When Donald Trump opened his mouth and announced that Hillary Clinton was "playing the woman card " in her quest for the presidency, he unleashed plenty of reaction.
NARAL Pro-Choice America saw the slam as an opportunity to put together
a deck called the Gender Cards. The set applauds the achievements of American women, from the
Suffragettes to the founders of #BlackLivesMatter. Writers, artists, athletes and activists are
included, along with the four women who have served on the Supreme Court and Harriet Tubman. Hillary Clinton is the Ace
of Hearts.
The two Joker cards are Mindy Kaling and the duo of Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. However, it goes without saying that the 2016 election, from the top of the ticket on down, is no laughing matter.
Trump has stated that women should be punished for having an abortion(which he sort of walked back), and has been definitive about appointing a "pro-life" justice to the Supreme Court who is committed to invalidatingRoe v. Wade .
The threat to reproductive rights goes far beyond the Roe v. Wade ruling. It is a constant war of attrition for those in the anti-choice movement, who are continually working to devise new approaches that will impact the playing field.
More than eight-hundred laws, which chip away at access to abortion, have been passed in individual states over the past ten years. They particularly impact those who are young, low-income, and women of color.
NARAL has made it a point to call out elected reps who are getting a pass. A prime example is their push to make the voters of New Hampshire (who overwhelming believe that a women's access to abortion should not be restricted by the government) aware of Sen. Kelly Ayotte's repeated activities to put limitations on reproductive rights and to defund Planned Parenthood. Ayotte is also one of the senators refusing to consider the confirmation hearings of Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland -- until after the election -- which will impact all cases heard.
I contacted Ilyse Hogue, President of NARAL, to get her thoughts on the latest infringement on abortion rights in Oklahoma -- where the legislature passed a bill to take away the medical licenses of doctors who perform abortions (which Governor Mary Fallin subsequently vetoed). I also wanted to hear her thoughts on this wacky, and scary, presidential election.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
