Tag Archives: abortion

The Only Woman On The Supreme Court: Ruth Bader Ginsberg Tells All

Jessica WakemanJuly 9, 2009 //

A lot of people are happy that Barack Obama nominated Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court, but Emily Bazelon from Slate found someone in particular who is pretty psyched: the only woman presently sitting on the Court, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg.

Ever since Justice Sandra Day O’Connor retired three years ago, Ginsberg has represented the XX chromosomes on the most important bench in the country with her colleagues—eight men. She spoke with Bazelon for the New York Times‘ Sunday magazine about why the Supreme Court should have more women on it, why women might judge differently than men do, and her concerns about reproductive rights and the legality of abortion.

We collected nine bits of Ginsberg-ian wisdom, after the jump. [The New York Times Magazine] Keep reading »

An Abortion Party?

Nikki DowlingJuly 9, 2009 //

What would you do if you needed an abortion and couldn’t afford it? Well, according to Byard Duncan over at Alternet, a female friend of his threw an abortion party. Her friends were invited to bring food, booze, and donations. Quite a few people turned out to drink and dance. By the end of the night, the donation bowl was overflowing and the girl was well on her way to getting what she wanted. But there were a few very twisted things about this party. [AlterNet.org] Keep reading »

7th Grader Is Forced To Take Off A Pro-Life T-Shirt

Daniela GuernicaJuly 7, 2009 //

A California 7th grader is fighting for her right to…wear a T-shirt. Anna Amador is representing her daughter in the lawsuit against McSwain Elementary School after her daughter was forced to take off her pro-life T-shirt back in April 2008. Celebrating “National Pro-Life T-shirt Day”—which I didn’t even know existed—the girl sported a graphic (pun!) tee with two pictures of a fetus followed by a square of black, along with the words, “Abortion. Growing, Growing, Gone.” Definitely a strong statement, but was it disruptive enough for the school to shirt-shame her and force a wardrobe change? Keep reading »

Lower Abortion Rates By Paying Women To Stay Pregnant? I Think Not.

Carrie WasterlainJuly 1, 2009 //

Last week, The New York Times uploaded a “Bloggingheads” discussion between Slate writer William Saletan and Beliefnet’s Steve Waldman, on the topic of reducing abortions. The ideas that arise from the discussion are slightly terrifying, and are therefore worthy of more discussion. Keep reading »

What’s The Link Between Abortion, Miscarriages And Premature Births?

Jessica WakemanJune 30, 2009 //

One abortion or miscarriage raises the risk of giving birth to a premature baby by 20 percent, while two abortions or miscarriages raises the same risk by 90 percent, according to Dr. Robbert van Oppenraaij of the Erasmus MC University Medical Center in The Netherlands. Dr. van Oppenraaij presented his findings, which are based on 75 studies about complications during pregnancy between 1980 and 2008, at European Society of Human Production conference in Amsterdam this week. [Mirror UK] Keep reading »

Will There Be Enough Doctors Who Can Provide The Next Generation Of Women Abortions?

Jessica WakemanJune 15, 2009 //

In high school I read John Irving’s excellent book, The Cider House Rules, in which the protagonist, a young man named Homer, is raised in an orphanage under the care of a kindly physician, Dr. Larch, who he is shadowing and learning medicine from. Dr. Larch eventually reveals to him that he’s been performed illegal abortions all along and he’d like to teach Homer how to do the procedure, too. Homer balked at the suggestion, imagining that he could have been aborted instead of growing up happily in the orphanage. The response Dr. Larch gave him has always stuck in my mind: “You may disapprove, but you may not be ignorant or look away.”

That quote popped in my mind when I read Kate Harding’s piece on Salon.com, “Is There A Next Generation Of Abortion Providers?”, a frightening piece about how the ranks of abortion providers are thinning and pro-choicers worry they won’t be replaced. Keep reading »

Why Is The Face Of Abortion Always A Woman’s?

Jessica WakemanJune 12, 2009 //

Abortion unexpectedly plunged back into the news in recent weeks with the murder of Dr. George Tiller, who performed late-term abortions in Wichita, Kansas.

Everyone but the most far right extremists has condemned the killing and much of the media has focused on how this act of domestic terrorism is truly deplorable. But clinic violence, awful as it is, occurs rarely compared to the legislative assaults against reproductive rights. So in response, Maureen Tkacik (formerly Moe of Jezebel and Gawker) has written a piece for Lemondrop about the things we never mention about when we discuss about abortion—but probably should.

Keep reading »

Anti-Abortion Group Dabbles In Real Estate

Nikki DowlingJune 10, 2009 //

A Kansas-based anti-abortion group called Operation Rescue has dreamed up a new way to stop abortions: they’re buying clinics. Their headquarters in Wichita, Kansas are in a former abortion clinic, but because they’re finding the place is a little small, they’re thinking about offering to buy the clinic that was recently shut down after Dr. George Tiller was murdered. This is beyond tacky, since Dr. Tiller was shot at church, and the main suspect is crazed lunatic Scott Roeder, who had been known to post on Operation Rescue’s blog. Plus, Operation Rescue had been targeting this clinic for years now, staging massive, sometimes violent, protests going as far back as 1991.

Operation Rescue’s prez Troy Newman likes the symobolism of taking over the space and “establishing [it] as a center for life, one that nurtures and cares for babies, rather than taking their lives.” We say, there has to be another building available in Wichita that would work. [AP] Keep reading »

Slain Abortion Provider Dr. Tiller’s Clinic Closed Permanently

Jessica WakemanJune 9, 2009 //

The Wichita clinic formerly run by Dr. George Tiller, who was murdered by anti-choice crusader Scott Roeder on May 31, has closed permanently. As a result, the closest abortion provider for Tiller’s patients will be a three hour drive both ways to Overland Park. It is unclear if that clinic, the Center For Women’s Health, can provide late-term third-trimester abortions like Tiller’s did.

Good job, crazies. [Wichita Eagle] Keep reading »

What Exactly Were These Abortions Dr. Tiller Performed?

Jessica WakemanJune 1, 2009 //

A 51-year-old anti-abortion activist is in custody in Wichita, KS, after he allegedly shot and killed Dr. George Tiller, 67. Tiller, who had provided abortions to women for over 30 years, was gunned down in the foyer of his church while he passed out the church bulletin. [NY Times]

Some anti-choice extremists think all doctors who perform any abortions should be killed. But Dr. Tiller, in particular, was a lightening rod for controversy because he was one of only three doctors in the country who performed abortions on women in the third trimester, also referred to as “partial birth abortions.” But why are abortions in the second or third trimesters so controversial? Here are five things you’re probably asking yourself right now. Keep reading »

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