Two weeks ago I was invited into Beacon High School to address the issue of abortion in a "Participation in Government" class. For years I have been doing this at all the local high schools. It's been the "Willa Frieband and Helen Westover Show". Willa, Public Affairs Director of Mid-Hudson PP and myself presenting anti/pro-abortion talks, on different days. Without fail after I give the kids the pro-life side they insist Willa and I come in again together, so they can question us both. There has NEVER been an exception to this demand from the kids. I tell them "Sure; anytime, at Willa's convenience! If she can only make it at 4:00 a.m., I'll be there. You deserve to grill us both, to get the full picture and decide who is being truthful."

So they do, and Willa always turns them down. So we win by default. I made a tentative date with the teacher and he called PP to get Willa. (Last year Frieband came into the school, and instead of speaking to the issues, pitched PP services. The instructor had to drag her back to the subject several times.) First, Willa didn't return his call. He tried Tina Robie of Newburgh PP, and she told him that she was too booked up to attend. Finally I called Willa and left messages. No response. Finally I must have reached someone who didn't realize Willa was avoiding me and she handed the phone to Willa.

Willa was nasty, and asked why I was trying to set up the event. When I told her that the teacher had called many times, she lied. She said she hadn't heard anything from anyone. I hope I don't offend anyone reading this but Willa is stupid. I was on a local access TV show with her, did what we do, gave the facts on abortion, the stats, the evidence, the horror hidden within the facts and evidence, and in response, she blathered on with her canned feminist idiocy. After the show, with the moderator present, we chatted a bit, but as she was making her way to the exit, she YELLED "Helen Westover, I don't believe a WORD you SAY! I JUST don't BELIEVE you!!" Just to give you an idea.

So she stupidly lied about something easily checked. Then she called the teacher and told him that PP no longer talks about "Choice" in the schools. Tina Robie of PP in Newburgh told him the same thing. Bewildered, I called up Steve White, with whom I've been on friendly speaking terms since the beginning. He was bewildered too. "We don't talk about abortion anymore?

But I thought you and Willa have been doing that for years!" He checked with her and lo and behold, she told him the same thing. "News to me, Helen." he said. This of course will all wind up in the Pok. Journal as a Letter to the Editor.

STOPP at Poughkeepsie High(Tue. May. 13, 2003)

This week was LOTS better than last - a minor problem with Pok's Finest, which resolved itself when I mentioned the pickle the TOWN of Poughkeepsie found itself in in 2001. But some of the kids were really hostile. There are times when you know that people, young or old, are just heckling you with "questions" - a girl and guy hammered at me about the abortion/breast cancer connection. They had full faith in the National Cancer Society, which denies the link. But I promised to come back with data, and with help from Jerry and Deb at the CPC, I saw her today. She was more serious this time, and took the evidence.

Jerry came with Tiny Tim (the first trimester aborted kid from the Center for Bioethical Reform (abortionno.com) and I expected trouble. But there was none! After Jerry left (he started out across the street) I took Tim and held him while I was leafleting; all I got was questions. Sincere questions. I answered them, gave about 10 kids the Precious Feet, along with literature, and they were really open to the message. I give them all my card (and both Jerry's and my phone # are on the literature), and told them to call if they had questions.

That is effective; I think it adds to their feeling that we are really there to HELP them, anyway we can.

Helen Westover

Poughkeepsie High(Tue. May. 6, 2003)

I arrived at 6:55AM and pamphleted until 8:07AM. There was no interference from the administration. Two of the teachers were openly hostile, claiming that I shouldn't be there and was on school property. Of course, I was on a public sidewalk. One stated I need a signed parental consent form. Wrong. She further stated that it is inappropriate for me to hand "that" out. I reminded her that she didn't know what I was handing out. She replied "I can only imagine." I asked her if she always reaches conclusions based on her imagination and how wonderful it is to have her teaching our children. At that she exclaimed "GO AWAY" and steamed off. The pamphlet I handed out contained a brief one page listing of post-abortion health risks citing several statistics.

