Addressing the issues which affect women and the matters which make them second class citizens, is a problem that spirals and whirls around leading back to a single point (the beginning if you will). A problem that is rooted in cultural customs and traditions. It is the problem / injustice of valuating women based on an antiquated concepts which leave them as commodities, worth only what they can offer their male counterparts in the way of children (oft times male children). This is a complex environment where-by the exact reasons for valuing women is the same reason she is marginalized and belittled. I dare say, disenfranchised. She is prized for her ability to, submissively perform her cultural “duties” as child bearer. Yet the sword is double edged… For that same reason is her condemnation.
Countless countries make a practice of polygamy (men having more than one “wife”), which in turn causes surges in populations. In countries where men’s virility is based in the number of wives and children he has, it would seem to be a huge benefit to the “men” to follow customary traditions. (It has only been as necessary to do so by those who felt they had the most to gain from such subjugation). The strains of population and the effects this population has on resources are devastating, on many levels. However, the women in these environments risk ridicule, ostracism, and even being cast out of their homes if they are not compliant.
When populations are in need of modification, women’s wombs become the topic of patriarchal policy. In instance after instance one need not look too far to find evidence to support this fact. If a population believes there are not enough members of a said community (or there is projected to be a future deficit, with in a given generation) the demands are placed on her to procreate, where- by giving a false sense of value to those who comply and ostracizes those who cannot or “will not. In other instances, if a community is believed to have too many members (or it is projected to have a future surge within a given generation), the sanctions which are placed are strategically placed on the woman. The penalties are heavy and severe, for violating or choosing top make independent decisions on her own reproduction.
For this same reason, when countries, which consider themselves more progressive and places itself in the position of “Parental-Leader” to its people, have substantial population surges… Their answer is to impose laws which strip the natural reproductive rights of women, from them. In these instances, if a woman chooses to reproduce (conceive a child) without governmental consent she has one of a few options… 1.) abort the pregnancy (and there is no set time frame in which this is done. Whenever she is caught she will be forcibly aborted) 2.)Pay fines which can equal to 5 years salary and if unable to pay all property and possessions are taken and surrendered to the government (so it is obvious who benefits from this ) or 3.)Secretly give birth in unhealthy and of times unsanitary conditions (by way of going into hiding). This option runs the risk of trying to raise a child that is considered a non person who is not entitled to legal, educational or governmental options. This last option has led to extremes in familial decisions. One decision circling back to another horrific outcome.. Of which is the selling of the child (usually by the male “head of the household” and the child is usually a female child or a subordinate male child) to a trafficker, for less than one years salary.
This has led to a disproportion in gender (gender imbalance) whereby leaving one to two generations of males without options to marry “traditionally“. Thereby opening the market to traffickers, even further, to kidnap or purchase unwanted young girls for the purpose of future marriage. In patriarchal cultures where the male child is valued more highly than female children, the practice of aborting unwanted genders (female offspring) has increased exponentially (we have modern science’s free handed intrusion on reproduction to thank for this option). Entrenching the disparity in the appreciation of the plight of a women’s value.
To speak to gender imbalance and empowering women, from a matter-of-fact and more appreciative perspective, there is a logical solution. Polyandry…In this a woman has the option to have multiple husbands. This satisfies the fundamental need to group in family units and controls the population (Logic: A woman can only reproduce on average once per year or 18 months, not counting the nursing period where by the ability to reproduce is severely diminished. This in stark contrast to polyandry‘s opposite whereby one man can reproduce with “all” of his wives in the same time frame whereby having as many children as he has wives, in that same year.). This approach shifts the valuation of women from being possessions and second class citizens to being principal owners of their lives and existences.
