Experiences in Jefferson City!

I have had the wonderful opportunity to work as a full time intern for Planned Parenthood in Missouri this semester. It's been an amazing semester, and I'd like to share some thoughts and experiences with you.

Honestly, before I got started with this internship, I considered myself pretty well-versed in women's issues in general and women's health issues in particular. To say I feel that I went from looking at a roaring furnace to being plunged into the flames would be an understatement. I had made the very common mistake (especially among those of my generation) of thinking that my reproductive rights were pretty well secured. I knew there was work to be done, but I didn't realize just how much. Let me tell you about some of the things I've seen in Jefferson City this semester:

• We (PP staff, volunteers and activists) have spent hours trying to explain the difference between EC and RU486, and attempting to convince legislators that no, you cannot in fact buy an abortion over-the-counter.
  
• We worked with the domestic and child abuse lobbies to fight legislation that would have given parents total control over all of their children's healthcare. This would not only have prevented teens from acquiring birth control, but would also have made examination and prosecution for child abuse impossible.
  
• We fought a bill that would have imprisoned pregnant women suffering from addiction, forcing them to give birth in chains before the baby was seized by the state rather than helping them seek treatment.
• We spent countless hours trying to explain to legislators that taking away an abused woman's right to choose abortion not only re-victimized her, but did nothing to address the problem of abuse that would likely be transferred to that child once born.
  
• We faced not one but TWO ballot measures that would have effectively banned abortion in Missouri.

The sponsor of the anti-abortion bill (HB1831) stated boldly and blatantly that he believed that women were too overwhelmed by the flood of their hormones (especially when pregnant), to be able to make an informed decision about abortion. This idea that women are incompetent to make decisions, especially when under pressure, was pervasive not only in the bill but in the minds of its supporters, including some women. I have to say, nothing has disappointed and angered me more than watching other women try to take away my right to make decisions about my own body.

In case you haven't yet caught where the anti-abortion lobby is going with all of this, there is an anti-abortion group planning to stage a nation-wide protest of the pill because they believe that any contraception constitutes an abortion, and should be banned. Ladies, just take a minute and think about what your life might be like if you had NO access to contraception.

And yet, despite all the potential for discouragement, this year's session was a huge victory! Hundreds of activists came to the capitol throughout session and held our elected officials accountable for their decisions. Many more of you called, wrote or emailed your representatives to give them a piece of your mind. To see so many women, young and old, come together and take part in their own governance was truly inspiring and empowering to me. The volunteers and activists around the state that I had an opportunity to work with truly blessed me with their enthusiasm, courage and often their keen insights. I also had the opportunity to work with some truly amazing pro-choice champions in the House and Senate that worked their butts off for us. Thanks to these efforts, the anti-abortion bill was never passed. The abortion ban initiatives didn't meet the required number of signatures needed to place them on the ballot in November. Because of all of our hard work, it seems that we are blessedly free of further restrictions on Planned Parenthood in Missouri this year.

But I still know I can't get too comfortable. Some officials are asking Matt Blunt to call a special session specifically to pass the anti-abortion bill, and we know that the sponsors of the abortion ban ballot initiatives will be back in 2010 for another try. The anti-abortion activists are not going to stop, and neither can I.

I caught the end of the movie Iron Jawed Angels the other night. The movie is about the women's suffrage movement, and it really struck home to me how far we have come, and how far we have yet to go. The fight has become more subtle, but make no mistake that it is still a fight. If there is any message that I have taken away from my experiences, and that I hope you take away from my thoughts here, it is this: don't stop the fight! It's up to us--you and me--to continue to defend the rights that women before us have worked so very hard for.

Thank you to all my friends at Planned Parenthood and to all the awesome volunteers that make Planned Parenthood's work possible! You will always inspire me to stay part of that fight!

by Kristen Walle