The students themselves were mostly receptive. Only one challenged my right to be there, and approx. 4 declined to accept the handout. My biggest obstacle was reaching all of the students before without stepping onto the school grounds. In all I distributed 180 pamphlets. Most of the students took time to read the pamphlet as they walked into the school.

Jerry Moynihan

AMDG - Poughkeepsie HS, PM(Sat. Apr. 30, 2003)

I arrived at the high school at 2:15. The kids actually are dismissed at 2:40, but many get out a bit early. I brought my tame "Face It, Abortion Kills" poster, armed with the same packet Jerry gave out in the morning.

Right away, a big kid yelled out, "Get AWAY from here!" He shouted it several times. A teacher went over to him to reassure him, or something. Soon after, he came over. I asked him what year he was in; he said 11th. But, he went on, he was just up from Georgia. He asked me why I was doing this at the school; I said, I'm giving out information people wouldn't get, because the school doesn't do its job; and, I added, "It's a free country". He said, "Yes, and I know abortion is wrong." Then he said that he was just afraid that history would repeat itself...it happens that he was in Waryas Park on Labor Day, when I was attacked, and my sign destroyed! "You were there?" I said - he said, "Yes I was! That was something!"

He wanted to make sure I didn't get hurt! Then he said he was a Christian. I turned out that we both know Bishop Debra Gause of the Holy Light Pentecostal Church, where I've spoken several times. I said, "Well, tell that girl I'm still at it!" He laughed, and promised to tell her HI.

You never know! Then (his name is Charles) he went back to his friends and encouraged them to take the literature.

School then let out, and out came the principal. He claimed that my situation was different than Jerry's because I had a sign; so I had to "Keep moving". I noted that I was, since I was trying to give kids the packet, but that, no, I didn't need to keep moving. He seemed really confused, and flustered over what the heck to do with me. Then the police arrived. The officer really wanted a fight. I avoided him, as best I could, to talk to the kids. They were wonderful - most of them took the packet, and wanted to talk - I told them that I was giving them info that Planned Parenthood doesn't, and I wanted them to see what abortion is before they get talked into it by Planned Parenthood. Several girls challenged me; what about "All the 9 year olds who get pregnant", and similar rubbish. I finally said, "Look; I will answer all your questions, and give you information later - right now I have to work. But my phone number is on every piece of literature; you can call me, I'll take you all out to lunch, and I'll prove to you that what I say is true; just don't pick an expensive restaurant, OK?" They laughed, but said they would call - we'll see.

I gave out over 100 packets - they were lining up to take them. I think Jerry's presence this morning made the kids really curious.

It also made the administration feel besieged. The principal wouldn't let up - he even accused me of littering; - (this is even after I mentioned to him that the health teacher, Barry Kauffman, used to invite me in to speak, but stopped years ago - he said, well, I can have you in as a guest speaker... )I said, no, it is the kids who threw the pamphlets away who littered! He said, Well, I'm gonna ask this police officer! So he did, and the cop obligingly said that he believed that I was guilty. This guy was long on beliefs, bereft of facts. He also believed that I needed a permit, had to keep walking, should be across the street, blah blah. I said, "You may believe anything you want, but I know that I have the right to be here, doing what I'm doing." "I believe there is a City Ordinance against this!" I responded, "Your beliefs don't count - tell me what you know. If there is an ordinance, provide it; or call someone who does know. Otherwise, I'm busy, here." He steamed; "I will be in touch with you!" I said, "Fine, here's my card." I did mention that he might want to check with the Town of Poughkeepsie Police Dept. who have experience with what happens when a citizen's First Amendment rights are violated.

Finally, the kids were mostly gone, so I slowly made my way to my car... with the cop blustering about something, but I was then out of earshot. I was exiting the parking lot, when a group of girls came over to the car - one of them blessed me, with the words, "Lady, you did a good job today."

You never know.

