The 2004 General Election is Over, but the Fight is Not!
There is no question that we suffered some disappointments on Tuesday. Missouri has elected its first anti-choice governor since 1992, when pro-choice Mel Carnahan defeated John Ashcroft to become governor. And make no mistake that Matt Blunt is no friend to women in need of any kind of reproductive health care. As a matter of fact, Blunt's view on abortion is more extreme than that of President Bush! He believes that abortion should be banned even in cases of rape and incest.
To make matters worse, Peter Kinder, who was one of the two legislators in 2003 to lead the charge to axe the family planning program, was elected as Lt. Governor. When his term as a legislator ended last May and he was asked to reflect on his greatest accomplishments after 12 years in office, he listed his work on anti-choice legislation at the top of his list. During his campaign, he attacked Bekki Cook for her endorsement from "NARAL," which he claimed meant that she stood for "abortion on demand."
These are the men who will be leading Missouri's government for the next four years. These are the men who will influence the Missouri General Assembly--which also will be controlled by anti-choice leadership--for the next two years.
For this reason, we ask for your help. We need you to become a member of NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri today, by clicking on the "Support Us" button and sending in a donation of $10, $15, $20 or more. These are urgent times and we are facing a state crisis like none we have faced since 1920.
At the federal level, the most imminent threat we face is the selection by President Bush of one or more new Supreme Court justices. There is little doubt based on his health that Chief Justice Rehnquist will need to retire and that President Bush will have his opportunity to name a new Chief Justice. If Pres. Bush elevates one of the current Associate Justices, then he will get an opportunity to name two justices and shape the ideology of the court and its future decisions, including Roe.
For these reasons, we need your help more than ever.
In the House, we will have 36 pro-choice legislators in January 2005. We will also have 5 pro-choice Senators on whom to rely in getting our pro-choice voice heard on the Senate floor. For a state that already ranks 48th in the nation for access to abortion and other reproductive health care services, these numbers leave us all in fear for the future. We will need to mobilize unprecedented numbers of constituents in order to make our mark on the course of this legislative session. NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri intends on making this happen. But we need your help.
This organization is a membership driven organization. We are legally able to communicate about and expressly advocate to our members about much more--on federal and state issues--than we are with non-members. The more members and, thus, resources, we have the more we are able to speak for the 30,000 Missouri women who Matt Blunt and Peter Kinder believe should be denied breast cancer screenings, cervical exams, contraception and other health care services.
Please, help us to be the voice for all of Missouri's women.
To become a member, go to the "Support Us" page on top left hand side of this web page.
We, as pro-choice Missourians, must not let our voices be silenced by the conservatives and extremists on the other side who would have us believe that they are the only ones who have faith and morality.
Help us to build the voices of the pro-choice majority, which we all know are out there.
Best,
Carolyn Sullivan
Executive Director
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