Over 100 people gathered on the Ruth Steinkraus Bridge this morning.
Today’s event at the town’s favorite political protest gathering spot — organized in just 24 hours — rallied opponents of Texas’ abortion bill. In effect since Wednesday, the most restrictive regulation in the country bans abortions once cardiac activity can be detected in the embryo — about 6 weeks after pregnancy begins.
The law makes no exception for rape or incest. It also leaves enforcement up to private citizens. They can sue Texas abortion providers who violate the law, and anyone who “aids or abets” a woman getting the procedure — including, for example, an Uber driver who takes a woman to a clinic.
About 2/3 of the protestors were women and girls. But there were plenty of men and boys too.
(Photos courtesy of Danielle Dobin)
Sure am glad we didn’t move to Texas! How dare they stick their nose into a Woman’s right to choose what she does with her own body! It’s none of anybody else’s business!
This makes me sick…
Bunch of busybody men and frustrated old infertile women made that law!
Absolutely pathetic
I was leaving my comment on Jill turner ,
She’s supports murder of unborn babies
How about the republicans blocking of common sense gun laws that cause the murders of so many children? Do you support that or do you even care?
What a stupid remark! I just don’t think it’s any politicians right to demand a woman have a child regardless of the situation. It’s a private matter between a woman and her doctor. What if it was your wife or daughter who was raped and got pregnant?
The hotline is for busy bodies sticking their nose where it doesn’t belong all for their greedy financial gain. Like was mentioned, how do they know why somebody is going to Planned Parenthood. Back when I was younger, Planned Parenthood didn’t even do abortions, they provided birth control and counseling for family planning and pregnancy. Don’t just assume you know me, you know what they say about people who assume…
Now you have a nice day…
And YOU support FORCING CHILDREN who are victims of RAPE/INCEST to bring those pregnancies to term.
Governor Abbott and the Texas legislature are the American Taliban.
We need to boycott everything and anything from Texas
While I don’t blame you for your remark many of us who now live in Texas do not support this law. We are heart broken. See my comment below.
Dear Mr. or Mrs. Tibbs, I do not see Ms. Odice’s comment the way you do. From the start let me say that I am elderly and from Westport but now live in Texas. This law encourages and pays people to be snoops and tattle tales. I have a wonderful daughter in love. At one part of her early life she lived way out in the country, far form many services. As it happens the nearest place she could go for some medication was a Planned Parent Clinic. Under this law if she needed a ride and the person taking her did not know her purpose that person under this law would be encouraged to report her in hopes of monetary reward. I could go on and tell you about the person I know who died because she could not get an abortion leaving her other children motherless. Believe it or not after reading this I want you to know I am a person who believes in the Right to Life. It just isn’t a cut and dried situation. Finally, I wish I could capture the picture of the young girl with the sign: “Do Better with the state outline” !
I hope and pray that Texas can do better for all our sakes. However it now all seems to depend on the courts.
Thank you all for rallying for choice!!
One of the pictures showed someone with a sign with the image of RBG, which got me thinking:
It’s unfortunate that she put herself before country, and refused to step down while Obama was still in office, and the Dems controlled the Senate. She was selfish, and refused to retire. And now, her legacy is gone, and we have a conservative Supreme Court for the next generation.
Oh well, elections have consequences. And people up here need to respect that Texans (or at least a majority of Texans, who elected pro-life legislators and governor) have different values than Connecticut liberals. We wouldn’t want them imposing their conservative values on us, so I think we should respect their decisions and not impose our values on them. We need more tolerance and acceptance in this country.
I don’t think the governor and the legislators actually represented the will of the majority of Texans.
You are correct.
Dozens rallying …..
Total nonsense, pictures of 13 year olds with signs , and a few Westport oldies who have nothing better to do .The choice to choose life over abortion is a fundamental moral issue.
Life is precious!
Interesting use of words, Mr/s Clerkin. “Choice” “Choose”
I don’t think anyone on that bridge doesn’t think life is precious. But those lives include the lives of women. Women who now under Texas law, may become impregnated against their will and now forced to carry a fetus to term. Women who, to Mary’s point, can no longer seek regular reproductive health care without the threat of being turned into the authorities under the suspicion of seeking an abortion. I also don’t believe that any of the people on that bridge think that abortion is preferable to other methods of preventing unwanted pregnancies, for example birth control, which these same GOP politicians are loathe to provide.