Helen Westover

Tuesday

POUGHKEEPSIE HIGH SCHOOL

12 Mar 2002

Two weeks ago alert pro-lifer Christine Weil called to tell me that there would be an assembly on AIDS to be held that Friday at Poughkeepsie High School. The LAST time I was at a PHS special function was when PPDU [Planned Parenthood of Dutchess Co.] gave a talk there at a county-wide assembly. I have a copy of the report I sent to the Journal and to the DC Legislature, if any one wants it, which resulted in PPDU losing their county funding.

So I groaned and expected the same; prophylactics and porn. I tried to get Chris to go but she had a conflict. I thought it impossible to get myself in there since I'm the "Abortion Lady" that has been leafleting the school.With nothing to lose I called the school and spoke to acting principal Robert Murphy. To my surprise he welcomed me to attend and put me in touch with the young lady who had arranged the event, Zara St. Croix, a senior at the high school. A delightful girl, she told me that she had amassed information about the AIDS crisis among teens, having conducted research over a 3 year period.

She had called PP and they were too busy so she got a group from Beacon to come in. Unbelivably then, I waltzed into the school without a disguise, was greeted by many of the students with "Hi Helen!" I met the two speakers in the Main Office, and introduced myself. We went together into the auditorium. The two speakers were HIV positive. Their message was that abstinence from ANY sexual activity is the only way to be truly safe.

The first speaker, a homosexual man with full-blown AIDS said, "'Safe Sex'? In my opinion the only safe sex is that which you have in your MIND!" Ok, our readers would disagree with this endorsement of impure thoughts but for this guy and those whom he represents, this is a quantum leap towards common sense.

The other presenter, a Black man who also contracted the virus through sexual activity of the heterosexual kind, emphatically declared "Girls, you tell your boyfriends, NOT ME, NOT NOW! PERIOD!" It was a stirring and poignant presentation. Both men reminded the children that they were precious; the black gentleman even invoked the Name of God to drive his point home. In a PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL!

This was all endorsed by acting principal Robert Murphy. Let's pray that he becomes the permanent principal of PHS. I wrote this in a letter to the editor of the Pok. Journal. Within 20 minutes of the time I sent it via email to Letters to the Editor I received a call from James Audlin, letters director. The letter was written on March 7 and appeared on March 8. How different from PP's approach which involves latex and bananas. Let's thank the Lord that PP was too darn busy.

I made sure to get a couple of visits in to my friends, the students at PHS, before Easter break. They are now glad to see me, and bring their friends over; to date, I have not had one hostile, or even annoyed, encounter with any of the kids. I'm going through the pro-life literature like mad now. They not only take it themselves, they want extra for their friends in another school, sisters, cousins, and very many times, for their mothers. I'm still not sure what that's about though I have suspicions of debates going on between moms and daughters on the subject of "Choice" from what they have said to me. They aren't throwing the stuff away, either. The grounds and sidewalks are as clean when I leave as they were when I got there.

HOWEVER - the teachers are beginning to get rattled. That's where the action was the last time. A teacher and I had a conversation, initiated by the teacher. She claimed that I was giving out "Propaganda". I said, yeah, I am. I then defined "propaganda" for her. With the dumbing down of literacy in society, few know that this is a benign word, which means "To propagate information." No negative connotation at all. I told her, yes I am giving out factual information about the abortion issue. After we got her straight on that, she said that I was giving the kids "YOUR facts". (This is a variation of the claim that everyone has his/her own "TRUTH", thus consigning the students, and everyone else into a swamp of solipsism, where you can never know anything at all. The next step down from this is despair).

After explaining that facts are just facts, and that no one owns them, I commented that the kids were really hungry for these facts because all they hear is IDEOLOGY. Then, launched into my standard "You believe in presenting both sides of an issue, etc. Right?" They don't. She went off in a huff. THEN I was told that the school owned the sidewalk. You may remember this claim at Vassar College, which is still being decided.

I said Oh No you Don't! The guy backed down. Then to my surprise, says to me sotto voce "You know, I really believe in what you're doing!" So here's a guy, who with his peers looking on, tries to chase me away, and when I won't go, with what's left of his courage, peeks out of his closet and whispers his support.

