Why I'm "Marching" for Trust Women Week

The Hyde amendment banned spending federal funds on abortion and I didn't speak out because I didn't use Medicaid.

They restricted access to abortion for residents of D.C., but I didn't speak out because I didn't live in D.C.

The House voted to take away Title X funding for birth control and Pap smears from poor women, to redefine rape to exclude a woman who was drunk, drugged or underage, and authorized hospitals to let a women die rather than perform an abortion, and I didn't speak out because it couldn't happen to me.

They shot Dr. Tiller, and tried in several states (SD, NE, IA) to legalize killing doctors as justifiable homicide and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a doctor. And I was scared.

They tried to strip abortion coverage out of all insurance plans during health care reform, and I didn't speak up because I thought I might lose "more important things."

They tried to take away collective bargaining, Medicare, Social Security, teaching science in schools, our ability to save the climate, financial regulation, and reproductive rights. And I knew it was time to speak out!

- Sophia Yen and Ellen Shaffer, based on Martin Niemoller

Click here to "march" online with the Trust Women/Silver Ribbon Campaign, MoveOn, and over 70 other groups to let legislators know that reproductive health, reproductive justice and reproductive rights are at the top of our agenda, and should be at the top of theirs.