THIS TUES. PROTECT WOMEN'S RIGHTS & VOTE NO on PROP. 73

by . Saturday, Nov. 05, 2005 at 9:25 PM
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If you live in CA please help to spread the word... please pass on this email. right now we only have 4 days left & the polls don't look that good for Prop.73. Low voter turnout is expected for this special election, so your single vote CAN really make a difference. Remember that the conservative right is COUNTING on you to NOT show up and vote this Tuesday. So we need to get out the vote & Support a women's rights.

Voting just takes a few minutes and you can find your city's polling location & vote go to http://www.smartvoter.org/ca/

PLEASE VOTE THIS TUESDAY & be sure to vote NO on prop.73-78 and YES on PROP.79 & 80

RIGHT NOW WE NEED YOUR HELP TO DEFEAT PROP.73 THIS TUESDAY IN CA'S SPECIAL ELECTION.

California has long been one of the most pro-choice states in the nation, but an anti-choice initiative, Proposition 73, on the November ballot threatens the health and safety of California's teens. We are urging the public to vote NO on the initiative on Tuesday, November 8. On the surface, it might seem so reasonable: requiring parental notification before a minor can abort a pregnancy. But what if the parent is responsible for the girl's pregnancy? Not every family is right out of The Brady Bunch, or even Gilmore Girls.

Did you know that the proposition amends the California constitution? Did you know that it defines a fetus as "an unborn child"? Do you know what the implications of that would be?

LA Times published a poll this morning that indicates that Prop 73 (the so-called "Parental Notification initiative") will pass narrowly. Here's the synopsis of Proposition 73 from the Secretary of State's website. http://www.voterguide.ss.ca.gov/prop73/title_summary.shtml

All I have heard in the media about this Proposition is that it concerns the requirement of parental notification when a minor is seeking an abortion. No one talks of this as an amendment to the CA constitution, which it is, and one that will change the definition of abortion to infanticide, which it will.
Somehow I don't find it all that surprising that he-man groper Schwarznegger is in favor of what he must see as the just and proper entitlements of patriarchy.

Let's also remember that the big backers behind this initiative are the same people who want pharmacists to be able to play doctor and refuse to fill birth control prescriptions even for married women, the same people who see pregnancy as punishment for having sex. (How's that for valuing life -- babies are "punishment"!)

Californians, know what you're really voting for.

What's at Stake?

What's at stake with Prop. 73 is nothing less than the health and safety of teens who, for whatever reason, cannot turn to their parents when faced with an unintended pregnancy. Prop. 73 would amend the California State Constitution to force doctors and providers to notify a parent or guardian before providing abortion services for a minor. In addition, Prop. 73 requires a waiting period of 48 hours after notification is given. Studies have shown that the majority of teens age 16 to 17 do involve their parents when making decisions about abortion. For younger teens, the rate is even higher — up to 90 percent. Indeed, in most cases, family members — parents, sisters, grandparents, aunts — are the first safety net for any teen in need. And certainly teens are urged by counselors to involve their parents from the start.

"As a parent, I would want my daughter to come to me if she were faced with an unplanned pregnancy," said Kathy Kneer, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California (PPAC). "But if she couldn't come to me, I would want her to be safe. Her safety is more important than my desire to be informed."

Prop. 73 would erect a barrier for teens who simply can't talk to their parents. Maybe they would face family violence or be kicked out of their home if they were to disclose their pregnancy. Maybe they are afraid of disappointing their parents; maybe a family member is responsible for the pregnancy. Studies have shown that parental involvement laws delay teens' access to vital health care.

Less talked-about provisions of Prop. 73 would, in effect, create a public "scorecard" for judges who rule on abortion cases for minors. Doctors would also have to file reports to the state regarding the number and types of abortions performed. However, the proponents of the initiative say that these medical records would be kept confidential.

Another troubling aspect of Prop. 73 is that it would add to the California State Constitution a definition of "an unborn child, a child conceived but not yet born." According to the USC California Policy Institute, that language "has created an unintended potential barrier to embryonic stem cell research" in the state of Pennsylvania.

The campaign goes far beyond Planned Parenthood, too. "A lot of people have come aboard to protect teen safety," says Sandoval, including members of the clergy and leaders in the field of medicine. Indeed, those who vote no on 73 will be joining a who's-who of medical experts and proponents of reproductive rights and social justice, including the California Medical Association, the California Nurses Association, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, District IX California, American Academy of Pediatrics, NARAL Pro-Choice California, the ACLU, and others.

If you live in CA I just wanted to let you all know that PROP 73 http://www.noonproposition73.com/ needs a lot of support right now. We need people to help us make phone calls and also help out at events in colleges across CA.

if this propositions gets passed it will take the right of choice away from women who can't even vote against or for this law themselves. How is that for representation?

THIS LAW PUTS THOSE VULNERABLE TEENAGERS – THOSE WHO MOST NEED PROTECTION – IN HARM’S WAY, OR FORCES THEM TO GO TO COURT. Teenager’s need to have access to confidential reproductive health services. Please help us in defeating PROP. 73 by Volunteeringhttp://www.noonproposition73.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=82&Itemid=115 and voting NO this Tuesday... spread the word.


for more info on the other prop. & the special election check out http://betterca.com