Have You Had Enough? I Know I Have!

Posted August 25th, 2011 by Kathleen Scully

The passage of health reform brought many wonderful new protections and benefits for
Americans. Unfortunately, for women, these protections and benefits came with a price
tag.

States now have the choice to either allow abortion coverage to be included in the state
health exchange – with women having to pay for the coverage with a separate check – or
states can exclude it from the exchange completely. Many states have already chosen not
to include abortion coverage, forcing those who find themselves in need of an abortion
also burdened with paying for the procedure out of pocket. This year, in Pennsylvania,
an abortion ban in the state exchange was the Senate’s third order of business. While it
moved quickly but hasn’t passed just yet, no other medical procedure was excluded from
the exchanges in such a way.

The Pennsylvania state legislature is also considering a bill that would add to the already
strict restrictions and regulations that medical centers providing abortions face. The new
regulations would require facilities to either make costly changes, therefore increasing the
cost of their services, or may even force them to close their doors. While Pennsylvanians
need so much else-including access to better jobs and better education- the legislature
has spent over 30 percent of their days working to restrict access to a safe, legal abortion.

Throughout the country, women are facing similar attacks on their right to make a choice
when it comes to their body. In Pennsylvania, an ever-growing group is saying “We’ve
Had Enough”.

Personally, I’ve had enough of the government spending their precious time in
Harrisburg arguing over a legal medical procedure. I’ve had enough of hearing stories
of people not being able to get the care they need because they have no way to pay for
it. And I’ve definitely had enough of the government telling me what I can do with my
body.

If you’ve also had enough, join our campaign. Whether you are in Pennsylvania or
another state, speak up and help us declare that we’ve had enough of the attacks on
women.

•Check out the We’ve Had Enough Campaign Website

•Follow the Campaign on Twitter @WeveHadEnoughPA

•Like the Campaign on Facebook

•In Pa? Join us on September 27th in Harrisburg – RSVP Here

•Send a picture of yourself holding up a sign saying “I’ve Had Enough” or “We’ve
Had Enough” to wevehadenoughcamp@gmail.com. They will include them on
the website.

This post is part of the multi-organizational #HERvotes blog carnival.

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5 Comments

August 26, 2011 at 8:31 pm by AR

I applaud MomsRising for publishing such important issues including access to abortion. Let’s face it – you don’t plan to have an abortion nor is that anyone’s end goal but women should have the choice to decide what’s best for their own body rather than it being dictated by the government. I am not pro-abortion – I am pro-choice because that choice should be available for women if they need it. It is a very hard and very personal choice – and everyone’s circumstances are different. Whether or not abortion is legal, women will always seek abortions and the difference is whether or not those women will die or be gravely injured as a result of an illegal abortion. That is why abortion should be legal and there should be prevention programs and family planning available to prevent the need for abortion. It’s appalling to think that these legislators in Pennsylvania and seemingly across the country, are working day in and day out to pass legislation in the name of patient safety when in fact, it is so clear that it will actually force women to risk their lives. I’m joining We’ve Had Enough – because I am beyond sick of these attacks on women. First the family planning program and now this! Thank you to Kathleen S. for writing such a powerful piece and thank you to MomsRising for recognizing the importance of talking about abortion rather than avoiding it because it’s “controversial.”

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August 25, 2011 at 10:34 am by Heidi Unruh

MomsRising is a wonderful organization that has done great work promoting the well-being of mothers and their families, and I’ve participated (and as a blogger, written about) many MomsRising campaigns. But please do not assume that all of your constituents share support for abortion rights, or for government-funded abortion. To me, abortion is antithetical to motherhood and to the pro-life reasons I support all of your other causes. I do agree women have a right to control their bodies, but not when another life is involved. I understand and appreciate that others have a different perspective, and I don’t want to smother the right of this group to organize. I just wanted the voice of another segment of your constituency to be heard.

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Anonymous Reply:
August 25th, 2011 at 11:13 am

@Heidi Unruh, Well said, I concur. As a mother and a devoted liberal, abortion “rights” are something I have never been able to get on board for. To me, abortion is not a solution to any problems (with the exception of ectopic pregnancies or other life-threatening situations). I believe abortion on demand is a symptom of the deeply disturbing societal disregard for the true needs of women and children. I believe it pits women against their own children, and lends itself to the mentality that career women, student women and those with less means should do everything possible to avoid having children if they want to excel in a “man’s world.” While I do not adhere to the “fetuses are good, women are bad” mentality commonly practiced by the religious right, that does not mean I believe abortion is a good thing, nor do I believe taxpayers should have to pay for medically unnecessary abortions (only those which are, in fact, medically necessary). This is HEALTHcare we are talking about. I would not want other taxpayers to have to pay for my own medically unnecessary choices. Rather, I believe taxpayers should be paying for programs which promote the care and health and quality of life of women and children, so that abortion becomes unnecessary. Otherwise, we contribute to the notion that we and our children are expendable. I realize this is an unpopular viewpoint in the liberal world, and I do not want anyone to think I believe women who have abortions should be criminalized. Rather, I believe we should be focusing on solutions to make abortion obsolete, rather than spending so much energy not only protecting, but upholding it, and shouting at one another because of it. I applaud MomsRising for focusing on many of these deeper issues that must be addressed. However, I respectfully decline to sign this particular petition.

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