I used the sign "FACE IT: Abortion Kills" which of course has no photos on it. I removed my magnetic bumper stickers and parked in the student lot. Walking over, I saw two cops walking up and down in front of the school. Figured I'd get to test the mood of the CITY of Poughkeepsie Police Department.

I was walking right behind them but they were lost in conversation. I overtook them, holding my sign. I bade them a good afternoon. They looked at my sign and one of them read it out loud, mispronouncing the word "abortion". Then I introduced myself and moved to shake their hands. "Oh, hi, Helen!" and enthusiastic hand shaking was the response. I asked if they were guarding the school but they were just waiting for a ride.

N.B. Prolife activity is riskproof in the Poughkeepsie area at least where the police are concerned. Students began to exit the school, a few at a time. The literature I chose to disseminate were a fetal development pamphlet and the card which says "If I am not alive, why am I growing..."etc. Pretty tame. The population at the high school is about 60% black, and I'm telling you, that we have not targeted this group is a serious mistake. It is the blacks and Latinos that PP is preying upon, as proud sons and daughters of that racist, monstrous woman, Maggie Sanger.

I began to give out the stuff and kids came to talk. One girl talked to me about abortion, and how her friend had had one and dropped out of school. As we talked she expressed indecision over the issue but it was clear she had thought about it. She talked about how hard it must be to give up a baby for adoption, a really common line of thinking among young women. It's partly concern for their own feelings, obviously, but strangely, it is also concern for the child they give up; what if it's abused? I will return (speaking as an adoptee myself) to this important area in subsequent accounts.

My response was"Whatever you do, it will be painful. There is no escaping the pain of unwed motherhood. But where is the greater pain?" She thought for a second, I think, of her girlfriend and answered "Knowing you killed it, I think." Then she added, "That's why I'm not having sex!"

School let out in force and I was surrounded. Some remembered me from last year - would you believe, they refer to me as "The Abortion Lady."(?) Most of the kids take the stuff willingly; they WANT TO KNOW about this! One boy looked at a picture of a fetus, 1st trimester, and said, "Is this the real size"? There were many questions about the unborn, and "Well, so what happens to them in an abortion?" I have never given out pictures of the aborted to highschoolers. But this question was asked over and over, and things were moving too fast to paint the picture in words. So I had one of the Life Dynamics pamphlets with me, and made a decision. I said, "I can show you but I won't be giving these to you." I opened the pamphlet. The reaction was overwhelming; not "EEUU!" or "Gross", which I expected, but a reaction of shock and bewilderment. Apparently unknown to STOPP, PP has been coming into Poughkeepsie High.

When the kids ask them, they get this sanitized, pack of lies, as we all know. One boy, echoed by others, said "THIS is abortion!? THIS is what happens?" Then I put the pamphlet away. But one young girl begged me for it; she wanted to show her mother, and her sister, she said. I refused. She wouldn't relent. Finally, looking me straight in the eye, in a quiet, earnest, pleading way she said "We have a right to know, you know." I was shaken. Then I crossed a line I have maintained for years. I went to the car and got a load of them, returned, and gave them out, with the other literature. The kids ate it up, and the questions came faster than I could answer. "Do they feel pain"? "Look, it has arms and legs, and you can see it's intestines." "That's a baby all right!" "What happens to the bodies? Are they buried?" "Holy #(*!, that's not what the lady from Planned Parenthood said!" "O the poor thing!" There were some kids, naturally, that took it all as a joke, or pretended to, to look "cul". What I DIDN'T get from them were the usual red herrings know to all prolifers; what if the woman is raped, incested, dying, poor. That picture cut through all the cant and B.S. they hear from the media, health teachers, PP, every one else. Cut right to the heart of the issue; that outraged, torn, tortured baby.

Later I went back to the girl who urged me to do this, and said "Latisha, you have helped me today. I thank you for giving me courage." I gave her my business card and told her to call me anytime she wanted to talk.

Actually, I gave out about 20 of my cards; gotta get a new STOPP card made up, pronto... otherwise I may get more piano lesson requests out of the deal. But 4 or 5 of the kids are doing projects on abortion for their "Participation in Government" classes, and needed a contact for info, and someone to interview. And, as always, they want me to go into the schools and debate PP.

