Alliance For Choice condemns Bush’s ‘War on Women’!

by Chris Murray Fri Oct 06, 2006 10:58

1.Women's caucas and co-operations on choice: http://www.federa.org.pl/signatures

2.Latin American IPS/political co-operation: http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=34852

3.and stop violence against women: http://www.radiofeminisat.net/agosto06/camp_violencia/c...a.htm

4.also: violence against women in conflict situations: http://www.amnesty.org

The get involved page on indymedia should also contain links to global where
you can access information on the women's site/chatrooms/online volunteer
for feminist outreach.

by Goretti Horgan - Alliance for Choice and SWP Fri Oct 06, 2006 10:11 Derry

As one of the people who organised the counter-protest in Derry's Guildhall Square to the "Silent No More" gathering, I have no problem in explaining why we started chanting and drowning out what this tiny, unrepresentative group was saying.

The local media had alerted us, late on Wed evening, to the arrival of a "group of women" who would speak out about how they regretted their abortions and why they thought abortion is NEVER a solution. Between 10pm on Wed and lunchtime Thursday, the word went around that pro-choice activists needed to be in Guildhall Square to ensure these views did not go unchallenged. A group of 7 - 8 people arrived, 3-4 women, 2-3 men and a child and started to preach (yes, that's the right word, because everything they said was deeply imbued with religion) These were joined by 2-3 Derry anti-abortion activists. The 10 or so anti-abortionists were well outnumbered by the 30+ counter-protesters.

To start with, we listened in silence to what they had to say, simply holding up our placards and banners. They had an impressive PA system so we were in no doubt about their message. It was not only about their personal experiences but about the need to end legal abortion everywhere. They related their (American) experience of over 35 years of legal abortion, not seeming to realise that abortion has been legal in Britain for nearly 40 years. The chanting only started when they continued to spout on and on, giving totally inaccurate "facts" about the impact of abortion on women's physical and mental health.

Had we not called this counter-protest, the only thing reported in the local media would have been their misinformation about the effect of abortion. Instead, by turning up in the numbers we did, we were able to force the (very catholic) local media to report that, e.g., Prof Patricia Casey of the Pro Life Campaign in the South had admitted that there is no such thing as "post-abortion syndrome" and that the proportion of women suffering psychological distress after an abortion is no greater than those who suffer psychological distress after giving birth.

by Lynn Coles - Silent No More Awareness Campaign for Ireland as a whole Fri Oct 06, 2006 07:21 coleslynn at yahoo dot co dot uk

Sadly, members of this group picketed a Gathering for the Silent No More Awareness Campaign in Derry on Thursday 5th October.

Women, and men, who have had abortions speak out through the campaign to raise awareness that abortion does not solve our problems, it just creates new ones. In Derry, members of this group led by a Ms Horgan, shouted and chanted as myself and Georgette Forney from the Campaign gave our stories. They showed no compassion for us as women having had abortions nor for the women they were preventing from hearing that help was available to them if they too were struggling after abortion. They were aggressive and attempting to be intimidating and had no regard for my 9 yr old daughter who was standing there and frightened by their behaviour.

Is it any wonder that of the 165 women we have had through after abortion recovery programmes in Ireland such as Rachel's Vineyard, in the last three years, are afraid to speak out? There are several women preparing to speak out in the coming year but it takes a lot of courage to do it. Some have yet to tell their families. Can you imagine how they would have felt being harassed by these men and women and treated worse than those who would say women who have had abortions deserve everything they get? Where is their mindset at? They say they care for women and for women's rights and yet here they are treating us with disgust, using foul language and being threatening and abusive?

One of the protestors continually harassed me at the end of the Gathering as I was clearing away. She repeatedly said to me 'Shame on you'. I asked her what part of feminism and sisterly solidarity with women did she not understand? I asked her why she took away my human right to freedom of speech? What about the rights of the women who needed to hear that help was available? No reply but a continual chant of 'Shame on you.' She couldn't say anything else as she had no substance to her argument and is obviously completely misguded in her thinking.

I am sure, like me, there are women amongst that group who have had abortions although no-one identified themselves to us. I too was very pro choice after my decision to abort my son Stephen on 21st Sept 1980. But my 'choice' was based on misinformation and fear. No woman instinctively chooses abortion. No woman says 'Hey! I had an abortion and it was great!' Women need better than abortion and society needs to change its mindset that abortion is the quick fix answer to our problems. I would like to say to any woman who does not regret their abortion that we do not wish to make you feel guilty or feel shame. If you have no problems, then we are please for you and thankful that you don't. But there are many thousands who do and need help. If however, you find in years to come you do experience problems, then we are there for you and can help you. Please contact us.

Please check out the Silent No More website and read testimonies from men and women about their abortion experiences. It is time the voices of experience are heard over the rhetoric. The campaign is not political although we agree that the abortion issue needs to be looked at on a political, moral and ethical basis, the campaign is all about personal stories and experiences sharing the truth about the long term psychological, mental, emotional and physical effects of abortion. Women of Ireland deserve better than abortion.

www.silentnomoreawareness.org
Helpline number for Ireland: 0845 456 3839

Kind regards
Lynn Coles
Regional Coordinator for the Silent No More Awareness Campaign, for Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland

by Linda - none Mon Apr 26, 2004 15:58 ** **

I am a woman and I believe a true feminist. I am saddened when I hear women calling for the deaths of other women (those unborn), are these people insane that with full knowledge of what happens to a child during an abortion, they still wish to support it. Please don't include me when you talk of pro-choice, do you support Bush's choice to kill aswell?