As it stands in many countries, today, the voices of women are heralded as insignificant and often go ignored. It has long been time for a reconsideration of the patriarchal societal hierarchy and for that same pachrioracal societal hierarchy to relinquish the strangle hold that believes itself entitled to have, on the women it desperately needs for without whom, said hierarchy, could not survive. This would, in turn, cause a reassessment of traditional priorities and their relevance to the actual world around them. Yet, this seems more than logical. It is necessary. For what are traditions? They are guidelines set by ancestors, long since departed, created to assist them, in the world in which they lived, expected to be followed by their descendants. There is no crime or dishonor in adjusting and modifying those traditions to fit the present day and age… If we do not address and correct what is horrifically wrong, what are we truly leaving as legacy for our progeny?
What is more important, doing what is necessary to adapt, survive and evolve? Or preserving some false sense of superiority over a power source which you cannot, and will not be able to bridal, harness, restrain or contain? In essence the object of patriarchal divergence is their single most important (and necessary) being… WOMAN.
A call for addressing this maze of lunacy which surrounds the valuation of women, is not only over due but inevitable. Viewing women as commodities and our wombs as political platforms is no longer acceptable. I must reiterate. the exact reasons for valuing women is the same reason she is marginalized and belittled. I dare say, disenfranchised. Change comes in one or two ways, amiably and voluntarily or through struggle and conflict. This change must be met amiably.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Simon Says
I went on a journey trying to find what was missing.
I plotted the stars and constellations for definition and explanation for you,.. Of you.
I have eaten from life’s tree and have interpreted the ancient texts, trying to transform mass from sprit. Solace from sound.
Now, the knowledge of the ages gestates within me. The halo of life circles and bathes me in hues of golden light… Around and around.
It is all so simple… As effortless as childhood…
Simon Says, Play a game with me..
Where the red light of betrayal has no command and the green light of faith coronate you and heralds in a new day.
Simon Says, Play hopscotch, on history’s floor, remember the time, when I was yen to your yang, bringing balance… Nothing more.
Simon says, remember hiding from heaven with one foot outside the door? Seeking with three eyes , what you were born for.
Simon says, play a game of freeze tag with history and remember when like four score and seven years ago, you conquered cultural battle fields, knelt down and received khemet’s gift, your crown.
Simon says, sing a round, a round as you row, row, row your boat to Jordan’s welcoming shores.
Take a journey with me~ Simon says~ jump through the cycling rope and find him in the cipher’s notes.
Simon says, pay homage to the heavens… Remember in the stars it is wrote, your destiny was conceived by ISIS and born in the calculating hands of fate and her game of … iny, miny, miny moe.
Simon says, play a game with me .. Where the red light does not betray you and the green light coronates you and heralds in a new day.
You see, I went on a journey, trying to find what was missing I plotted the stars and constellations for definition and explanation, and Simon says, it was as effortless, as childhood.
I plotted the stars and constellations for definition and explanation for you,.. Of you.
I have eaten from life’s tree and have interpreted the ancient texts, trying to transform mass from sprit. Solace from sound.
Now, the knowledge of the ages gestates within me. The halo of life circles and bathes me in hues of golden light… Around and around.
It is all so simple… As effortless as childhood…
Simon Says, Play a game with me..
Where the red light of betrayal has no command and the green light of faith coronate you and heralds in a new day.
Simon Says, Play hopscotch, on history’s floor, remember the time, when I was yen to your yang, bringing balance… Nothing more.
Simon says, remember hiding from heaven with one foot outside the door? Seeking with three eyes , what you were born for.
Simon says, play a game of freeze tag with history and remember when like four score and seven years ago, you conquered cultural battle fields, knelt down and received khemet’s gift, your crown.
Simon says, sing a round, a round as you row, row, row your boat to Jordan’s welcoming shores.
Take a journey with me~ Simon says~ jump through the cycling rope and find him in the cipher’s notes.
Simon says, pay homage to the heavens… Remember in the stars it is wrote, your destiny was conceived by ISIS and born in the calculating hands of fate and her game of … iny, miny, miny moe.
Simon says, play a game with me .. Where the red light does not betray you and the green light coronates you and heralds in a new day.