I was asked this by a teacher from Beacon High; we found out, to our shock, that PP doesn't go in to discuss abortion ANY MORE. They just go to shill for their services, to get more kids into the clinics, first for contraception, then for the inevitable abortions, then for treatment for the sexually transmitted diseases guaranteed by PP if you but follow their tutelage; this is a bit of a digression but this was ALSO a surprise to Steve White, Executive Director of Mid-Hudson Planned Parenthood. After being told this by PP in Poughkeepsie, and Newburgh, I called Steve. He knew nothing about it, and was confused - " But you and Willa (Frieband) have done this for years, right?" Yeah, Steve, what's up. He promised to get back to me, and did, the next day, confirming that Planned Parenthood will no longer discuss abortion as a discrete issue anymore. Concretely, this kept me out of Beacon High because the principal requires that both sides be represented.

None of this is lost on the kids. When one representative of an issue is willing to be grilled on it, and the rep on the other side isn't, they smell a rat. Or they deduce that the PP folks are rats, and hypocrites. So, next week, I'm going to Beacon, as well as Newburgh. More than one way to skin a rat.

I had decided that Tuesday, the 12th, would be the official "kick-off" day for STOPP. I canceled my lessons and went off to SUNY New Paltz. In the early days of STOPP [Stop Planned Parenthood] I used to go there often to leaflet in the front of the Student Union building, and it was tremendously gratifying. About 10 years ago abortion maven and paleo-feminist Gloria Steinham spoke at the college and STOPP arranged a demonstration. It was the time that we all began using the pictures of the victims of abortion. So we met Gloria with the fruit of her work, the tortured and dead. That created quite a stir. Later I went in to hear her lecture. I hope that those reading this will note well that there is nothing more powerful than showing those photos. It even moved Gloria. She commented on the signs and made some lame statement that "we could all agree" that we want to reduce the numbers of the aborted through more contraception blah blah; dumb statement but then again, she was far from dismissive or indifferent over the display. No one ever is.

I've been itching back to the colleges in the area and was excited to be back. I used a pamphlet designed by Life Dynamics of Denton Texas. LDI is in my opinion the most effective anti-abortion group in the country. They play legal but they don't play fair; that is, they identify abortionists and let it be known to the community what these "doctors" do. Since most abortionists are conflicted and embarrassed by their "profession", many of them drop out. ANYWAY; this pamphlet has on the cover, "Pro-Choice...The Right to Privacy... CHOICE... Reproductive Freedom... A Woman's Right to Choose". Open it up, and you see the "Real Face of Choice" - an aborted 10 week old kid, actual size. Then some statistics and facts. I love it.

I arrived on campus and began to hand it out. The problem seems to be that because of the cover people took it gratefully, opening it later, because at first there was no response. Finally after about an hour of this (I'm thinking, what will I have to WRITE about? This is BORING) I began saying "um, I'll be here wandering around if you want to discuss it." I gave it to students, maintenance men, and faculty. Some people said they didn't want it because "We're already pro-choice". I responded with "O then you REALLY want this pamphlet." Then they were really grateful. FINALLY - a student confronted me and wanted to know why I was doing this, the picture is disgusting, etc. I asked her if she had ever seen a picture of an animal caught in a leg-hold trap. "O yes, I have!" We agreed that it was a horrible practice. I drew the obvious parallel, and thus aided she got the point. N.B. Many "Animal Rights" activists and sympathizers are closet pro-lifers. There wasn't much more discussion, but I gave out around 200 of the tracts. I also got lost for about 45 minutes and circled the campus, not on purpose, several times. At least none of them had been thrown away.