You can believe life is precious and recognize the horror that is this Texas law.
PRO-CHOICE IS THE AMERICAN WAY
Why does every ‘protest ‘on the RS bridge look like a Westport photo opp?
I’m totally out there with you in spirit !
Perfect comment James Waldron. It’s like the Westport moms tell their kids, “Make some signs! Let’s go wave to drivers and show how we’re taking a stand that 99.99% of Westporters already agree with! Maybe we’ll get in Dan Woog’s blog! Make sure to wear nice clothes, and smile!”
Yup – this gives Westport kids material that they can use in their college applications, on how they “took a stand” (that’s what last year’s BLM “protest” was all about).
Why is everyone always so happy and smiling? Hint: it’s because this is simple virtue signaling. If people really cared about this issue, they’d be flying down to Texas and protesting where it really mattered. This is simply something to occupy the time until people’s brunch reservation.
People can do both. But you have a point.
Anyone who wants to go a step further can donate to or volunteer for any of the following organizations, which are assisting women in Texas, including, among others, Act Blue, Fund Texas Choice, Texas Equal Action Fund, The Lilith Fund and The Center for Reproductive Rights.
Excellent mansplaining. Thanks.
I. Love. This. Comment!!!!!!!!!
From your old Bedford student Tracy Flood
Mark, Michael and James, why are you so threatened by women , men and children speaking out?. It sounds ridiculous that you are criticizing them as being out there as a photo op. Someone was taking their picture so they smiled. Find something better to do with your time and if you don’t find their efforts worthwhile then look away.
It would be an interesting discussion to inquire those who stand for “my body, my choice” in protest of the Texas abortion law, of their opinion regarding forcibly promoting the mandating of CoViD-19 mass vaccination.
Chris there’s a huge difference between abortions and covid vaccines. Unless you live in a bubble your choice to not get vaccinated directly harms others – continuing to spread a communicable disease most notably to the young who can’t be vaccinated and the immunocompromised. The choice of a woman or a girl to make her own medical decisions does not impact others.
Since you asked, if by “forcibly protesting the mandate” you are suggesting that the federal, state or local governments have “forced” a single individual anywhere in the United States to receive the covid vaccine against their will, you are mistaken. That’s not a thing that has happened.
Make that, “forcibly promoting the mandate”.
The vaccines do not prevent infection, viral replication, or transmission. They protect from severe disease, hospitalization and death. Every doctor knows this.
The CDC says this about infection and transmission:
COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective at preventing COVID-19, including severe illness and death.
COVID-19 vaccines are effective against severe disease and death from variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 currently circulating in the United States, including the Delta variant.
Infections happen in only a small proportion of people who are fully vaccinated, even with the Delta variant. When these infections occur among vaccinated people, they tend to be mild.
If you are fully vaccinated and become infected with the Delta variant, you can spread the virus to others.
Currently, it is estimated there are 35,000 symptomatic cases of COVID-19 per week among the 162 million vaccinated Americans. The preliminary data also show an increased percentage of vaccinated persons among those hospitalized with COVID-19 listed in the Hospitalization Surveillance Network.
Not sure what your point is here. Of course there are breakthrough cases in those who have been vaccinated. That is expected. But even if there is an increase in those vaccinated requiring hospitalization, the vast, vast majority of those getting infected, sick and requiring hospitalization are those who have refused to get vaccination. Almost all deaths from covid are occurring in the unvaccinated.
Yes, choosing to accept the vaccine is a wise choice to protect oneself from severe disease, hospitalization and death.
On the contrary, choosing to forgo the vaccine does not put others at risk. The vaccine does not prevent infection, viral replication or transmission.
Sorry for exceeding the suggested number of comments. This will be my last.
It is FALSE to claim that the unvaccinated do not put others at risk. The epidemic is occurring almost entirely among the unvaccinated. Failing to get vaccinated absolutely puts others at risk. Period.
It is FALSE to state that the vaccination does not prevent infection or transmission. Again, check the CDC if you don’t believe me.