You see, I went on a journey, trying to find what was missing I plotted the stars and constellations for definition and explanation, and Simon says, it was as effortless, as childhood.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Quote of the week....
No nation can now shut itself up from the surrounding world, and trot round in the same old path of its fathers without interference. The time was when such could be done. Long established customs of hurtful character could formerly fence themselves in, and do their evil work with social impunity. Knowledge was then confined and enjoyed by the privileged few, and the multitude walked on in mental darkness. But a change has now come over the affairs of mankind. Walled cities and empires have become unfashionable. ... Intelligence is penetrating the darkest corners of the globe. Oceans no longer divide, but link nations together. ... "
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Re-introduction of ~ Goddesses and Witches
It is amazing how one quotation from one book, at one moment in time, can so, absolutely, alter the corse of one's life... To be made whole and given clarity, all, in one instant. To have complete and total understanding of all things, intrinsic to ones life. There is no greater JOY....
This is the trigger, for my evolution, and I am pleased and honored to share it with you.. I pray the Goddess blesses you with the same energy which she has blessed me...
"There was something about the relationship she had with animals and with her children that deeply satisfied woman. It was of this that man was jealous. The animals can remember; for, like sight, memory is renewed at every birth. But our language they will never speak; not from lack of intelligence, but from the different construction of their speaking apparatus. In the world of man, someone must speak for them. And that is why, in a nutshell, Suwelo, goddesses and witches exist... "
- Alice Walker, The Temple of My Familiar
This is the trigger, for my evolution, and I am pleased and honored to share it with you.. I pray the Goddess blesses you with the same energy which she has blessed me...
"There was something about the relationship she had with animals and with her children that deeply satisfied woman. It was of this that man was jealous. The animals can remember; for, like sight, memory is renewed at every birth. But our language they will never speak; not from lack of intelligence, but from the different construction of their speaking apparatus. In the world of man, someone must speak for them. And that is why, in a nutshell, Suwelo, goddesses and witches exist... "
- Alice Walker, The Temple of My Familiar
legalise prostitution for the 2010 football World Cup in South Africa
This would be a very progressive and successful move, for the SA Gvmt. It would, also, go a long way in setting a platform to empower women and allowing them to make (safe and protected) decisions about their bodies and sexual choices, not only in their chosen profession but in their lives, in general.
The local authority in Durban wants legalised adult entertainment venues during the tournament.
But African Nazareth Democratic Movement (ANDM) president Thokozani Hlatshwayo said the proposal was "against the word of God". * Not everyone has the same "Concept of God", therefore spoon feeding people religion, through leagl policy, is abserd* Opposition parties fear that, if introduced, it could become permanent. The main opposition Democratic Alliance and the youth wing of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) have condemned the suggestion. "Plans to legalise Durban's red-light districts before the 2010 World Cup should be condemned in the strongest possible manner," said Pat Lebenya-Ntanzi of the IFP youth brigade. She said the South African government was sending out mixed messages to young people. "On the one hand it preaches strong family values and moral regeneration, but on the other hand they want to legalise prostitution on Durban's streets. It doesn't make sense," she said. An additional concern is Aids - some five million people in South Africa are HIV-positive - making it one of the world's worst-hit countries. * Halting the spread of HIV/Aids is a matter of education and bringing a tabu subject out of the dark and addressing it in safe and mature enviornments. The spread of HIV/Aids has not deminished, thusfar, and policies have been in place to keep prostitution illegal. Family values and health are matters of indivisual responsibility.*
Durban's municipality said Germany had many adult entertainment centres during the World Cup in 2006, which were very popular with visitors. *For as long as there have been men and women, there has been a srtiving industry of sex. Making it a safe and common place enviornment, is now the matter.*It said while prostitution was illegal in South Africa, it could not ignore the fact that the sex industry thrives during major events like the World Cup. To address this, entertainment centres such as strip clubs and escort agencies would be located in special areas where they would be safe and easily accessible. Municipality Deputy Mayor Logie Naidoo said a final decision had not yet been taken. "The national government will give us a lead in this matter, whether it relates to the 2010 Soccer World Cup or any other time for that matter," he said.
