Back to News & Commentary

A Dark Day for Women

Jennifer Dalven,
Director, Reproductive Freedom Project,
ACLU
Share This Page
May 25, 2011

Two states poised to completely ban abortion and Congress says no to abortion for rape survivors? Enough is enough.

One house of the , and a similar bill moved one step closer to passage in Louisiana.

It’s not looking much better on a national level. In Congress, the House of Representatives refused to even discuss the question of whether women in the military who are raped while serving their country should have access to abortion care.

And that was just yesterday.

Meanwhile, over the last few weeks, politicians around the country have been doing their best to shut down Planned Parenthood health centers, and have been passing laws that take away insurance that covers abortion that millions of women and families already have.

We may not all agree about abortion, but we can all agree that we don't want government intruding in our most personal decisions. We elected lawmakers to work for American families, not to meddle in our private lives.

I know Americans have a lot on our minds these days. We are worried about our jobs, about what our kids are learning in schools, and whether our communities are safe. But if legislators think because we are busy taking care of the real needs of our families means that they can get away with taking personal and private decisions out of the hands of a woman and her family, they've underestimated the American people.

Tell them you are watching. Tell them that these decisions are for a woman and her family to make, not politicians. Tell them enough is enough.

When you do, the ACLU will be right behind you every step of the way -- fighting these intrusive laws in and in the courts.

Together we can make sure that our government hears us and gets back to the business of working for American families, not against them.

Learn more about reproductive freedom: Subscribe to our newsletter, , and .

Learn More About the Issues on This Page