Vol. 75/No. 28      August 1, 2011

Working people and all those who support a woman’s right to choose abortion have a big stake in coming to the defense of the Reproductive Health Services clinic in Germantown, Maryland. Beginning July 30 Operation Rescue and other opponents of women’s rights will begin “Summer of Mercy 2.0,” nine days of demonstrations aimed to shut the facility down.

In response, a Summer Celebration of Choice is being organized, beginning with a “Kick-Off Walk” July 31 in the neighborhood where the clinic is located. Defenders of women’s rights will be out every day to ensure the clinic stays open. Join them! Get in a car, on a bus, on the train—get there however you can, and organize others to come with you. Talk to coworkers, neighbors, student clubs, unions, community groups, to anyone who can be won to seeing defense of the right to choose as central to defending equal rights for women and all working people.

In 1973 the Supreme Court ruled that women have the right to decide whether or not to have a child, striking down laws branding them criminals for seeking to control their own bodies. The ruling came as millions of women were entering the workforce, gaining confidence in their capacity to chart their own destiny.

Ever since, misnamed “Right to Life” forces have sought to take away the right to choose, setting back women’s fight for full equality. By keeping down the value of women’s labor power, and hampering their ability to participate fully in all aspects of economic, social, and political life, the capitalist class hopes to boost its profits and strengthen its rule.

While forces opposing women’s right to choose remain a minority, many states have sharply restricted access to abortion, and rightist opponents of women’s rights have threatened and even killed doctors and others providing abortion services. Electing “prowomen” politicians in the Democratic and Republican parties rather than building a fighting movement independent of these two capitalist parties has failed to counter these blows.

The actions planned to defend the Germantown clinic are an opportunity to demonstrate broad support for the right to choose. This strengthens the solidarity and fighting capacity of working people as we resist the capitalists’ assault on our living standards, conditions of work, and rights to act politically.

We need to outmobilize opponents of women’s rights. Join the July 31 walk and week of action in Maryland! Keep the clinic open! Defend a woman’s right to choose!
 
 
Related articles:
Women’s rights backers to mobilize in Maryland
London march demands right to abortion  
 
 
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