It's 2008, and even in California the religious right is attempting to punish young women for having sex by bringing back illegal abortion. Progressives are starting to fight back, but the bad new is Yes on Prop 4 is still leading.
The last two times they put this anti-choice crap on the ballot, California voters wisely rejected it. This time, people aren't paying enough attention with so many other races and issues grabbing the headlines.
A couple weeks ago I headed down to The Home Depot Center in Carson, CA to hang with the wingnuts at the Sarah Palin super rally. The Courage Campaign, with the help of its members, paid for a plane to fly around overhead during the speech trailing a sign that read "Sarah Palin - Thanks, But No Thanks! No on Prop 4." Our goal was to connect the latest right-wing attempt to pass a "parental notification" law via the ballot initiative process with Sarah Palin's extremist anti-choice views. And let me tell you, every single person I spoke to at that rally was walking talking evidence of that connection. They are pumped about voting for Palin as well as Propositions 4 & 8 and they will be coming out in droves leading up to and on November 4th.
One of our goals in going to the Palin rally was to make sure people don't get lulled into a false sense of complacency about the election, so we produced a short web video to show you just how ubiquitous our banner was at that rally as well as to demonstrate just how wingnutty our fellow Californians can be and how motivated they are. One guy I spoke to in particular had some choice words about liberals -- you'll see him at the end of the video -- and issued what I take as a challenge to us all. You gotta see it to believe it.
Watch it below:
Let's make sure we prove him wrong and let all of our friends and family know how crucial it is to vote against Prop 4 and 8. Spread the word HERE.
(disclaimer: I am proud to work for the Courage Campaign)
Proposition 4 is another bad anti-choice proposal: parental notification, an automatic child abuse investigation if the young woman doesn't want to notify her parents and can't find a judge to approve. And if she is able to find a judge, the judge then has to declare her mature enough, and the judges have to make annual reports, county-by-county, on how many abortions are approved for young women each year.
Sarah Palin, fresh off the Vice-Presidential debate that Joe Biden handily won, is coming to California this weekend, including a rally at the Home Depot Center in Carson. California progressives are ready for her and are going to roll out our own welcome mat, letting Palin and the public know that California does not support her or the far-right beliefs she espouses.
The Courage Campaign is going to greet her with an airplane banner over the Home Depot Center tomorrow that will read "Sarah Palin, Thanks But No Thanks: No on Prop 4!" Proposition 4 is the return of parental notification, and Californians deserve to know what Palin's stance is on Prop 4 and parental notification. In her interview with Katie Couric:
Katie Couric, CBS News: "If a 15-year-old is raped by her father, you believe it should be illegal for her to get an abortion. Why?"
Governor Sarah Palin: "I am pro-life. And I'm unapologetic about my position..."
In 2007 the Alaska Supreme Court declared a parental consent law as unconstitutional, a decision Palin called "outrageous." Her response was to appoint another conservative to the court, giving it a conservative majority.
Californians need to know that Prop 4 is an attempt by social conservatives like Sarah Palin to write their extremist beliefs into our state's laws. Especially as Prop 4 holds a narrow lead in the polls, it is important that Californians are educated about Prop 4's Palin-esque goals.
Courage Campaign members are helping to fund the banner - it's a people-powered action, as are all these protest actions. Donate $33 to help get the banner in the air tomorrow!
The California Democratic Party will be there as well. They'll be bringing a projection screen to a rally outside the Home Depot Center that will display questions for Palin - tough questions that the McCain-Palin campaign doesn't want asked - that Californians have sent via text message. For more info and to sign up go to www.cadem.org/palin.
California progressives are also organizing protests for tomorrow's Palin events. Community organizers are helping put together a protest at Home Depot Center, appropriately enough. Click here for more information. LA Indymedia has information on how to get tickets for the event. Orange County activists will be holding a rally at the OC Performing Arts Center near South Coast Plaza from 3:30 to 6 tomorrow afternoon.
As always, good stuff
Here is my analysis of this fall's elections in California, broken up into 3 parts. Part 1 will cover the presidential race and the ballot measures, and the other two will be on the Congressional and State Legislature races; Part 2 Northern/Central California and Part 3 Southern California.
Why are we all in shock that a woman whose current residence is the Governor's mansion in Juneau would be chosen as the GOP vice presidential nominee? Perhaps it is because she is so cold to our view of democracy and women's rights that her ideals could have a terrifying effect here in California. She is the poster mom for the film Juno whose storybook tale of a teenage pregnancy has become incarnate in Bristol Palin. While her story is certainly played out in thousands of households across America, we all know the sugar-coated tale that winds from Hollywood to Alaska isn't the norm for teenagers facing this monumental issue.
Teenage pregnancy is an issue that we Californians will be facing once again on our November ballot. Like a bad movie sequel, it's a three time re-run for us in California. Proposition 4 will force voters to assess the idea of promoting parental notification for underage abortions. Twice before voters have rallied against this because they know it doesn't really work. Yet again we have to fight the fight for reproductive choice.
But never before has this ballot proposition had a limelight example like we do today.
