National Advocates for Pregnant Women (reframing away from abortion)
Tip of the Hat
Lynn M. Paltrow
I started my career defending a woman's right to choose abortion and now run National Advocates for Pregnant Women, an organization that works on behalf of pregnant women and families. No, I haven't had a political or religious conversion. What I have had is the opportunity to see how the abortion issue distracts us from shared political and family values. ... Today, even pregnant women who vehemently oppose abortion are finding that they are hurt by claims of fetal rights that are being advanced as part of the campaign to outlaw abortion. Amber Marlowe, a deeply religious woman who is profoundly opposed to abortion, found this out when she went to deliver her seventh wanted child. Marlowe did not believe she needed a C-section and did not want to subject herself or her unborn baby to unnecessary surgery. The hospital disagreed, and, relying on the anti-abortion argument that fetuses are legal persons with rights separate and hostile to those of the pregnant woman, got a court order giving it custody of the fetus before, during, and after delivery-and the right to force Marlowe to undergo the procedure. ... Birthing rights activists and abortion rights activists, pro choice and pro life, Republicans and Democrats all need to work to change the conversation. We will continue to disagree about abortion, but together we must acknowledge that anti-abortion laws are being used to hurt women to term and that all of us are harmed by an overriding U.S. policy that fails to value mothers and families.
Not specified
NAPW is reframing right from values-- focussing on the humanity of mothers and pregnant women, instead of the specifics of abortion rights. "Anti-abortion laws are being used to hurt women." They use this foundation to talk about health care, clean environment, and all kinds of rights for women, children and families.
Go preggos!
That Marlowe story is disturbing. What if the creeping anti-abortion legislation became known as Anti-mom?
Personally, I'm PRO-MOM and proud of it!
Kind of ironic that the most powerful thing the human body can do (make another human) is the big sticking point for so many? The anti-mommers want to take that power away.
anti-abortion+anti random reproduction
AS a school teacher I see the result of random reproductive activities every day. There are many children who's parents are not in a position to support them. The "village" isn't able absorb the offspring of the number of children who are put on the planet with out planning. Even the grandparents who often step in can't keep up with the sheer numbers even though they are trying their darndest.
Therefore I suggest the new slogan: "anti-random reproduction" or stating it possitively:
"children by choice" (and not as a by product of the urge to have sex).
Those that do sex for entertainment should be properly prepared with birth control.
New! Intriguing approach
Thanks for sharing this encouraging approach to an issue that is usually so polarized and narrowly defined.
Because the url that you provided was so long, it was causing problems for the formatting of the web page. I changed it using a tinyurl, which leads to the same page. For the benefit of other Rockridge Nation members, the home page of the organization that you discussed can be found at:
http://advocatesforpregnantwomen.org
Thanks again for informing us.
Evan