The next full day was Saturday. I went to Planned Parenthood in Poughkeepsie because Rich VanSlambrouck discovered that PP is now open on Saturday. I went there with my trusty Buddy, Malachi, who became famous after being kidnapped by Officer Paul Herman last year, and held hostage in the Town of Poughkeepsie Police Evidence room for 7 months until he was sprung by my attorney Christopher Ferrara. He is, as most of you know, a photo of a 2nd trimester little boy macerated by saline, and torn apart by forceps. I take him everywhere; you never know when the opportunity to use him to show the TRUTH will come up. My intent is to use him, and his brethren, to make the various PP's unpleasant places to visit for the fetophobes, and others who do business at this infernal place. Unfortunately, I had wasted my morning cleaning my apartment, and got there about an hour before they closed at 1pm. But there were some customers who took the CHOICE pamphlet, and of course the staff was still there for a while. Malachi witnessed, and while I was at it, I took some pictures of some of the staff with a free camera I got for joining AOL. I mention this because I thought it curious that it had come in the mail last Monday. Otherwise I wouldn't have a camera. The reason for taking pictures is simply to let them know we are there, and are serious.

I play for the 5:30 Mass in New Paltz, and after PP, decided to go there, back to the campus. This time I added another pamphlet entitled, "never again? never WAS!", a powerful tool published by Hayes Publishing Company. It demonstrates with the actual facts about "Back Alley" abortions. It includes a statement by Mary Calderone, Founder of Siecus, and then (1960) medical director of PPFA: "90% OF ILLEGAL ABORTIONS ARE BEING DONE BY PHYSICIANS. (emphasis mine) Call them what you will, abortionists or anything else, they are still physicians... They must do a pretty good job if the death rate is as low as it is... Abortion, whether therapeutic or illegal, is ...no longer dangerous, because it is being done well by physicians."

Who knew? So I put the two together and did it again. It was a beautiful day and I thought there would be many students walking around but I was wrong. I gave out 50 of the combo, I think only because I got lost AGAIN (next time I'm going to bring bread crumbs) and circled the campus many times, picking up people I hadn't reached the first several orbits. I finally got some nice maintenance men to drive me back to my car or I'd still be there now. But one response was wonderful; a girl pulled up to me in her car, and waved happily, saying "Thank you." Then I decided to get to the streets.

Everyone was out on Main St. I went up and down the street, (I say, "Would you like some information?" Or "I have some information to share with you." and then thrust it into their hands). Few people turn it down. For 3 hours I leafleted. I was confronted by many folks. I gave them to a group of college boys hanging out in a storefront. They looked at it, and one of them crumpled them up and threw them back at me. He started to grab them from his friends but I said "Are you going to let this guy deny you your rights to information? "One kid looked at the 10 week old and said "that's FAKED, that's GOT to be FAKED!". I tried to tell him that this is reality, Son, but it was too real to believe, I guess. The first kid, the instigator, started yelling to passers-by exhorting them not to take the literature. So I started calling "CENSORSHIP!!! Don't let the fascists censor what you see and read!!!!" I kept saying that and finally we all laughed. A young woman came out of the midst of the guys and pointedly took the literature, winking at me.

It was fun, and enormously satisfying. To know that people who would never otherwise be confronted with what we pro-lifers are all about and what makes us so passionate have finally received just a bit of the facts is a feeling unlike any other.

Today, I had a wedding to play for in New Paltz. As I was driving home there was a "Peace" demonstration on Main St. They called themselves "BLACK WOMEN FOR PEACE" - not that they were African American - just dressed in black. Then there were signs that said "Quakers for Peace" and "Violence is Never the Answer". Clearly pro-Palestinian "peace" people. These folks don't get it, that there are things worth dying for. Anyway I immediately parked, and brought out the Greg Cunningham poster of the first trimester aborted kid. I positioned myself across the street and placed him right in their line of vision. I chanted "Violence is never the answer! Stop the Violence of Abortion!", "Abortion is violent! Peace in the Womb!"

One lady, the self-described Quaker, hid her face with her sorry sign. I said "Quakers! Be consistent! Stop ALL violence". They for the most part stared at the picture like deer caught in headlights. Then a woman came over and said "My customers are eating! This sign is disgusting them!"

I replied "then have them look away!" She replied "You're trying to get your message across, well you're NOT! Especially not in New Paltz!"- And as she walked away a woman said to me "Good for you!"

