By Teresa Jenkins, Chair, Charlotte County Democrats, May 8, 2022.
We are angered, outraged, and offended that women’s lives and their bodies remain subject to political debate. Every poll suggests most Americans support a woman’s right to choose, while Republicans continue to fight to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito Jr.’s draft opinion is about a case that comes from Mississippi, a state with the highest infant mortality rate in the United States. Many so-called pro-life warrior legislators in Mississippi and Florida and around the country opposed funding for prenatal care and paid family leave and tried to take away health care under the Affordable Care Act. These legislators are not pro-life; they are only interested in pro-birth.
Many have asked “What can I do?” If you have the means, there are several providers who could use some funding to help women seeking an abortion. Money goes toward paying the cost of gasoline, motels, and the procedure itself.
Broward Women’s Emergency Fund- https://bwefund.org/site/
Emergency Medical Assistance WPB – https://emawpb.org/
Florida Access Network – https://www.flaccessnetwork.org/
Tampa Bay Abortion Fund – https://tbafund.com
Women’s Emergency Network – https://www.wen-online.org/
You can find a complete list at Floridian’s for Reproductive Freedom https://floridareprofreedom.org.
These are confusing times, so let me clarify a few things: Abortion in the United States is still legal; it is a Constitutionally protected right.
In Florida, abortion is legal until the 24th week of pregnancy. In April 2022, Governor DeSantis signed into law an abortion measure that will ban the procedure after 15 weeks of pregnancy, but that law does not go into effect until July 1, 2022.
Here are some links that you might find helpful:
Here is a link to 55 Florida abortion providers https://www.floridahealthfinder.gov/facilitylocator/ListFacilities.aspx
An Amanpour interview of Frank Schaeffer explains a lot…May 4, 2022 | Video | Amanpour & Company | PBS
https://www.pbs.org/wnet/amanpour-and-company/video/may-4-2022-jnk3ps
Here is a post of a July 2019 USA Today article about the Jewish perspective on abortion https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/07/24/abortion-laws-jewish-faith-teaches-life-does-not-start-conception/1808776001/
This link provides the number and reasons for abortion in Florida in 2021: https://ahca.myflorida.com/mchq/central_services/training_support/docs/TrimesterByReason_2021.pdf
An excellent New York Times Podcast https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/05/opinion/sway-kara-swisher-nancy-northup.html
The sky seems to be falling, yet a great many of you are desperately trying to hold it up – thank you.
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