I imagine many of you have seen the reposted entry in protest of the Mississippi Personhood Amendment that would grant any fertilized egg the same legal status as an actual live person, thereby outlawing abortion, some forms of birth control and criminalizing miscarriages.

But there is also a threat on a national level. Today the House passed HR 358, which they are calling the Protect Life Act (or for those who oppose it the "Kill Women Bill") , a bill that would allow hospitals receiving federal aid to turn away women who need an abortion even if it is necessary to protect the health of the mother. While this bill is not in danger of becoming law, Obama has said he will veto it and it lacks the votes to overturn that veto, it is indicative of the fragile position of the pro choice contingent in this country and another volley in the right wing onslaught against reproductive rights. One of the most frightening things is that the bill's proponents are trying to frame it as an attack on Obamacare, an more widely unpopular measure, rather than a direct attack on abortion and the general public is not discerning enough to understand this.

This article gives a good overview of the bill, Obama's Statement of Administrative Policy against it, and how it relates to laws aready in place and previous failed attacks on abortion.

The fact that this bill will most likely never make it all the way into policy is no reason to ignore it. Complacency is dangerous and we can best raise our voices by contacting our local representatives and making our views known. You can also contact the Democratic National Committee HERE or the Republican National Committee HERE (click on the contact congress button, the actual page was down, supposedly for service).

Historically, the pro life lobby has not had a majority when it comes to public opinion but it has always been very vocal. In this time of concerted attacks on our reproductive rights, we need to change that and make our views heard loud and clear before it is too late. So contact your local representative, post about this on your LJ or just hit the button below.

I imagine many of you have seen the reposted entry in protest of the Mississippi Personhood Amendment that would grant any fertilized egg the same legal status as an actual live person, thereby outlawing abortion, some forms of birth control and criminalizing miscarriages.

But there is also a threat on a national level. Today the House passed HR 358, which they are calling the Protect Life Act (or for those who oppose it the "Kill Women Bill") , a bill that would allow hospitals receiving federal aid to turn away women who need an abortion even if it is necessary to protect the health of the mother. While this bill is not in danger of becoming law, Obama has said he will veto it and it lacks the votes to overturn that veto, it is indicative of the fragile position of the pro choice contingent in this country and another volley in the right wing onslaught against reproductive rights. One of the most frightening things is that the bill's proponents are trying to frame it as an attack on Obamacare, an more widely unpopular measure, rather than a direct attack on abortion and the general public is not discerning enough to understand this.

This article gives a good overview of the bill, Obama's Statement of Administrative Policy against it, and how it relates to laws aready in place and previous failed attacks on abortion.

The fact that this bill will most likely never make it all the way into policy is no reason to ignore it. Complacency is dangerous and we can best raise our voices by contacting our local representatives and making our views known. You can also contact the Democratic National Committee HERE or the Republican National Committee HERE (click on the contact congress button, the actual page was down, supposedly for service).

Historically, the pro life lobby has not had a majority when it comes to public opinion but it has always been very vocal. In this time of concerted attacks on our reproductive rights, we need to change that and make our views heard loud and clear before it is too late. So contact your local representative, post about this on your LJ or just hit the button below.

So I'm not in the US, and I highly doubt this kinda nonsense will ever make it to Europe, but it pisses me off enough to repost it in my LJ. Please spread the word and do whatever else you can to stop this asshattery before it can do any actual damage. Thanks!


Mississippi is voting on November 8th on whether to pass Amendment 26, the "Personhood Amendment". This amendment would grant fertilized eggs and fetuses personhood status.

Putting aside the contentious issue of abortion, this would effectively outlaw birth control and criminalize women who have miscarriages. This is not a good thing.

Jackson Women's Health Organization is the only place women can get abortions in the entire state, and they are trying to launch a grassroots movement against this amendment. This doesn't just apply to Mississippi, though, as Personhood USA, the group that introduced this amendment, is trying to introduce identical amendments in all 50 states.

What's more, in Mississippi, this amendment is expected to pass. It even has Mississippi Democrats, including the Attorney General, Jim Hood, backing it.

The reason I'm posting this here is because I made a meager donation to the Jackson Women's Health Organization this morning, and I received a personal email back hours later - on a Sunday - thanking me and noting that I'm one of the first "outside" people to contribute.

So if you sometimes pass on political action because you figure that enough other people will do something to make a difference, make an exception on this one. My RSS reader is near silent on this amendment. I only found out about it through a feminist blog. The mainstream media is not reporting on it.

If there is ever a time to donate or send a letter in protest, this would be it.

What to do?

- Read up on it. Wake Up, Mississippi is the home of the grassroots effort to fight this amendment. Daily Kos also has a thorough story on it.

- If you can afford it, you can donate at the site's link.

- You can contact the Democratic National Committee to see why more of our representatives aren't speaking out against this.

- Like this Facebook page to help spread awareness.

So I'm not in the US, and I highly doubt this kinda nonsense will ever make it to Europe, but it pisses me off enough to repost it in my LJ. Please spread the word and do whatever else you can to stop this asshattery before it can do any actual damage. Thanks!


Mississippi is voting on November 8th on whether to pass Amendment 26, the "Personhood Amendment". This amendment would grant fertilized eggs and fetuses personhood status.

Putting aside the contentious issue of abortion, this would effectively outlaw birth control and criminalize women who have miscarriages. This is not a good thing.

Jackson Women's Health Organization is the only place women can get abortions in the entire state, and they are trying to launch a grassroots movement against this amendment. This doesn't just apply to Mississippi, though, as Personhood USA, the group that introduced this amendment, is trying to introduce identical amendments in all 50 states.

What's more, in Mississippi, this amendment is expected to pass. It even has Mississippi Democrats, including the Attorney General, Jim Hood, backing it.

The reason I'm posting this here is because I made a meager donation to the Jackson Women's Health Organization this morning, and I received a personal email back hours later - on a Sunday - thanking me and noting that I'm one of the first "outside" people to contribute.

So if you sometimes pass on political action because you figure that enough other people will do something to make a difference, make an exception on this one. My RSS reader is near silent on this amendment. I only found out about it through a feminist blog. The mainstream media is not reporting on it.

If there is ever a time to donate or send a letter in protest, this would be it.

What to do?

- Read up on it. Wake Up, Mississippi is the home of the grassroots effort to fight this amendment. Daily Kos also has a thorough story on it.

- If you can afford it, you can donate at the site's link.

- You can contact the Democratic National Committee to see why more of our representatives aren't speaking out against this.

- Like this Facebook page to help spread awareness.