The Latest on Peace & Life Referendums Colorado: The signature count wasn’t quite sufficient to put a late-term abortion ban on the ballot, but they have a 15-day “cure period” to get more. The period doesn’t start until the shelter-in-place order is lifted – at present, Friday, May 15. But opening is a gradual process. There still won’t be large crowds for petitioning, and social-distancing rules will apply. It will take creativity to get signatures. Anyone who can get even just a few can make all the difference. If you’re in Colorado or have sympathetic friends who are, please visit or get them to visit Due Date Too Late.
California: The initiative by bail bondsmen to make cash bail a “right” – actually, a sneaky way of making it required – failed to get enough signatures. Thankfully, that one is off the list. However, a more straightforward referendum on replacing bail with risk assessment is on the ballot. On our California page, we explain the abortion connection; the connection to profiteering off poverty is clear.
The Latest on Planned Parenthood Closings The International Planned Parenthood Federation reported over a fifth of its "static clinics" worldwide were closed due to Covid-19. That’s 546 centers as of April 9, 2020. In the U.S., there have been more closings and severely limited service since we reported last week. Because the situation is hopping, we’ve put an extra page on our site, Grassroots Defunding: Finding Alternatives to Planned Parenthood
The page includes: Action suggestions specific to this situation A constantly updated list of which centers are currently closed Background on how the Covid-19 situation fits into U.S. trends An overview by state of the impact of Covid-19 on PP centers
April Awareness April is Sexual Assault Awareness and National Child Abuse Prevention Month. This year, during a time when staying at home is an order, it’s even more important to note that home is not safe for everyone. While many adjust to a new life of social distancing, homeschooling, online learning, and cancelled events, some are dealing with a quieter, deadlier problem: abuse at home. In the U.S., 63,000 children a year are victims of sexual abuse. Now, with stay-at-home orders in place, schools closed, and many social service agencies only operating via phone or internet, it’s even harder for victims to speak out or to be seen and helped. Our member group Feminists for Life offers these “Women Deserve Better” articles:
What Do You Do When You Suspect Child Abuse? Do You Know the Signs of Intimate Partner Violence? What to Do If You Have Been Sexually Assaulted
Our Latest Blog Post John Whitehead covers the problems that Covid-19 has brought for civil liberties and for conflict between U.S. and China: Sickness is the Health of the State? Civil Liberties and Conflict during a Pandemic.
Kevin Yuill and Theo Boer What Covid-19 has revealed about euthanasia Spiked, April 14, 2020 Covid-19 brings the reality of death, the necessity of caring for others and being cared for by others, into our living rooms, making the preciousness of all lives and the tragedy of all deaths real. We see the humanity of the elderly and frail; no longer are they burdens to be dispatched from this world, but victims of horrifying disease that all are invested in fighting . . . Perhaps, though, we can remember this time when we made huge sacrifices to preserve every life, no matter how frail and vulnerable. We can remember this time when euthanasia no longer seemed necessary.
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