Roe v. Wade Candlelight Vigil – a photo essay
February 2, 2010
Photos of the Roe v. Wade Candlelight Vigil held at the steps of the Capitol on Friday, January 22, in memory of the 37th anniversary of the court ruling.
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- On Friday, Jan. 22, on the steps of the Tallahassee capitol, the National Organization for Women (NOW) held the 37th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision. NOW argues that the ruling is not fully supported by the local government.
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- The candlelight vigil served as a rallying cry for many Tallahassee citizens who demanded equal rights for women in healthcare. They mentioned the end of gender rating, which charges women twice as much as men for health insurance. Even if a woman is receiving a subsidy to cover health care costs, the subsidy doesn’t cover abortion care.
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- Linda Miklowitz (left), a NOW member and organizer for the event, offers her views on topics affecting women’s health. Miklowitz addressed a local case – Samantha Burton’s struggle with judges and doctors, which addresses concerns as to whether a fetus has priority over a mother’s privacy. She also mentioned the recent death of Dr. George Tiller, a doctor who provided late-term abortions and was killed last year by an anti-abortion activist. Miklowitz also discussed the use of the word “fetus” instead of “unborn child.”
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- Rick Minor was among the speakers. Minor is currently running for election to the District 9 seat of the Florida House of Representatives. “I am proudly pro choice,” said Rick, promising to protect women’s rights in District 9.
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- A discussion on the past, before the Roe v. Wade decision, was the main focus of the event. Marion Banzhaf shared with the audience her experience with her abortion in 1971, which would not have been possible if Ron Sachs, former editor of The Alligator, had not printed information about known abortion clinics in the University of Florida newspaper.
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- Stephanie Kunkel, the legislative director for the state public policy office of Planned Parenthood, supports “prevention and education” in conjunction with the right to an abortion, in order to prevent teens from considering the option of abortion.
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- Debbie Benson and Philip Hiss are two Tallahassee residents who are passionate about Women’s Rights. They discussed their reasons for their involvement in the controversial subject. Benson said, “All pro-choicers care about life.” Hiss then added that “Everyone is pro-life.”
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- The attendees concluded the night with a candle lighting ceremony in honor of the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade. There was a moment of silence to remind those present how women have struggled for their individual rights and how their experiences affect today’s generation.
Tags: civil liberties, Feminism
