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Mike Hudson wrote article about abortion |
Kristen Grandinetti didn't think much of the article. |
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Last week Mike Hudson's story "Grandinetti To Celebrate Abortion Rights Hosting Rocking Party August 14" touched a raw nerve with the councilwoman and her supporters, to say the least.
Councilwoman Grandinetti, a long-time supporter of reproductive rights (which encompass a broad span of women's health issues, not only abortion services), has hosted an annual downtown Niagara Falls fundraising event for Planned Parenthood for over a decade. She had been an advocate and activist for family planning, comprehensive and age-appropriate sex education, STI (sexually-transmitted infections) prevention and treatment and related issues long before the idea of politics, or running for city council, ever occurred to her.
With the redistricting of Rep. Louise Slaughter back to Rochester, and the defeat of another congresswoman, Kathy Hochul, that leaves Grandinetti as the only politician, female or otherwise, in all of Niagara County who is 100% honest and forthright about, as well as vigorously acting on, her pro-choice views.
This is what she posted to Facebook in response to Hudson's story last week:
"Usually I ignore ignorance, but when it affects my community and or those I love I can't stand silent. Niagara Falls has the highest teen pregnancy rate and highest STI rate in the region. NO ONE wants to have an abortion. But if they are necessary, they should be safe. Our school district does not do a thorough job educating our youth about safe and healthy sex, including domestic violence, family planning and the Lgbt communities' struggles. Two percent of what we do at Planned Parenthood have to do with abortion services. The other 98% is standing up for women and children... And even men. I say "we" because I Stand With Planned Parenthood."
This statement was followed by dozens of "likes", as well as the following germane comments posted by Grandinetti's Facebook friends (edited for clarity):
"I went there for Health care because I wasn't satisfied with the revolving door doctor's office here! Clinics get a bad rap from those who've never used them! So Happy they offer excellent health care for EVERYONE!! Their Staffs are Top Notch!!!"
"...not surprising that a MAN wrote the article since he will need birth control, become pregnant or even need an abortion."
"Sometimes I wonder if it's a small town kind of thing. My friend interned with Planned Parenthood in International Falls, Minnesota (exactly like Niagara Falls - on the border, poor, low-quality education and no jobs). She couldn't believe how many 15-year-old girls were pregnant - and the fathers weren't 15-year-olds or even 25-year-olds. It's sad really."
"The truth we need to own in this case is that we need these services more than many communities and these services will go away if we are not diligent in maintaining them."
"Kristen, continue to follow your beliefs. People know you will always stand and up and be heard. Too bad people only focus on one issue and forget all the wonderful programs that are offered through Planned Parenthood, an educational arm in our community."
"Thank you what you have always done for the women of Niagara County."
"Stay strong! It amazes me what is swept under the carpet in Niagara Falls! We have some serious issues with our children and their lack of respect for their own bodies and safety... it is hard to send our children into a community where there is so much misinformation and ignorance! We need more than health classes at Prep and HS levels. Planned Parenthood offers useful programs presented to our youth in a user friendly way!"
"What will happen to the kids I see today? Yesterday I went out with ZOOM and saw what looked like a prostitute with two emaciated children standing on her porch."
Some say hosting a dance party at a local club to celebrate and raise a little money for abortion rights is bizarre. Many of these same people find nothing strange about grown men clustered around tables at gun shows, oohing and ahhing as they fondle their firearms, or being mesmerized by cars racing around an oval track for hours on end, or gathering in taxpayer-subsidized stadiums every Sunday by the tens of thousands to watch guys in helmets bash each other's brains out all afternoon.
It so happens the number of abortions in our country before and after Roe was and has remained around a million a year. The difference is that those women who used to rely on a coat-hanger, a potion provided by the neighborhood medicine woman or a girlfriend with a flashlight and a screwdriver now have access to a physician in a professional medical environment.
When abortion is illegal, women die. They died by the thousands in this country before the procedure was made safe and legal. These were our sisters, daughters, wives and mothers.
Upon entering politics, Grandinetti could easily have backed away from her strident convictions on these controversial issues, like so many mealy-mouthed, spineless politicians do in order to enhance their broad-based appeal and overall electability. But she's made out of better stuff than that. Party on.
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