By Kate Gorton, RI NOW
Ninety-five years ago on August 26, women fought for and won the
right to vote. This victory came after decades of defending our intelligence
and capacity to make informed decisions, a struggle that continued for many
women long after the right was won.
2015 sure feels like déja-vu.
More than ever in recent history, a woman’s ability to govern
her own body is under attack. We are tired of the intimidation tactics and
malicious statements being made in an effort to turn back the clock on hard
fought wins towards equality.
We urge all of you who stand for equality to
denounce the recent attacks and false claims made against Planned Parenthood.
Freedom of religion provides the right to practice your faith without harm; it
does not allow individuals to dictate the health decisions of others. Any
effort to limit women’s access to health care is a threat to women’s health and
their autonomy.
We are not here to address the slander against Planned Parenthood being
perpetuated by political activists with feign concern for women’s health. We
are here to remind everyone of the facts and the value Planned Parenthood
provides to the community.
The vast majority of Planned Parenthood’s resources are spent on
providing general health and wellness services, including: screenings for
cervical, breast, and ovarian cancer, physicals and checkups, prescriptions for
contraception, and testing and treatment of sexually transmitted infections,
which avoids infertility later in life and ensures healthy pregnancies.
To
claim federal and state dollars are being used for abortion services is
completely false. Under federal and Rhode Island state law no public money can
be used for such services, therefore all public dollars given to Planned
Parenthood go directly to the essential preventive health services laid out
above.
It’s ironic. The “pro-life” lobby is surprisingly disinterested
in these lives: millions of women, men, and (yes) children are alive and
healthy because of the resources Planned Parenthood provides every day. A vote
against this agency isn’t a blow to the ominous, faceless threat of abortion.
It’s a direct hit to the health of our communities: our neighbors, families,
and friends.
The war on women in America is real. The reasons behind it are
about power and control, not the health or the well-being of women. Rhode
Island NOW trusts women, and we trust Planned Parenthood. We stand with them
and applaud them for the care and counsel they provide to millions of Americans
every year.
*Kate Gorton is a Rhode Island NOW member, writer, and blogger.