letter to the editor of the san diego tribune, 4/27/2004

Thank you for your story about the march on Washington that occurred this past Sunday, April 25th. I thought you might like to hear some reflections on the day from a pro-choice San Diegan who attended.

First of all, I spent the greater part of the morning meeting and making new friends among the San Diego attendees- almost 500 by their count! San Diego should be proud to know that so many people from our city were participating in democracy and speaking up for our reproductive rights.

It bothers me a little that the march was constantly referred to as an "abortion rights" rally, although I know that was the focus of the day, and is sadly the way it is often spun to polarize the issue into black and white. However, this march was about much more than just abortion. Attendees were rallying for more comprehensive sex education, access to over the counter emergency contraception, safer and healthier birth control, and more comprehensive health care that would benefit women and children. Internationally, the US's policies regarding family planning have been distastrous and will only serve to send third-world countries further into the depths of disease and poverty. Access to abortion is but one part of it, and if we could, as a country, improve our positions on these other issues it would in fact reduce the necessity for abortion. Not one of the marchers wants a woman to have to make a choice to end a pregnancy, but it remains a much-need option in cases of ill health, poverty, or tragedy. Dialogue that has created personhood rights for fetus causes harm and undue burden on women, putting them under extreme pressure from the law in a society that already dictates physical and social standards. Religious arguments against abortion are valid, and should be heard, but they have no place in the law of this country.

This march is the biggest of its kind, perhaps of any kind, in the history of the US. March organizers put the estimate at 1.15 million. There was a lot of anger, and demonstration on the part of the marchers, but overall the spirit of sisterhood, of fighting for a worthy cause, was the main feeling of the day. Anywhere you looked, people were smiling, laughing, and making friends and marching companions. The relief at being in a safe place away from the realities of sexism and racism was unbelievable- coming back on the plane I felt the burden tenfold but was stronger for what I had experienced.

Regardless of how one feels about reproductive rights, it is important in these times to reject imposition of religious ideologies that block and taint true, factual scientific evidence about our sexuality and reproductive capacities. We are a country that promises both freedom of religion and freedom from religion, and that's what the march was all about. Many people are concerned about the activities of our current president, and would like to see him truly stand up for the rights of the American people instead of bowing to pressure from very vocal (and rich) ideological minorities.

Thank you for the time you took to read my letter. If you have any other questions about the march or the people that attended, please feel free to contact me.

Lorn H
Rancho Bernardo