MERJ Newsletter 10/12/22
We’re very excited about this new opportunity! Join MERJ leaders for the next five Mondays, starting on October 17, for a casual drop-in conversation. Arrive when you can, leave when you must. The link in the graphic will take you directly to the Zoom conversation!
Inspiring Quote, from the principal of Sharp Park Academy in Jackson, Michigan:
…To the pro-lifers that are praying to end abortion—I hope you are also voting to support quality public education, social emotional supports including therapy, substance abuse treatment, parenting classes, early childhood education, and opening your own homes through the foster care system to help any number of the children and teens out there waiting for forever homes. What’s that you say! Not your problem? What’s that you say….if you can’t afford a child you shouldn’t have had it?
If you are going to be “pro-life,” be “pro-quality of life” first. If you can’t do that… You have NO business regulating the lives of others.
Amazing Organization to Support — by moving money, we can make an immediate difference!
“Independent providers serve three out of every five people who have an abortion, yet they receive only a fraction of public support.
“The majority of clinics providing care after the first trimester are independent — and independent clinics are more likely to provide both medication and in-clinic (sometimes called surgical) care, so patients can choose the care that’s right for them.
“Independent abortion clinics are often located in small towns, rural areas, and politically hostile states, and may be the only abortion providers in their state or region. Anti-abortion politicians and extremists across the country are outspoken against abortion, creating an environment of fear and secrecy; they have even resorted to violence against abortion providers and the people who seek their services. The majority of clinics providing care after the first trimester are independent — and independent clinics are more likely to provide both medication and in-clinic (sometimes called surgical) care, so patients can choose the care that’s right for them.” (All text from the ARS society)
Five-Minute Read:
Insider.com, April 12, 2022, written by Andréa Becker
Book/Film/Music Recommendation:
It Happens to Us (1972) (33 minutes) — “First released in 1972, this film remains the classic plea for a woman's legal right to choose. Each of the main four methods are fully described by a physician and pertinent medical statistics are interspersed throughout. It presents the most cogent arguments, through the personal stories of a wide range of women both rich and poor, young and older, black and white, married and unmarried, as to why ending a pregnancy must remain an available choice. In particular, it reminds people of the consequences when abortion was illegal and what life was like before the Roe vs Wade 1973 Supreme Court decision.” Directed by Amalie R. Rothschild.
paired with a more contemporary short film structured the same way:
Break the Silence (2019) (59 minutes) — “Break The Silence features raw, powerful interviews with 18 diverse cisgender and transgender women about their sexual & reproductive health histories. Challenging social taboo with unflinching candor, vulnerability, and often great humor, Break The Silence kickstarts vitally important community and classroom conversations around sexual education, health, autonomy, pleasure, and human rights.” Directed by Willow O’Feral.
Both films are available at no charge on the Kanopy online streaming service; free access is often available through public library cards.
Inspiring Photo:
Four Kenyan members of the Form Ni Gani Movement participate in an event to raise awareness on reproductive health rights for both men and women in Nairobi in 2018. Three men surround a pregnant woman; all three men have bright yellow T-shirts stuffed with pillows underneath to appear pregnant, and the T-shirts read (in the Swahili language) “What’s the plan?”
Original source — “Reproductive health: Institutional misogyny is a threat to reproductive justice everywhere,” published on Nation.Africa on September 22, 2022
Help and Resources to Share with Anyone Needing an Abortion: (from ifwhenhow.org)
If you have questions about your legal rights and self-managed abortion, the Repro Legal Helpline is a free, confidential source for legal advice and information. Visit ReproLegalHelpline.org or call 844-868-2812.
If you are under 18 and need information about your rights to an abortion, you can message or call our Repro Legal Helpline at 844-868-2812. You can also read more about your rights on our Judicial Bypass Wiki.
If you have been arrested, contacted by the police, or fear you may be arrested for a self-managed abortion, our Repro Legal Helpline can provide immediate legal advice and support, and our Repro Legal Defense Fund can help with bail and legal fees. You can call our Repro Legal Helpline at 844-868-2812, and for help with bail and other fees, visit ReproLegalDefenseFund.org.