City officials admit that there are already young girls and women working as prostitutes on the streets of Durban. They say plans are already in place to help them operate in safe environments. *This option has been proven successful. Note: Navada (USA) and Ansterdam, where there are laws mandating health care and retirement plans for workers.*
In January, MP George Lekgetho called for prostitution to be legalised during the tournament.
"It is one of the things that would make it a success," he said. He told parliament that it would help cut incidences of rape. The BBC's Mpho Lakaje in Johannesburg says his suggestion was met with derision by other MPs. But a group representing sex workers welcomed it.
"We would support any legalisation of sex work, particularly during the 2010 World Cup," Nicola Fick from the Sex Workers Education and Advocacy Task Force (Sweat) told the BBC.
The idea of legalising sex workers was first proposed last year by police commissioner Jackie Selebi.
The local authority in Durban wants legalised adult entertainment venues during the tournament.
But African Nazareth Democratic Movement (ANDM) president Thokozani Hlatshwayo said the proposal was "against the word of God". * Not everyone has the same "Concept of God", therefore spoon feeding people religion, through leagl policy, is abserd* Opposition parties fear that, if introduced, it could become permanent. The main opposition Democratic Alliance and the youth wing of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) have condemned the suggestion. "Plans to legalise Durban's red-light districts before the 2010 World Cup should be condemned in the strongest possible manner," said Pat Lebenya-Ntanzi of the IFP youth brigade. She said the South African government was sending out mixed messages to young people. "On the one hand it preaches strong family values and moral regeneration, but on the other hand they want to legalise prostitution on Durban's streets. It doesn't make sense," she said. An additional concern is Aids - some five million people in South Africa are HIV-positive - making it one of the world's worst-hit countries. * Halting the spread of HIV/Aids is a matter of education and bringing a tabu subject out of the dark and addressing it in safe and mature enviornments. The spread of HIV/Aids has not deminished, thusfar, and policies have been in place to keep prostitution illegal. Family values and health are matters of indivisual responsibility.*
Durban's municipality said Germany had many adult entertainment centres during the World Cup in 2006, which were very popular with visitors. *For as long as there have been men and women, there has been a srtiving industry of sex. Making it a safe and common place enviornment, is now the matter.*It said while prostitution was illegal in South Africa, it could not ignore the fact that the sex industry thrives during major events like the World Cup. To address this, entertainment centres such as strip clubs and escort agencies would be located in special areas where they would be safe and easily accessible. Municipality Deputy Mayor Logie Naidoo said a final decision had not yet been taken. "The national government will give us a lead in this matter, whether it relates to the 2010 Soccer World Cup or any other time for that matter," he said.
City officials admit that there are already young girls and women working as prostitutes on the streets of Durban. They say plans are already in place to help them operate in safe environments. *This option has been proven successful. Note: Navada (USA) and Ansterdam, where there are laws mandating health care and retirement plans for workers.*
In January, MP George Lekgetho called for prostitution to be legalised during the tournament.
"It is one of the things that would make it a success," he said. He told parliament that it would help cut incidences of rape. The BBC's Mpho Lakaje in Johannesburg says his suggestion was met with derision by other MPs. But a group representing sex workers welcomed it.
"We would support any legalisation of sex work, particularly during the 2010 World Cup," Nicola Fick from the Sex Workers Education and Advocacy Task Force (Sweat) told the BBC.
