An activist
is:
“Using your
voice for people who don’t have the privilege to use theirs” – Jessica Pensis, UW-Green
Bay Feminists 4 Action.
“Somebody
who transforms his or her passion into some type of action” – Chelsea Shields,
Wisconsin Right to Life.
“Anyone who
takes action towards the change they want to see in their communities and the
world” – Iris Riis, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin.
“Someone
who feels an issue is connected to their own values and reaches out and takes
action” – Brianna Bodoh, UW-Green Bay Phoenix Students for Life.
“Activism
is an attempt to influence other people for a particular cause for a greater
good” – Dr. Chistine Smith, Women’s & Gender Studies Department Chair
Definitions
of activism and what it means to be an activist, as told by self-described
activists on opposite sides of one of the most hot button issues of this or any
century.
“My mom”
says University of Wisconsin-Green Bay (UWGB) Professor, Christine Smith, on
what inspired her to become an activist. “My mom founded a union where she
worked, she marched for the Equal Rights Amendment, she was involved with
reproductive rights, so I get that from her and I’m carrying on the legacy. I’m
a feminist, a repro-rights activist, and a troublemaker,” says Dr. Smith
Chelsea
Shields, Legislative Director for Wisconsin Right to Life Political Action
Committee (PAC), says her mom was a catalyst for her activism as well. “She
shared with me that when she was pregnant with me, one of her friends was also
pregnant but was pressured into having an abortion by her husband.” Shields explains
this is what motivated her to get involved at age 17. “I’m at it full time now”
claims Shields.
Media
Relations Specialist for Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, Iris Riis, recalls that
doing a project in college is what led to her activism. “I started volunteering
with Planned Parenthood and actually had met the person in the media relations
role and I thought it would be great if I could have a job like that someday.”
Iris began working for Planned Parenthood in 2014 and says that giving voice to
marginalized communities and advancing reproductive justice are important parts
of her professional and personal life. “It’s what I do for my job but I’m also
very personally invested in moving the organization forward,” says Riis.
The issue
at the center of these activist stories remains one of the most polarizing
topics in modern society. This is the issue of abortion. Opinions on both the
legality and morality of abortion leave very little grey area between the
opposing stances.
Pro-Choice,
pro-life, anti-choice, reproductive rights, protecting the unborn, a woman’s
right to choose, a human’s right to life. The language of the abortion debate
takes on many forms, with many explanations of meaning and justification. It is
something that shows no signs of slowing down or becoming less heated.
The results of the 2016
Presidential election have left many questions about the next four years. Few
of these questions are as uncertain as maybe that of the fate of the United
States Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade. Activists on both sides of the issue
are well aware of how high the stakes are.
The case of Jane Roe v. Dallas
District Attorney Henry Wade is the 1973 landmark ruling by the United States
Supreme Court. In a 7 to 2 decision, the
court ruled that abortion was legal in all 50 states. According to PBS Frontline, the court’s decision
was based on the fundamental right to privacy under the Due Process safeguard
of the 14th Amendment. The country was virtually split in two in the
aftermath of its passing, a divide which still distinctly exists over 40 years
later.
Image: (My body my, choice sign) Image:
(Abortion is murder sign)
What the future holds for this
issue remains a mystery for now. Although activists on either side are as
engaged as ever, with clear plans, goals, and hopes.
With Roe vs. Wade still on the
books, pro-life activists are looking to undermine the justifications of the
case. “What’s interesting is that even people who disagree with us on the
abortion issue, do agree that the legal justifications of Roe v. Wade are very
faulty” says Chelsea Shields.
Justice Harry Blackmun authored the
court’s opinion on Roe v. Wade, which explicitly overruled the “right to life”
argument by claiming the right to an abortion is legitimatized in accordance
with a fundamental right to privacy. According to Justice Blackmun’s
decision the majority opinion cited the Due Process of the 14th
amendment, which protects denial of life, liberty, and property from the
government.
Fetal viability became a focal contested
point in the case decision. Viability, according to the Roe v. Wade
decision, occurs when the fetus can survive outside of the womb, with
medical help. According to Cornell Law,
a later Supreme Court case, Planned
Parenthood v. Casey, would claim that viability could be achieved between
23-24 weeks, or sooner with medical intervention.
According to Legislative Director,
Chelsea Shields, Wisconsin Right to Life activists feel that the viability
standards established in Roe and Casey are outdated because of today’s medical
advances in pre & post-natal care.
An example of the “undermining legislature” is a recently passed law in
Wisconsin, which redefines the viability standard. The Pain Capable
Unborn Child Protection Act is more commonly known in Wisconsin as the
20-week abortion ban. “The idea is to move the court away from viability as the
standard and base it around when the fetus feels pain,” explains Shields.
Though this legislature is meant to
specifically undermine the Roe v. Wade decision, Shields says the ultimate goal
is to see the ruling overturned. The possibility of which, is entirely plausible
due to the impending alterations to the United States Supreme Court. As well as
President-Elect Donald Trump’s commitment on 60 Minutes to having the
new court do so. Advocates for the pro-choice movement see the overturning of
Roe as a devastating and a likely dangerous prospect.
