Author: Errata Date: Subject: [Badgirlz-list] WOMEN MARCH IN WASHINGTON
> > 1,150,000 March on Washington, D.C. to Voice Opposition to Government > Attacks on Women's Reproductive Rights and Health
>
> Sunday April 25, 4:43 pm ET
>
> Official Crowd Count Largest Ever for Women's Rights Rally in The > Nation's Capitol
>
> WASHINGTON, April 25 /PRNewswire/ -- An estimated 1,150,000 descended > on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. today to give an urgent > wake-up call to government leaders and the nation-women's lives are
at > risk and lawmakers stop intruding on a woman's right to access
critical > reproductive health services and make deeply personal decisions about > her health and life.
>
> The March for Women's Lives was led by seven organizing groups: > American Civil Liberties Union, Black Women's Health Imperative, > Feminist Majority, NARAL Pro-Choice America, National Latina
Institute > for Reproductive Health, National Organization for Women and Planned > Parenthood Federation of America.
>
> Following are highlights excerpted from remarks given by the > organization's leaders at the March:
>
> "The government does not belong in our bedrooms. It does not belong
in > our doctors' offices. It does not belong in the bank accounts of > innocent Americans, and should not have the power to monitor their > e-mail, or track their bookstore purchases, or scrutinize the books > they check out of local libraries," said Anthony D. Romero, executive > director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). "Our
fundamental > right to privacy is under serious attack by this government." >
> "This historic march is sending an unmistakable message: women's
rights > and women's lives are non-negotiable," stated Eleanor Smeal,
president > of the Feminist Majority. "We are building an expanded and inclusive > movement that will make women's reproductive rights-just like social > security-a third rail of politics."
>
> "My friends -- make no mistake. There is a war on choice. We didn't > start it, but we are going to win it!" said Gloria Feldt, president
of > Planned Parenthood Federation of America. "They're not just after > abortion rights. This is a full-throttle war on your very health-on > your access to real sex education, birth control, medical privacy,
and > life-saving research."
>
> "My greatest wish is that there would never be another political
debate > about the right to choose," said Kate Michelman, president of NARAL > Pro-Choice America. "But history teaches us that every right-no
matter > how basic-is always at risk. And I'm confident that the young people > who have lead this march today will lead our movement in a new wave
of > activism that will keep the right to choose alive for the next > generation."
>
> "This March is a giant wake up call," said Kim Gandy, president of
the > National Organization for Women (NOW). "We won't go back to 1968 when > women couldn't buy birth control; we won't go back to 1972 when women > were dying from illegal abortions. We're marching for our rights
before > it's too late."
>
> "The reproductive health of Black women is in a state of crisis.
Black > women are suffering and dying too often, too soon and needlessly,"
said > Dr. Lorraine Cole, president and CEO of the Black Women's Health > Imperative. "When we leave here today, let's turn pain into promise, > let's turn promise into partnership and let's turn partnership into > power."
>
> "We demand an end to coercive and punitive policies that prevent us > from making informed decisions about our health, our lives and our > futures!" said Silvia Henriquez, executive director of the National > Latina Institute of Reproductive Health. "We envision a day when no > Latina will live in a climate of fear and oppression, when every
person > has access to comprehensive and affordable health care. That is > reproductive justice!"
>
> Using standard crowd estimate methods, March participants were
counted > in designated grids on the National Mall, which are designed to hold
a > predetermined number of people. The March also verified this count by > assigning 2,500 volunteers to stand at key entry points to the March > area and at bus drop-off locations and count people by placing March > stickers on participants as they entered these entry points. >
> For more information on the March for Women's Lives, visit: > www.marchforwomen.org >