The idea of legalising sex workers was first proposed last year by police commissioner Jackie Selebi.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Abstinence-Only Education Just Says No to the Truth
By Kim Gandy, NOW Foundation President
During the discussion at a Chicago teen forum called Let's Talk About Sex, a young man offered a novel suggestion: if you don't have a condom, you can always use aluminum foil. I can't quite make my mind go there. This sparked a debate among the 14 to 19-year-old audience about the efficacy of homemade plastic bag condoms, having sex while standing up (to prevent pregnancy, of course), and bathing after sex to rid oneself of potentially harmful sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
While our president and his allies believe that talking to teenagers about sex is equivalent to putting them in a room together, naked, with instructions to try out their parts – we are learning firsthand the dangers of abstinence-only education. Yes, having teen sex talks can be awkward for both parents and educators alike; but the alternative is worse. More teens are having sex without knowing the facts or the consequences, and abstinence-only funding is to blame.
Still, "Just say NO" and "condoms don't work" funding continues. We are reminded of its ineffectiveness in epidemic proportions: a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) study released in March indicates one out of every four teenage girls – that's 3.2 million young women – "has at least one of the most common sexually transmitted infections." For African-American girls, the infection rate was double – i.e. half of those between the ages of 14-19 were infected. Common STIs reported in the study included: human papillomavirus (HPV), chlamydia, herpes simplex virus and trichomoniasis.
Higher susceptibility to HIV/AIDS, possible sterilization, and potentially terminal cervical cancer are just a few of the consequences of untreated STIs. It's appalling that before teens are equipped to make responsible decisions about sex, their entire sexual futures could be irreversibly compromised.
From 2000 to 2007, funding for abstinence-only education rose by $116 million dollars, totaling more than $1.3 billion over the last decade. In the last year alone, $176 million was allocated for programs that preach abstention from sex until marriage as the only viable option for adolescents and actually prohibit teaching about condoms or other contraceptives -- other than to discuss failure rates. And a Congressional study found that many of the programs provide false and misleading information to students, and some rely on gender-based stereotypes for their messaging.
As many as 17 states are leading the reality-driven revolt to keep our kids safe, refusing millions of dollars worth of "Just Say No" grants. And on April 23, Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) held a hearing on federally-funded sex education programs. Testimony and data discrediting abstinence-only education was overwhelming. Waxman referred to a 2007 "longitudinal, randomized, controlled study of four federally-funded programs" that found "abstinence-only programs had no impact on whether or not participants abstained from sex. They had no impact on the age when teens started having sex. They had no impact on the number of partners. And they had no impact on rates of pregnancy or sexually transmitted disease."
Of course we want our kids to wait. Comprehensive sex education does, in fact, encourage teens to abstain from sex until they are mature and ready. Yet it acknowledges that, with or without adult approval, sex is happening and there are consequences to ignorance.
Research, not religion, should guide us when it comes to our children's health. Education on human development, relationships, personal skills, sexual behavior, sexual health, and contraception can only contribute to kids making the right decisions about their bodies or at the very least informed decisions without lifelong physical and psychological consequences.
During the discussion at a Chicago teen forum called Let's Talk About Sex, a young man offered a novel suggestion: if you don't have a condom, you can always use aluminum foil. I can't quite make my mind go there. This sparked a debate among the 14 to 19-year-old audience about the efficacy of homemade plastic bag condoms, having sex while standing up (to prevent pregnancy, of course), and bathing after sex to rid oneself of potentially harmful sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
While our president and his allies believe that talking to teenagers about sex is equivalent to putting them in a room together, naked, with instructions to try out their parts – we are learning firsthand the dangers of abstinence-only education. Yes, having teen sex talks can be awkward for both parents and educators alike; but the alternative is worse. More teens are having sex without knowing the facts or the consequences, and abstinence-only funding is to blame.
Still, "Just say NO" and "condoms don't work" funding continues. We are reminded of its ineffectiveness in epidemic proportions: a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) study released in March indicates one out of every four teenage girls – that's 3.2 million young women – "has at least one of the most common sexually transmitted infections." For African-American girls, the infection rate was double – i.e. half of those between the ages of 14-19 were infected. Common STIs reported in the study included: human papillomavirus (HPV), chlamydia, herpes simplex virus and trichomoniasis.
