As a member of the pro-choice, pro-women, pro-equality, pro-family planning and pro-education communities, I've heard a lot of anger lately.  And it's totally justified; I'm mad as hell, too.  Policymakers like Rep. Pence, Rep. Chris Smith, and Rep. Pitts make me crazy.  They seem to demonstrate a willful ignorance of the number of barriers that keep women from seeking and finding healthcare services.  They seem obsessed with fetuses, but not with women, not even with actual living babies who are living in poverty here in the US and around the world.  They are completely out-of-touch with real life, both claiming to want to reduce the number of abortions in this country and around the world, while also supporting massive cuts to all the family planning programs that prevent unwanted pregnancy in the first place.  So, yeah, I'm mad.  In fact, I think I'd go so far as to say I'm righteously indignant at the way that these policymakers are willing to throw women and children under the bus time and again just to score cheap political points. 

But I can't let anger be the only emotion I feel right now.  It's too damn depressing, and I just can't keep feeling consumed by how outraged I am at these narrow-minded, out-of-touch, privileged individuals.  To be sure, I've made my calls asking my representatives to oppose the slew of anti-choice, anti-woman, anti-poor, and anti-education bills making their way through congress.  But I've decided now that instead of just being angry about this all the time, I'm going to focus on those policymakers who AREN'T making me want to rip my hair out. 

For me, personally, as a Minnesotan, this means calling my amazing Senator Al Franken, and thanking him for always standing up for women's rights and fighting for young people.  It would be really easy and very politically expedient for Senator Franken to perhaps oppose these sweeping anti-choice bills privately, but to just stay quiet about it in public.  However, rather than skirt around these controversial issues, he's made a number of statements supporting family planning, Planned Parenthood, and condemning the GOP's numerous and hypocritical attacks on a woman's right to choose.  And you know what?  As a young person, a woman, a student, and a constituent, I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.

So, thank you Al, for doing the right thing, and standing up for women both here in the US and in places receiving US foreign assistance. 

The policymakers who are heroes in this movement are going to get a lot of flak in the next few days and weeks for their support of women's rights and young people's health.  So if your representative has always championed our causes, take a minute after you're done making your angry calls and let them know that you appreciate them.  You can give them a call, Tweet at them, leave them a facebook comment, or write them an e mail.  Studies show that as constituents, your letters and calls really do make a difference, so call and let a policymaker who's doing the right thing know that you support them and appreciate their courage in standing up for women and young people around the world.



Advocates staff and I met with Senator Franken in September to ask him to continue his support of young people's sexual and reproductive health rights, and we were really impressed with his commitment to women's and young people's health and rights.
Do YOU have a great Senator or Representative that you'd like to thank?  Who is it?