MALDEF: 2012 Is About Reproductive Justice And Economic Development (VIDEO)

Over a hundred leaders convened this Thursday in Washington, D.C. to attend the annual Latino State of the Union: Roundtable on Law, Policy and Civil Rights hosted by the Mexican American Legal Defense Fund (MALDEF), the leading U.S. Latino civil rights organization.

Speakers U.S. Secretary of Labor, Hilda Solis, and MALDEF President Thomas A. Saenz joined other panelists to address the upcoming year’s public policy priorities: reproductive justice and economic development.

"Latinos are a dynamic population, growing, changing and diverse, so too are their public policy concerns," said Professor Roberto Suro, Director of the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute at the University of Southern California, at the event.

On the same day, in a debate about contraception policy in Congress, a young woman wasn't allowed to speak about how it affects women, the subject of reproductive justice - making resources available for all persons to make decisions about their health - was addressed by the participants.

Congressman Darrell Issa, Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, prevented Sandra Fluke, a third-year student at Georgetown University Law School, and the Minority designated witness to participate in the debate.

Consequently, two Democratic Representatives walked-out of the session.

Jessica González-Rojas, Executive Director of the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health, stated, "There is urgency in this moment. Latinas are often the most impacted by the attacks on reproductive health and rights and the assaults on immigrant families. Now is the time to make our collective voices heard and stand up for the health, rights and dignity of Latinas."

Comments

[Gcock10]

03:08 AM on 02/21/2012

IRONICAL that MEN always determine WOMENS' FEMALE HEALTH issues
Why do women vote Republican anyway? WHY? Self fulfilling prophecy of the (INFERIOR SEX)?
Women have NOT realised the power they have OVER men.
Will they ever?

[Rob Paterson1]

10:40 PM on 02/20/2012

MALDEF admired and respected always!

[mira chancleta]

08:19 AM on 02/22/2012

...only by low intellect, low context, simpletons who think that having babies is some badge of honor at 14.

[SouthOfCincy]

02:16 PM on 02/19/2012

Ms. González-Rojas' statement makes it sound like Latino women genuinely don't know how to prevent pregnancy. Just how expensive is a condom these days? The rhythm method is free. Other than just not doing "it", no birth control is 100% effective. And that "reproductive justice" term.....geez.....

[nasknit]

04:32 PM on 02/18/2012

New verbage coined: "Reproductive justice"! What a load of BS.

[mira chancleta]

09:41 AM on 02/20/2012

It's the new PC for "reproductive" irresponsibility and I want someone else to pay for my lack of control and intelligence...It will make for a great bumper sticker on her low-rider...what a jerk this woman is!

[wlnorman]

12:33 PM on 02/18/2012

Comservatives could not survive on any issue if the public was fully informed. It will always be a white, upper middle to rich, Christian (claims but conduct seems to contradict that) "led" group that relies on an easily fooled base.

You will never see much beyond "token" women, lower income class, non-white, non-Christians (it has only gradually accepted Catholics increases in last few decades), etc, among leadership.

[zappbrannigan420]

01:09 PM on 02/18/2012

Thats hasn't been proven to be a bad thing. After all, it wasn't women who landed on the moon, it wasn't a black man who discovered germ theory, it wasn't a Mexican who invented the assembly line, the internal combustion engine - let alone allowed for the just and good expansion of the American people across the continent.

Why rock the boat when you've got a winner already - white Christian Republicans after all freed the slaves and they do donate more to charity every year...

[Bird in the Hand]

10:36 AM on 02/19/2012

Two democrats that provide more funds to charity yearly than all repubs combined: Buffet and Gates.

[louisediane33]

11:45 AM on 02/19/2012

Just because groups are held back from achieving so that one can claim victory does not mean that we as a nation have reached the best that we have been capable of. How much sooner might we have landed on the moon, discovered germ theory, invented the assembly line, the internal combustion engine, and truly the just and good expansion of the American people across the continent if all groups of all PEOPLE are allowed to work towards individual goals and productivity?

[patches04]

12:42 AM on 02/18/2012

What a travesty this Issa and his fellow women haters made at this hearing!!!

[southingtonian]

10:41 PM on 02/17/2012

It's about freedom from the religious dictates of others.

[nasknit]

04:37 PM on 02/18/2012

I'm NOT preventing anyone from getting birth control! I took care of my own birth control needs for decades- And, paid for it myself! The sticking point seems to be, "WE want birth control, & WE want Everybody Else to pay for us to have birth control."

[inthedesert]

08:12 PM on 02/17/2012

Mexicans do not believe in birth control. It is against their religion and not recognized by their culture in general. And then, when they come to America and get money for every child they have, there is no incentive to stop having kids..................IS THERE?

[patches04]

12:43 AM on 02/18/2012

unthedesert, many Mexicans are leaving Catholicism for protestant churches. At least they are Christian. Plus, having lived in the southwest, I have seen what hard workers they are. They do jobs whites would never do. So get over yourself.

[dlp7202]

02:02 AM on 02/18/2012

Patches,
I hope most of your group leave the Catholic church. If you seriously study the economics of Spain over history, then Mexico, you can better understand that it is to the Church's benefit to keep their parishoners ignorant about many things (NOT stupid...ignorant!) . Freedom of (and from) religion can and does change this.
I wish you and your family much success in the future, and hope that the Republican governments of the southwest states do not treat you too unfairly!

Dave/

[Abraham1771]

02:31 AM on 02/19/2012

Oh yeah?
So why did the birth rate in Mexico fall from 5.1 to 2.1 children per woman in one genereation?

Which by the way makes the Arizona effort to chase Latinos out of the State extremely dumb! Because those workers are not coming back, and new immigrants are not replacing them, because the standard of living in Mexico has gone up, and with fewer children ir will go up even faster!

Georgia farmers are even more hit by rotting produce in the fields and spoiling fruits on the trees. Because these poor white ole boys out of a job are not strong enough to do the work, or they are too lazy to get off the rocking chair watching Fox News and having a Bud.

[trailerguy]

11:25 AM on 02/19/2012

I am all for giving hispanics free birth control, notr just in US but in countries south of border as well, This would be a cheap solution to the over population problem. Kudos to mexico and its people for getting its fertily rate down. I would wager that Mexico will have a lower fertilty rate than the US in several years. I base this on what has happen in other up and coming countries, such as south korea.

[trailerguy]

11:28 AM on 02/19/2012

mexico has made great stides, no need to slam Georgia farmers though. Many are hardworking and are no strangers to physical labor.