“I think a lot of women would die,”
says Becky Rasmussen, a Planned Parenthood employee and feminist activist, on
what she thinks the overturning of Roe v. Wade would cause. She explains that
people nowadays don’t have the experience of living before Roe was passed, and
aren’t aware of the circumstances women would find themselves in prior to 1973.
Rasmussen recalls hearing what she describes as horror stories from nurses and
volunteers who are old enough to have worked before Roe v. Wade was passed.
For a lot of activists who carry
the Pro-choice banner, the safety aspect is one of the most important
justifications for the law to remain. “People are going to find a way to have
an abortion whether or not it’s illegal. It’s just a matter of whether or not
it will be safe,” says Becky Rasmussen.
Iris Riis explains that the days of
the back-alley abortion was one of the reasons why the law was passed in the
first place. “Women were dying from trying to endorse their own abortions.”
Riis also agrees that criminalizing the procedure will not stop it from
happening. “Abortion does not just go away when you restrict access to it. When
women can’t get access to it they will try to find ways to end an unplanned
pregnancy.”
Restrictive access to abortion
services is becoming a reality in Wisconsin. NBC15
reported in August of 2016 that the Appleton North Planned Parenthood Clinic,
which provided abortion services, would permanently close its doors. There are now
only two cities in the state of Wisconsin (Milwaukee & Madison) where one
can go if they wish to terminate a pregnancy. Riis explains that the three
clinics in these cities are the closest facilities that serve people in
Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Two of the three remaining clinics
in Wisconsin are Planned Parenthood Clinics. Planned Parenthood, which recently
marked its 100-year anniversary, is often situated in the middle of
the abortion debate. Prof. Christine Smith feels this is because of the
services Planned Parenthood provides, their visibility, and because it is
federally funded. “Some Planned Parenthoods do abortions, most of them don’t.
They offer so many other services,” says Dr. Smith. She also explains that the
other services provided, such as Plan B and STD testing, are sometimes viewed by
detractors as abort-efficient, or promoting immorality.
Local Planned Parenthood clinics in
Green Bay and Appleton regularly attract protesters even though neither clinic
provides abortion services. “There are a lot more Planned Parenthood clinics
then there are abortion clinics so it just becomes easy. It’s all what Planned
Parenthood represents even if they don’t provide abortions,” says Prof. Smith.
“We definitely have protesters at
some of our locations and I’ve definitely come into contact with them” says
Iris Riis, yet explains that Planned Parenthood has a non-engagement policy
when it comes to protesters.
Rhetoric surrounding Planned
Parenthood is often volatile. According to Iris, the decision to close the
Appleton North Planned Parenthood facility was made in part because of newly
adopted security standards. “The closure of Appleton North has to do with
security measures. We wanted to update security based on some events that had
happened, not necessarily in Wisconsin but we’re always accessing our security
to make sure we have the strongest measures in place.” She also explains that
the location and the building’s lot would not adequately accommodate the new
standards.
These new security measures were
adopted following a shooting at a Planned Parenthood Clinic in Colorado
Springs, Colorado in November 2015. The shooting left 3 people dead, and nine
others wounded. The now closed North Appleton Clinic was previously the victim
of an arson attack in 2012. According to NBC15
no one was injured in the fire as it was lit after hours, though there was
damage to an exam room.
Planned
Parenthood employees, Iris Riis and Becky Rasmussen agree that the people who
are most effected by the closing of a health center are the women it serves. Iris
feels the patients were the biggest consideration made when making the decision
to close and explains that they’ve tried to minimize the impact as much as
possible.
According
to their website, Planned
Parenthood has existed in Wisconsin for 80 years. Yet the closing of the
Appleton North Health Center marks the latest Planned Parenthood clinic to
close under Governor Scott Walker’s administration. The
Huffington Post reports five Planned Parenthood clinics had previously
closed following Governor Walker reducing state funding for Planned Parenthood
by over $1 million.
Becky
Rasmussen claims that setbacks such as these and negative rhetoric further
motivate her to be involved in the cause. “For me it’s been a good driving
force. Someone has to do this work because there is going to be somebody out
there opposing it.”
Setbacks
and activism fatigue are felt on all sides of the issue. Chelsea Shields of
Wisconsin Right to Life considers herself a full time Pro-life activist and
says she definitely has moments of fatigue but assures it’s always temporary.
“You care so much about something and it does get monotonous, but at least once
a month something will pop up that fires me up again.”
Prof.
Christine Smith echoes these sentiments of fatigue, particularly when it comes
to Election Day 2016. “I think we just feel like we sort of got punched in the
gut here. A lot of people are saying, ‘we’re going to fight!’ and right now I’m
so tired of fighting.” Prof. Smith says she tries to remember in moments like this
that there will always be people fighting for this issue and those people won’t
go away.
