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Final Words from Peggy Loonan
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| Abortion's
Silenced Legacy - is powerful - it is sad
and it is compelling. But it is about history. |
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| Today many of those who
have grown up since Roe vs. Wade, with safe and
legal abortion and a wide range of contraceptives,
cannot fathom anyone ever taking this right away
from them - that such could ever happen in their
lifetime. |
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| The pain and tragedy suffered
and endured by these women, men, families and doctors
from our past, who went to jail and were maimed
and died before Roe, paved the way for Roe vs. Wade.
Without their bravery, sacrifices, outcries, and
their willingness to wage the fight on a day-to-day
basis, we would not have won the battle for safe
and legal abortion and contraceptives. |
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Peggy E. Loonan
Founder and Executive Director
Life and Liberty for Women |
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But remember - what can be won - can
also be lost
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| In the 1992 movie Rain
Without Thunder, the year 2045 is depicted. |
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| In this movie Abortion
and all forms of birth control that are not barrier
in nature are illegal, including the birth control
pill, IUDS, Depro Prevera, and Norplant. |
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| In this movie, the Abortion
Rights Movement is being lead by the "Atwood" Society
- which failed in preventing the overturn of Roe
vs. Wade. The Atwood Society had adopted a more
conservative cautious approach to protecting and
then trying to win back the right to safe abortion,
just as the current day abortion rights movement
has. |
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| In this futuristic movie,
the current leader of the "Atwood" Society said
this, "The old Roe vs. Wade Case - which permitted
women the right to legal termination nationwide
- wasn't dramatically overturned by anyone judicial
ruling. - Instead the Supreme Court took a |
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| hammer and chisel and
slowly chipped away at it. - This gradual chipping
away was tolerated because no one believed any state
would criminalize abortion - or - if any
did - it would only be a few. You see the interesting
thing is - Americans - while they will react decisively
in the face of a crisis, will nevertheless
tolerate gradual trends - even if those trends are
insidious." |
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| An old white-haired women
who, in her youth and middle-age, had fought an
aggressive war in the 20th century for abortion
rights, was the founder of the "Atwood" society,
and now seemingly an outcast from the movement,
said this - "A woman's movement was born in the
mid 20th century - a woman's political movement
which spread like a fire - burning the landscape
built by men. - But our season changed - By the
year 2000 a chill was developing. - Our spring only
lasted two generations. |
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| But - it only takes two
generations. - It takes one generation to fight
for a liberty - and it takes only one generation
to lose it. People refuse to believe - that what
is farfetched - can happen in just two generations.
- When people do not have liberty they crave it,
they cherish it. But once a generation obtains it
- they then ignore it - they so much as place it
on their doorstep to be snatched away. People will
invest more energy in protecting their jewelry,
than in protecting their liberty. Women not only
placed their anatomical liberty on their
doorstep, but they elected the people who snatched
it away." |
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| In the election of 2000,
a Congress and a President both hostile to
Roe vs. Wade, hostile to legal abortion, to contraceptives
and family planning was elected. |
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| President Bush has said
he would do everything in his power to restrict
abortions. |
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| Ladies and Gentlemen,
It's wrong and immoral to advocate
for and allow the devastation to women's
lives illegal abortion causes, the devastation "Abortion's
Silenced Legacy," has allowed you to become so intimate
with, here tonight - especially when there's a better
way - when we have within our |
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| power the means to decrease
the number of unintended pregnancies. |
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| Never forget -
and like us - never doubt that Roe vs. Wade
correctly and morally balanced the right to life
of woman and fetus and no woman need ever
be ashamed of her right to life and liberty. |
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| Don't let your generation
be the generation who thought it too far fetched
to ever happen to them - ever happen in their lifetime.
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| We at Life and Liberty
for Women wish to offer our thoughts and deepest
sympathy to the survivors and bereaved family members
who suffered unspeakable pain, sadness, and loss
in the horrific September 11 terrorist attack upon
this nation, in which thousands lost their lives.
This surreal tragic event has shown all of us that
what seems to far fetched - is never so.
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| Don't let arrogance,
complacency, or just a busy life, snatch away the
right to safe and legal abortion. |
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| Each one of you has
the power and the means to keep this horrific
mistake of history - a mistake drenched in pain,
blood and death from repeating itself. |
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Use your power
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