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20210803/Unvaccinated-and-vaccinated-have-similar-viral-load-in-communities-high-in-SARS-CoV-2-delta.aspx
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20210803/Unvaccinated-and-vaccinated-have-similar-viral-load-in-communities-high-in-SARS-CoV-2-delta.aspx
In reference to: “The choice of a woman or a girl to make her own medical decisions does not impact others.”
Mother Theresa:
“By abortion, the mother does not learn to love, but kills even her own child to solve her problems. [Abortion is] really a war against the child, and I hate the killing of the innocent child, murder by the mother herself,” said Mother Teresa. “And if we accept that the mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another?”
In addition, Mother Teresa said a country that accepts abortion does not teach its citizens to love one another. Instead, it is teaching its people to resort to violence to get what they want. She also called abortion the “greatest destroyer of love and peace.”
For Mother Teresa, the unborn are the poorest of the poor and the weakest of the weak. All parents to urged to practice “self-giving love” as this kind of love spreads from the family and to the world.
(The commonplace lawn signs: Hate Has No Home Here …. especially in the mother’s womb).
It’s amazing how we have people who are infatuated with zygotes and single cell creatures. The only care about the unborn fetuses, the hell with them when they’re born. American Taliban indeed.
And you have a voice to state your opinion today, because your mother did not abort you when you were alive in her womb.
Just so we’re clear here, you’ve got no problem with forcing a 12 child, pregnant as a result of incest/rape, to give birth. No exceptions. You’d be okay with that, right? You’re okay with forcing your beliefs into the bodies and lives of other people. Isn’t what they call fascism?
To clear up any misunderstanding, we live in The United States of America as Americans with God-given rights:
https://www.heritage.org/political-process/commentary/the-right-way-think-about-rights
There is no misunderstanding Chris. You say yes to forcing 12 year children to bear their rapists babies.
Please educate yourself and others:
https://www.mccl.org/whyprolife
https://www.nrlc.org/education/
So Chris, if your own 12 year old daughter was raped and impregnated, you’d force her to give birth, huh?
Looking for a yes or no here.
https://www.mccl.org/whyprolife
Just no god given rights for female children or women. Your viewpoint is identical to the taliban.
Russell & Chris, if you guys decide to throw-down during recess (that’s fight for all you SHS ’72 and older crowd), can you let us know? Date? Time? We’ll keep the adults away.
Mother Teresa said a country that accepts abortion does not teach its citizens to love one another. Instead, it is teaching its people to resort to violence to get what they want. She also called abortion the “greatest destroyer of love and peace.”
“And you have a voice to state your opinion today, because your mother did not abort you when you were alive in her womb.”
And the retort is ….
I just read this on Facebook. It’s interesting what this person had to say
—***—***—***—-
Them: You’re a murderer.
Me: Excuse me?
Them: You advocate murder. You have the blood of millions of unborn children on your hands.
Me: Okay. So I’m going to gloss over the fact you called me a murderer for the sake of asking you a question. What happens next?
Them: I don’t understand why that matters?
Me: What happens next? Once you have succeeded in your quest to stop the termination of a pregnancy – disregarding the circumstances for why the woman or couple wants to terminate (failed birth control, rape, lack of financial stability, unsuitable environment, domestic violence, mental health issues, lack of employment, medical issues, lack of comprehensive sexual education) – what happens next? Who pays for the prenatal or postnatal care? Surely not a couple working minimum wage who can barely afford their rent. Who provides healthcare and funds medical bills for single women with no place to live? Or a married couple who struggle to afford the children they already have? Who assists the millions of children in foster care still waiting to be adopted? Who helps them when they hit the street at 18 with no money or life skills?
Will you and your ilk – the self-proclaimed “pro-life” community help to fund comprehensive sexual education for teens? How about access to affordable birth control? Why not promote a vasectomy as a viable option for men who don’t want children? How about funding scientific research so men can have more birth control options than just condoms? Is your community going to help pay for healthcare and education costs?
Once you have succeeded in stopping the termination of a pregnancy, what role will you have in ensuring a quality of life for the foetus you so desperately wanted to save?
Them: That’s the parent’s responsibility.
Please educate yourself and others:
https://www.mccl.org/whyprolife
https://www.nrlc.org/education/
Chris. Will you be bounty hunting in Texas?
No one will change anyone’s minds on this subject. This thread is closed to further comments.