The people fighting on either side
of this issue are active on UWGB’s campus as well. Brianna Bodoh is a student
here at UWGB, and the President of Phoenix Students for Life. Brianna says she
became involved with Phoenix Students for Life through another student org,
Newman Catholic Community. She stresses, however, Phoenix Students for Life is
not relegated to only religious students. “Everyone is welcome. It’s not just a
religious issue, it’s a human rights issue,” says Brianna.
Phoenix Students for Life and
Newman Club will work together to put on True Love week, which Brianna explains
will offset sex week. “It’s about making healthy relationship choices, learning
about abstinence etc.”
On the other side, there are UWGB
student organizations fighting for the pro-choice argument. Morgan Pertzborn is
the President of Feminists4Action, which is a student organization she
describes as more of a support group and a safe space for students to come and
discuss their gender related problems. Morgan also explains that while
reproductive rights are very important, the scope of Feminists4Action goes
beyond that issue. “Feminism is more of a worldwide issue. It’s much more than
advocating for white women, it’s for all women all over the world,” says
Morgan.
Kwynn Carter is a first-year leader
in Feminists4Action, she explains the best part of their meetings is what they
like to call, the rant portion. “It just feels so good to get everything off
your chest. It draws us all closer and bonds form really quickly.” Kwynn also
says being in Feminists4Action has inspired her to want to be more of an
activist in the future.
Feminists4Action and Planned
Parenthood recently put on a screening of Dawn Porter’s documentary, Trapped (2016) here at UWGB. The film
follows doctors and clinic owners who provide abortion services in states with
what are known as “TRAP laws”. According to the film, TRAP is an acronym that
stands for “Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers.” The film explains that
TRAP laws are passed as a way to undermine the federal law of Roe v. Wade.
Examples of these TRAP laws, according to the film, are fetal heartbeat bills,
which require the mother to listen to the heartbeat of the fetus before being
able to terminate the pregnancy.
Becky Rasmussen, an employee for
Planned Parenthood, says Wisconsin has several TRAP laws on the books. She
explains one of these laws is the mandatory waiting 24-hour waiting period
between appointments before one can elect to terminate a pregnancy. “The first
day is counseling only. The second day is when she can obtain medical
services,” explains Becky. The cost of the two visits, she says, can be very
high when things like travel, hotel, and childcare are all considered.
With laws and legalities always on
the front burner, both sides of the debate look to take a broader, more lasting
approach in their activism. Chelsea Shields of Wisconsin Right to Life says
that the long-term goal is to completely transform how the culture values life.
Shields describes this culture as one where, “Abortion is not just merely
illegal but that it’s unthinkable. A culture where a woman is empowered to life
where she never has to make a decision between her career or her schooling and
the life of her unborn child.” Shields also says that Wisconsin Right to Life
extends their scope to individuals dealing with end of life issues and issues
of stem cell research as well.
Brianna Bodoh, President of Phoenix
Students for Life, agrees that the pro-life movement extends beyond the
conversation of abortion legality. “The long run for the movement is to respect
life, to understand how precious life is, and what you can do with your life.”
Brianna also stresses that the Pro-life movement is not about being pro-life on
just one thing, it has to be all life.
Broad scope and cultural ideologies
are also targets for women on the pro-choice side of the debate. Dr. Christine
Smith is the chair of the Women’s & Gender Studies (WGS) Department here at
UWGB, and she believes that teaching WGS classes is an activism in and of
itself. “Women’s studies is academic feminism; feminism has to be academic
oriented and that’s a good thing. So whether it’s people who that back to their
family or take it to a different kind of level like their work environment or
join organizations or movements, it absolutely is,” says Dr. Smith.
Dr. Smith also explains that this
form of teaching as activism extends beyond WGS as well. “I teach research
methods and I think that’s a form of activism because if people can understand
research, they can’t be duped.” According to Dr. Smith adding to the overall literacy
of the world is activism.
Jessica Pensis, another first-year
officer in Feminists4Action, also feels the importance of activism’s reach when
it comes to cultural shift. “Even if your message gets out to just one person,
at least it did get out to that one person, and it can have a domino effect.”
The domino
effect regarding the next four years under the new Presidential administration
have yet to be seen. Yet, no matter what the future holds regarding this
particular debate one thing seems to remain constant. Women activists will
continue to fight for their cause, and fight to be heard from all sides.
An activist has to have:
“Thick skin, patience, and a sense of humor, definitely” –
Christine Smith, Activist
“The ability to listen to the other side but know what you
believe, and hold your ground” – Brianna Bodoh, Activist
“The commitment and willingness to be public in support” –
Becky Rasmussen, Activist
“Something in them that goes beyond saying they believe in
something” – Chelsea Shields, Activist
“Strong will and be able to stand by and believe what you
mean” – Jessica Pensis, Activist
“Passion” – Christine Smith, Brianna Bodoh, Becky Rasmussen,
Chelsea Shields.
Jessica Pensis, Kwynn Carter,
Morgan Pertzborn, Kya Hooker-Moerike,
Activists
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