Blogs Comment On Results Of Presidential Race, Ballot Initiatives

Main Category: Women's Health / Gynecology
Also Included In: Public Health;  Sexual Health / STDs
Article Date: 10 Nov 2008 - 9:00 PST

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The following is a summary of selected women's health-related blog entries.

~ "A Winning Night for Women," Cecile Richards, Huffington Post blogs: The victory of President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden "spells the end of eight long years of an administration that used every legislative, judicial and administrative weapon in its arsenal to attack women's health and rights," Richards writes, adding that Obama and Biden were "elected on the most pro-women's rights platform ever adopted by the Democratic Party." In addition, there are at least "22 newly elected pro-Planned Parenthood members of Congress," and "resoundingly, right-wing-sponsored ballot initiatives were defeated in South Dakota, Colorado and California," Richards writes. She adds, "For too long, our health and rights have been used as a political battering ram" for issues such as cancer screenings, teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections and reproductive choice. Obama "recognizes, as do the vast majority of Americans, that the issue of whether or when to have a child and a family are the most personal that we can make," Richards writes, adding that "while we may have different opinions on the issue of abortion, we can surely agree that providing health care and education to women and young people would help reduce the need in the first place." She concludes that the election marked "a great day in America" and a "revolutionary day for American women" (Richards, Huffington Post blogs, 11/5).

~ "Eliminating Abortion From the Ground Up," Monte Harms, Pro Life Blogs: Although "[m]any casual observers of the life issue believe that if Roe v. Wade is overturned," abortion would be illegal in the U.S., the "truth is that ... each state will decide the fate of the unborn," Harms writes. He adds that "[i]nstead of one huge battle for restrictions on abortion, there will be 50 smaller fights." According to Harms, 16 states likely would try to protect abortion rights, 22 likely would significantly limit abortion rights and 12 states likely would be "in the middle." He writes that although overturning Roe is important, "a more effective way" to immediately reduce the number of abortions is to "fight the battle from the bottom up. It all starts with the hearts and minds of the people involved in the abortion decision." Grassroots efforts "for the sanctity of life" can help reduce the number of abortions and "will also be effective down the road legislatively and judicially" should Roe ever be overturned, Harms says. He concludes that if the ruling is not overturned "then at least the number of babies killed by abortion will be reduced" (Harms, Pro Life Blogs, 11/6).

~ "Americans Embrace Pro-Education, Pro-Prevention, Pro-Choice Values in Historic Election," Scott Swenson, Huffington Post blogs: Voters in the election were "treated to a very clear discussion about the social values of both major parties, the presidential and vice-presidential candidates, and very clear ballot initiatives," Swenson writes, adding that this "historic election saw many pro-life conservatives separating themselves from the more extreme parts of their movement, and many pro-choice conservatives call for a change in the debate away from banning abortion, to focus on policies improving sex ed and prevention." Swenson writes that social conservatives "can recognize that America is a pluralistic nation with diverse beliefs and work with people they disagree with to construct common sense laws based on medical facts, or they can continue to marginalize themselves and move further outside the mainstream." Likewise, liberals "must re-evaluate how we approach people with whom we disagree" by "reaching out a collaborative hand -- including to pro-life people who can work with us on evidence-based policies." Swenson concludes that "for the first time in history, we have a moment to see each other and the personal life decisions we make differently. The choice is not a rejection of anyone or any issue as much as it is an embrace of the possibility that in America, we can hold more than one idea at a time and live and work together, respectfully" (Swenson, Huffington Post blogs, 11/5).

~ "Abortion Reduction Key to Common Ground," Richard Land, God's Politics: In an open letter to President-elect Obama, Land -- president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission -- writes that Obama should attempt to "unite the nation" by backing the Pregnant Women Support Act, which aims to reduce the abortion rate by 95% over a 10-year period. According to Land, the bill's provisions -- which include economic support for low-income and student parents, as well as improved health care -- "would help fulfill the pledge made in the 2008 Democratic Party platform, which 'strongly supports a woman's decision to have a child by ensuring access to and availability of programs for pre- and post-natal health care, parenting skills, income support and caring adoption programs'" (Land, God's Politics, 11/6).

~ "Dear Mr. President-Elect Obama," Choice USA: The open letter to Obama calls on him to assist in reversing the eight-year "attack on reproductive health" under the Bush administration. The letter asks Obama to fulfill his "promise of providing federally funded comprehensive sexuality education that respects our intelligence and ability to make decisions for ourselves" and to help ensure access to contraception. The letter also calls on Obama to make health care a "human right" because "[t]oo many young people do not have the option of making the choices they want to about their health care because they cannot afford medical care." In addition, the letter encourages Obama to repeal the Hyde Amendment and the "Mexico City" policy and end the "[i]ntersections of oppression along lines of gender, race, class, ability, geography and immigration status" that "negatively affect the reproductive health of so many young people" (Choice USA, 11/6).

~ "Do You Want the Good News or the Bad News?" Amanda Allen, Repro Repro: Although antiabortion measures were defeated Tuesday in California, Colorado and South Dakota, the success of propositions in Arizona, Arkansas, California and Florida that seek to ban same-sex marriage and adoption by same-sex couples shows that the election was not "a victory for the reproductive justice community," according to Allen. She writes, "Adoption rights are reproductive rights. The rights of same-sex couples to marry and the rights of adults to become parents are reproductive rights." She concludes, "I don't know about you, but after hearing about the measures that passed ... the last emotion I feel is relief" (Allen, Repo Repro, 11/6).

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