Since 1973 when Roe v. Wade legalized abortions, the Right has been on the attack to cut back women’s reproductive rights.

In the 1980s and early 90s there was a huge abortion rights movement to protect what was won in 1973, resulting in demonstrations averaging about half a million demonstrators taking to the streets in 1992.

Ever since then the abortion rights movement has been on a retreat and as a result we have seen huge set backs within the last 5 years.

These include Bush’s ban on late-term abortion, which is unclear if it even makes exceptions for women whose health is in serious danger. The bill is so ambiguous that many doctors who perform abortions are now fearful to do so.

Bush’s newest attack is a bill which wants to give full adult rights to a fetus, thus making it homicide to terminate a pregnancy. A fetus under this bill has more rights than an infant.

It is undebatable that Bush and the Republicans are completely against a women’s right to choose, however, the Democrats are not the answer to securing full abortion rights.

John Kerry, the presidential Democratic candidate completely avoids this issue when he is asked about it.

By not talking about such a fundamental issue should send out warning signs to all activists in the abortion rights movement.

In fact, during the vote over whether or not to ban late term abortions, Kerry did not even show up for the vote!

Do we want to elect a candidate who won’t even address the issue that is most important to us? NO! It is also true that it was under Clinton that the movement fizzled out, allowing Clinton to avoid the topic and thus paving the way for Bush to launch his attack, which he did just 48 hours after taking the oath of office!

What do we need to do to secure FREE, legal abortion with access to ALL (today, 86% of all counties in the US do not have access to abortion clinics)? We need to form a permanent movement with activists in the streets demanding what is every woman’s right: free, safe abortions whenever they are needed.

The movement must never stop fighting, because how can a woman compromise her reproductive rights – how can someone compromise their basic human rights?!

We cannot allow states to pass bans on all forms of abortions, which were almost done in South Dakota two weeks ago. The Right is on the attack. We need to be organized and ready to fight them.

Join us in the streets of Washington DC on April 25 to march for abortion rights. The Reproductive Rights Coalition, which meets every Monday at 7:30pm in L/L 216 Commons, is sending two buses down. We need your support and voices, so call 656-8746 for tickets, or come to our meetings to help us organize.

Tell the White House that WE WON’T GO BACK! Abortion is right that every woman should have. Join in the fight because apathy never changed anything!