2013 Is Shaping Up To Be The Worst Year For Reproductive Freedom In Recent History

[Tx4obama]

2013 Is Shaping Up To Be The Worst Year For Reproductive Freedom In Recent History

According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the 2013 legislative session is on track to be yet another record-breaking year for state-level restrictions on women’s reproductive rights. As states’ current legislative sessions begin to come to a close, lawmakers have so far enacted more than 300 different abortion restrictions this year, as detailed in a map from the ACLU (click through for the interactive version):

-snip- (MAP)

According to the Guttmacher Institute, 2011 saw the highest number of anti-abortion restrictions enacted on the state level since 1985, when the women’s health organization first began tracking the data. 2012 was right behind with the second highest number of restrictive abortion laws. And now, even following an presidential election season that heavily emphasized the ongoing War on Women — post-election polling suggests that Mitt Romney’s right-wing positions on women’s health issues may have cost him the White House — local lawmakers in red states are continuing to pursue a stringently anti-abortion agenda.

On a call with reporters, representatives from the ACLU’s Reproductive Freedom project pointed out that abortion opponents have been more aggressive about their goals in 2013, and predicted this year will “go down in record books” for advancing some of the most stringent legislation this nation has seen since Roe v. Wade legalized abortion 40 years ago. The ACLU considers the mounting pile of state-level restrictions to be a “coordinated campaign” to eventually ban abortion in every clinic in every state. The group points out that there are three prongs of attack in this national strategy: making abortion services inaccessible for women, making it impossible for abortion doctors to continue their work, and forcing abortion clinics to close their doors.

Since the first part of that three-tiered strategy often involves outright bans on abortion, like the unprecedented 6-week ban in North Dakota and 12-week ban in Arkansas, it tends to incite the most outrage and receive the most media coverage. But the second and third tactics employed by the right wing are also incredibly successful at limiting women’s reproductive options — and, since those laws can more easily fly under the radar, they can actually be more dangerous.

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Full article and clickable map, here: http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/06/13/2152801/2013-worst-year-reproductive-freedom/

[sigmasix]

1. but but both parties are the same!

Haven't we been told that there is no difference between democratic politicians and republican politicians by members of DU? The same DU members that constantly complain about President Obama. hmmm- kinda makes one wonder about the truthfulness of some DU members...
What are we to make of the veracity and intention of DU members that make this claim? There are no progressives or real democrats involved in the congressional republican war on women. PLENTY of democrats and progressives are willing and wanting to defend women's rights as a force for good.

But DU's resident teabagger sock puppets and Obama Derangement Syndrome sufferers want us to believe that the democratic party is the same as the republican party and we are all watching the end of times because of Woo! and the hero Snowden.
Why do teabaggers and the tin foil hat brigade hate the truth?

[Jamaal510]

3. One wouldn't expect to read that type of garbage on a Democratic website.

But sadly, our side of the spectrum also has its own share of people with tunnel vision. Apparently none of the glaring differences between the two parties matter to this crowd, whether it's Obama doubling up Bush ll in job growth in roughly 4 years, the GOP's money-wasting efforts to repeal health care and outlaw contraceptives, the GOP's unwillingness to embrace marriage equality, or us drawing down wars and being fairly safe from terrorist attacks under Democratic administrations. Yep, forget all of that stuff--the Democratic Party is still GOP-lite. Obama is still this thirdwaycenterrightmoderateRepublican in sheep's clothing, doing Bush's work. Hell, I've even heard people claiming that Obama is to the right of Reagan. Now that is some of the silliest shit I have ever heard. If I remember correctly, Reagan started a war, Obama has not. Reagan lowered top taxes drastically from how they were under Carter. Obama has pushed to raise them. Reagan used the Southern Strategy to stoke resentment of White conservatives towards Blacks, Obama did not. Reagan was anti-gay, while Obama is the 1st sitting president to endorse marriage equality.

[blkmusclmachine]

2. WAR ON WOMEN