Higher susceptibility to HIV/AIDS, possible sterilization, and potentially terminal cervical cancer are just a few of the consequences of untreated STIs. It's appalling that before teens are equipped to make responsible decisions about sex, their entire sexual futures could be irreversibly compromised.
From 2000 to 2007, funding for abstinence-only education rose by $116 million dollars, totaling more than $1.3 billion over the last decade. In the last year alone, $176 million was allocated for programs that preach abstention from sex until marriage as the only viable option for adolescents and actually prohibit teaching about condoms or other contraceptives -- other than to discuss failure rates. And a Congressional study found that many of the programs provide false and misleading information to students, and some rely on gender-based stereotypes for their messaging.
As many as 17 states are leading the reality-driven revolt to keep our kids safe, refusing millions of dollars worth of "Just Say No" grants. And on April 23, Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) held a hearing on federally-funded sex education programs. Testimony and data discrediting abstinence-only education was overwhelming. Waxman referred to a 2007 "longitudinal, randomized, controlled study of four federally-funded programs" that found "abstinence-only programs had no impact on whether or not participants abstained from sex. They had no impact on the age when teens started having sex. They had no impact on the number of partners. And they had no impact on rates of pregnancy or sexually transmitted disease."
Of course we want our kids to wait. Comprehensive sex education does, in fact, encourage teens to abstain from sex until they are mature and ready. Yet it acknowledges that, with or without adult approval, sex is happening and there are consequences to ignorance.
Research, not religion, should guide us when it comes to our children's health. Education on human development, relationships, personal skills, sexual behavior, sexual health, and contraception can only contribute to kids making the right decisions about their bodies or at the very least informed decisions without lifelong physical and psychological consequences.
Reproductive rights, in review
1965 — Griswold v. ConnecticutThe Supreme Court nullified a Connecticut statute prohibiting the use of birth control by married persons, arguing that the right to marital privacy protects the access of married couples to contraceptives.
1972 — Eisenstadt v. BairdThe Court struck down a law prohibiting the distribution of birth control to unmarried adults.
1973 — Roe v. WadeBy a vote of 7-2, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against a Texas law prohibiting abortions not necessary to save the woman's life, extending the fundamental right to privacy to a woman's decision to choose abortion.
1976 — Planned Parenthood of Central Missouri v. DanforthThe Court ruled against a Missouri statute that would force a married woman to obtain her husband's approval before getting an abortion and ruled against a written parental consent requirement for minors.
THE BACKLASH & THE RESPONSE:
1977 — Maher v. RoeThe Supreme Court upheld a Connecticut ban on public funding for abortions, with the exception of abortions that were "medically necessary."
1980 — Harris v. McRaeThe Supreme Court upheld the Hyde amendment, which prohibits the federal Medicaid funding of abortions not necessary to preserve the woman's life.
1989 — Webster v. Reproductive Health ServicesThe court upheld a Missouri law prohibiting the use of public employees and public facilities for the purpose of performing abortions that were not medically necessary.
1992 — Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. CaseyThe Supreme Court, while refusing to overturn Roe, nevertheless upheld a laundry list of abortion restrictions (parental consent, anti-abortion counseling, and a waiting period) only invalidating spousal notification.
1994 — Congress enacts the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act.
1994 — NOW v. ScheidlerThe Supreme Court affirmed NOW's right to use federal anti-racketeering laws against anti-abortion terrorists who organize others to use fear, force and violence to shut down women's health clinics where abortions are performed. The Court is now reviewing the nationwide injunction we won in 1999, which was upheld by the 4th Circuit.
2000 — The FDA approves mifepristone (RU-486), following a 16-year struggle by reproductive rights activists to have the safe and effective abortion drug approved. Opponents made repeated efforts to prevent approval and distribution of mifepristone and are continuing efforts through a petition to the FDA to have the drug withdrawn.