Then 3 more people came up and said, "Hi! Good job!" A man came up to me and said "my girlfriend just had an abortion; I wasn't for it." I began to commiserate with him but then he said "I'm talking about you and this stupid picture! It's like seeing my kid splattered on the street like road kill!" Then he cursed.

How sad; how unutterably sad. Let's keep this poor guy in our prayers. I stayed for about an hour and pretty much deflected attention from their pathetic demonstration to mine. It's great to be in NP - opportunities like this spring up all the time.

In March STOPP attended the first ever gathering of Dutchess County National Organization for Womyn, or NOW, at the YWCA. After you read the report, you will understand why I prefer to label them D.C. THEN... Oh, by the way: ta da! -

STOPP has now doubled! It is our pleasure to welcome Mrs. Pat Messina to our growing group. In describing US I was tempted to say that we are Batman and Robin; but Pat has rescued, and rescued, and seen the interiors of more jails than I, and suffered much for the Lord and His babies. So, Robin and Batman? Giving up on that, I've decided on the Daring Duo.

I went to the meeting partly because I know the instigator, Jennifer Shagan, personally, having been her kids' piano teacher, and because NOW is another head in the hydra which is the Culture of Death. So the DD went, Pat first, incognito, so she can attend meetings if I'm kicked out, then I, and was instantly recognized, naturally, by Jennifer, who turned white as a sheet when she saw me, and by Meg Downey, Executive Editor of the Poughkeepsie Journal.

Meg was surprised, but polite, but I know she was wondering if I was going to trash the meeting at some point, or whip out a picket sign. Rather, I sat and listened. There were a total of 20 souls there, 5 of them the students of Camila Wygand, who was the other meeting organizer. You may recognize the name; she is the sweetie who wrote the letter to the Journal (see below), querulously damning the Unborn Victims of Abortion Act. Except for Jennifer and Meg, the rest of the ladies were REALLY long in the tooth and former activists in the most destructive social movement in the 20th century. Not a single young woman bothered to come, and this was duly noted.

NOW is THEN, and so WAY seventies! The theme of the thing was "We're Losing Ground". ( (: ) Jennifer kept blaming "Faith-Based" groups over and over for this. The distaste for religion was clearly stated. Jennifer is married to a Muslim and kept comparing the status of womyn here to the women in Afghanistan. She sounded the alarm that if "we don't become politically active, we may have a Talibani situation ahead of us!!"

Camilla's list of woes included being called "Ladies" again, and little girls getting "Pink Computers." Other atrocities she enumerated were magazine articles telling girls how to win husbands, "Family Values", and the proposed "Office of Marriage Policy." She avoided the abortion issue, I think because of my presence.

The last speaker was Miriam Berg, who admitted that there were "flaws" in the "Second Wave" feminist movement; the first being the turn of the century (where all those anti-abortion feminists achieve suffrage). This is when I spoke up and said "I was one of the original feminist activists in Poughkeepsie, went to 'consciousness-raising' groups and was a minor leader. I began to question everything after my "No-Fault" divorce, which left me and my three little kids in poverty. My Ex was allowed by Family Court to reduce my child support pittance even further because as Judge Hillary said, it was time for me to go to work full-time. There was no one in the movement to help me stay home with my kids, which was MY Choice.

It dawned on me one day as I was walking by the river near the projects where we lived "but what if I don't WANT a career?" Miriam took it well, admitting that feminism didn't really address the needs of poor women. Then I posited "You speak about MORE Sex Ed. Why don't you address the cultural molestation of children by the media and in sex ed classes? We now hear of cases of 9 year old boys raping 8 year old girls." Camilla piped up "We need MORE EDUCATION".

I replied "These children are being prematurely eroticised by all this "education". Maybe this time around we will see feminists fight to protect kids instead of using them to further an agenda." I said it very nicely. Several in the audience agreed. Then Pat and I left to attend to Holy Saturday.

Oh: "womyn" is the name used by radical feminists to describe the fairer sex. This way they get rid of the "men" part of the word. I often saw "person" tortured into "Perspeople" to dump the "son". No Kidding.