Lisa sent me an email from Ms. Magazine, about their new petition. As a throwback to the 1972 petition in which many women admitted they had illegal abortions, Ms. is asking that you sign up that you've had an abortion, or that you stand with your sisters regarding legalized abortion. Petition is here.
From the email:
Even then, to many it seemed absurd that the government could deny a woman sovereignty over her own body. It is even more absurd in 2006 that an abortion ban has passed into law in South Dakota, though it has been stayed because an initiative to remove the ban has been placed on the state's November ballot...
Just as in 1972, Ms. will send the signed petitions to the White House, members of Congress and state legislators. We will also post the petition online.
There you go. It's astounding to me how many people feel like they're all alone in the abortion thing. I repeat constantly that almost 1/2 of American women will have an abortion at some point in their lives. Between your mother, sister and aunt, one of them had an abortion, or will. It's one of the most common, safe, medical procedures, and I, for one, think it's absurd that it's one of the first topics people think of when they think about politics or the Supreme Court. It's just surgery. Like breast implants, or mole removals, they may not be for you, but they're safe, and they can contribute to a person's well-being. And, as I noted years ago, the death rate from unregulated liposuction is far higher than that of medication or surgical abortion - anyone who actually cared about women's health would be cracking down on plastic surgery.