2001 — The Bush administration reinstates the global "gag" rule that was first adopted in 1984 by the Reagan administration and later lifted when President Clinton came into office. The "gag" rule is an anti-free speech and anti-democratic policy which has caused 430 organizations in 50 countries to stop performing abortions or speaking about abortion laws in order to qualify for U.S. funding. Over 80,000 women around the world die each year from unsafe and illegal abortions and hundreds of thousands suffer complications from unsafe abortions.
2002 — The Bush administration tries to install a right wing, religious ideologue, who has led efforts to get the FDA to reverse approval of mifepristone, as head of the FDA's Reproductive Health Drugs Advisory Committee.
2003 — Congress passes and Bush signs the so-called "Partial Birth" Abortion Ban—the first federal ban on an abortion procedure since Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973. Bush signs the bill, which does not include an exception to preserve a woman's health, while surrounded by a group of smiling men.
2004 — The House of Representatives passes the Unborn Victims of Violence Act of 2003, which would for the first time establish in federal law a fetus as a legal "person," with individual rights separate from those of the pregnant woman.
1972 — Eisenstadt v. BairdThe Court struck down a law prohibiting the distribution of birth control to unmarried adults.
1973 — Roe v. WadeBy a vote of 7-2, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against a Texas law prohibiting abortions not necessary to save the woman's life, extending the fundamental right to privacy to a woman's decision to choose abortion.
1976 — Planned Parenthood of Central Missouri v. DanforthThe Court ruled against a Missouri statute that would force a married woman to obtain her husband's approval before getting an abortion and ruled against a written parental consent requirement for minors.
THE BACKLASH & THE RESPONSE:
1977 — Maher v. RoeThe Supreme Court upheld a Connecticut ban on public funding for abortions, with the exception of abortions that were "medically necessary."
1980 — Harris v. McRaeThe Supreme Court upheld the Hyde amendment, which prohibits the federal Medicaid funding of abortions not necessary to preserve the woman's life.
1989 — Webster v. Reproductive Health ServicesThe court upheld a Missouri law prohibiting the use of public employees and public facilities for the purpose of performing abortions that were not medically necessary.
1992 — Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. CaseyThe Supreme Court, while refusing to overturn Roe, nevertheless upheld a laundry list of abortion restrictions (parental consent, anti-abortion counseling, and a waiting period) only invalidating spousal notification.
1994 — Congress enacts the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act.
1994 — NOW v. ScheidlerThe Supreme Court affirmed NOW's right to use federal anti-racketeering laws against anti-abortion terrorists who organize others to use fear, force and violence to shut down women's health clinics where abortions are performed. The Court is now reviewing the nationwide injunction we won in 1999, which was upheld by the 4th Circuit.
2000 — The FDA approves mifepristone (RU-486), following a 16-year struggle by reproductive rights activists to have the safe and effective abortion drug approved. Opponents made repeated efforts to prevent approval and distribution of mifepristone and are continuing efforts through a petition to the FDA to have the drug withdrawn.
2001 — The Bush administration reinstates the global "gag" rule that was first adopted in 1984 by the Reagan administration and later lifted when President Clinton came into office. The "gag" rule is an anti-free speech and anti-democratic policy which has caused 430 organizations in 50 countries to stop performing abortions or speaking about abortion laws in order to qualify for U.S. funding. Over 80,000 women around the world die each year from unsafe and illegal abortions and hundreds of thousands suffer complications from unsafe abortions.
2002 — The Bush administration tries to install a right wing, religious ideologue, who has led efforts to get the FDA to reverse approval of mifepristone, as head of the FDA's Reproductive Health Drugs Advisory Committee.
2003 — Congress passes and Bush signs the so-called "Partial Birth" Abortion Ban—the first federal ban on an abortion procedure since Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973. Bush signs the bill, which does not include an exception to preserve a woman's health, while surrounded by a group of smiling men.
2004 — The House of Representatives passes the Unborn Victims of Violence Act of 2003, which would for the first time establish in federal law a fetus as a legal "person," with individual rights separate from those of the pregnant woman.
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