Sunday, June 24, 2012

Mississippi: Many Writers and One Abortion Clinic

Though I had fun singing M-i-s-s-i-s-s-i-p-p-i as a kid, I've never been there. Maybe someday I'll have the courage to visit. Yes, it's got quite a place in the literary world-- William Faulkner, Tennessee Williams, Eudora Welty, Richard Wright, Barry Hannah, Beth Henley, and, of course, legal thriller superstar John Grisham-- and so many more writers. But Mississippi only has one abortion clinic, and it may be closed down in July.

Major News Announcement: Mississippi isn't a healthy place for women! And when state legislator Bubba Carpenter told a bunch of Republicans in May that "with the new law the Legislature had literally stopped abortion in the state of Mississippi" he sounds naive.  Or delusional.  Listen up, Bubba! Just because there isn't an abortion clinic in Mississippi doesn't mean women won't have abortions in Mississippi.  FYI: the do-it-yourself movement didn't start with HGTV.  Just in case you missed your women's history classes in high school: women have been taking care of unwanted pregnancies ever since, well, the beginning of time. And they will continue to do so. The clinic's doctor, Willie Parker, understands what Bubba apparently does not, and Dr.Parker "shudder[s] to think of the consequences" of closing the only clinic. And this is why abortion must be available in Mississippi and in every state.

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