success.

[pezcore64]

43. wow is right

i was really impressed by the turnout
right on

it was awesome to watch on cspan. some great speakers. plus it was nice to see those republicans there supporting womens rights.