The National Organization for Women has declared a state of emergency to save women's rights to self-determination and reproductive freedom.  NOW is calling on activists everywhere to take part in a national campaign which will kick off with an Emergency Action for Women's Lives in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, April 22.

ROE V. WADE IS ON THE LINE

George W. Bush may have painted himself as a moderate during his campaign, but his actions as president show his true colors.  Bush and his supporters in Congress have declared war on women's reproductive rights.

Even before President Bush took the oath of office, his Cabinet nominees shattered any hope that he might keep his campaign promise of "compassionate conservatism."  Retreads from his father's administration have been joined by darlings of the radical right-wing, like John Ashcroft, to fill out W's team.  Proponents of some of the most regressive social policies are the new caretakers of our nation's resources.

On his first day in the Oval Office, Bush signed an executive order ending funding to international family planning organizations that offer abortion counseling or lobby their own governments in favor of abortion rights.  Organizations receiving funds will be afraid to even say the word abortion.  Bush's Global Gag Rule threatens the health and lives of women around the world.

The Bush administration is committed to actions and strategies that limit reproductive freedoms, such as eliminating life-saving stem cell research, criminalizing abortion providers, reducing availability of birth control and denying funding for sex education that actually educates students about sex.  And the attacks continue in Congress as anti-abortion forces in the House have introduced a bill to limit the availability of mifepristone (RU486).  And according to the Washington Post, Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives have opened a coordinated campaign to begin imposing new restrictions on abortion.  The radical right-wing of Congress plans to enact legislation that was blocked for years by President Clinton.

We must redouble our efforts.  And we have to send a strong, clear message to every U.S. senator:  We will not roll over while Bush tries to roll back our rights!  We will mount a massive movement to save our rights and the rights of generations to come.  We will not cede the U.S. Supreme Court to religious political extremists.  We are determined not to risk a generation of women's lives and opportunities without reproductive rights.

WE MUST ORGANIZE NOW -- BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE

The Emergency Action for Women's Lives on April 22, 2001 is the kick-off of a four-year campaign.  It's the beginning of our committed effort to save the right to privacy, not the end.  If we wait to organize, it may be too late because the attacks are coming now.  And the right to legal abortion hinges on one vote in the U.S. Supreme Court.
 There may be a vacancy on the high court as early as this summer.  It has been widely reported that Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, often the critical fifth vote in support of legal abortion, will retire at the end of this term.

With the Senate's confirmation of John Ashcroft, the standard for appointments has been lowered.  So right-wing ideologues like Orrin Hatch could be portrayed as moderate and then could more likely be confirmed.  Bush named Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas as the Supreme Court Justices he most respects.  Imagine who he might appoint to replace O'Connor.

Women's lives are at risk now.  The attacks on our rights demand an immediate response, and a pro-active campaign to save women's reproductive freedom and the right self-determination.  We must take action now.

WE MUST DELIVER OUR MESSAGE IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

Women's rights supporters must put together the largest group of people we can.  We must make it clear to the Senate that we are serious about protecting our rights.

Democrats in the Senate have a slim margin to sustain a filibuster to block an anti-abortion Supreme Court nominee.  (Forty-one votes are required to sustain a filibuster.  Forty-two Democrats voted against Ashcroft.)  We need to shore-up the Democrats, and we need to pressure moderate Republicans to ensure that the next U.S. Supreme Court justice supports women's rights, including legal abortion.  It will take nothing short of a national Emergency Action to save the Supreme Court.  And women's lives hang in the balance.

Organizing activists to come to Washington will lay the groundwork for effective action in every state.  Already, state legislators across the country are working to restrict access to abortion and mifepristone.  As Bush and Congress increase attacks on reproductive freedom, state and local politicians will increase their attacks.  We need to build our network our activists and our visibility to mount an effective campaign to keep abortion legal.

Included in the Emergency Campaign for Women's Lives is a call for local actions in communities throughout the United States.  This is a grassroots campaign focused on every level of government, and dedicated to stop the attacks on women's rights.

Our efforts this spring will build the activism we will need to elect feminists to Congress in 2002!

SAVE WOMEN'S RIGHTS -- SAVE THE EARTH

Reproductive freedom is an environmental concern.  There are an estimated 6,142,412,158 people in the world.  If women are denied access to effective means of birth control, and are forced to carry unwanted pregnancies to term, the population will explode -- and the earth will suffer.

The date of the Emergency Action was selected when Earth Day organizers withdrew their request for a permit on April 22 in Washington, D.C.  We hope that eco-feminists and all environmentalists will come to Washington for this very important action.

REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM IS A GLOBAL ISSUE

While the Emergency Action for Women's Lives will coincide with a week of anti-globalization actions in Quebec and around the world, we believe that these events complement each other. The Global Gag Rule was Bush's first attack on women's reproductive freedom -- putting the health and lives of women around the world at risk.  By eliminating funding for international family planning organizations that offer abortion counseling or lobby their own governments in favor of abortion rights, Bush is guaranteeing increased poverty around the world.

Anti-globalization actions will be held in Washington, D.C. on April 21, 2001.  We hope that many activists who are unable to travel to Quebec, will be able to come to Washington to participate in a weekend of progressive actions.  And coalitions in communities across the country can work together to build both events.

The progressive movement is strong enough to support multiple actions.  We plan to demonstrate that on April 22.

ACT NOW AND LATER!

The attacks against safe, legal abortion and birth control demand that we take immediate action.  We must organize as many people as possible to come to Washington on April 22.  And we must begin the campaign to wrest Congress from the hands of radical, religious extremists.

On April 22, 2001, we will take action to launch a massive campaign for women's rights.  The Emergency Action for Women's Lives will be the first action in four-year's of feminist actions. April 22 is the first day -- and we will not stop until we boot the ultra-conservatives out of Congress and the White House!