NOW starts the year off right, endorses nat'l antiwar actions

Scan page 3

The National Organization for Women (NOW), the largest feminist organization in the United States, has endorsed the Jan. 26 national mobilization to bring U.S. troops home from the Middle East. This development bodes well for both the anti-war movement and the women's movement.

The Jan. 26 national mobilization is working under the shadow of the Jan. 15 deadline set by U.S. imperialism and the United Nations for Iraq to pull out of Kuwait.

Opposition to U.S. war moves by an organization like NOW, with its hundreds of thousands of members and supporters, makes a strong statement that the interests of American women do not lie with the U.S. government's militaristic foreign policy.

NOW has enormous respect nationally due to its leadership in mobilizing massive actions in defense of women's rights to control their own bodies, specifically in defense of the right to abortion. Its opposition to the impending war and its support and participation in the antiwar movement is a political development of major import.

The arguments of NOW President Molly Yard, contained in her press statement calling for the immediate withdrawal of U.S. forces from Saudi Arabia, have gained wide publicity and support. Her opposition to the shedding of blood in support of countries (Kuwait and Saudi Arabia) with "such appalling records in human rights" has been repeated in diverse publications.

Women's rights movement gains NOW's participation in the antiwar movement puts them in a strong position to continue their fight for women's rights.

The year 1991 will be a very important one for the struggle of women to retain the right to abortion. Court cases, such as the reactionary Guam law that outlawed abortion, will be heard in federal district court, and ultimately, make their way to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Supreme Court justices show every sign of a willingness to overturn Roe v. Wade. They have already partially done so in the Webster decision of 1989.

Making abortion illegal will mean an automatic death sentence for thousands of women. Such is the case in every country where abortion is outlawed.

Despite this critical situation and the fact that NOW has a proven track record of ability to organize massive mobilizations in defense of women's rights (remember the giant street marches and rallies in Washington, D.C., in 1988 and '89!) the leadership has allowed itself to be side-tracked since 1989.

They have concentrated their activity on various electoral campaigns of Democrats, and an occasional Republican candidate, who promise their support for the right to choose. The strategy of working in electoral politics and excluding mass demonstrations has had a very negative impact on NOW of mass demonstrations chapters and the women's movement as a whole.

NOW experienced its largest periods of growth during two periods in its historythe fight for the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s and early 1980s, and the mass mobilizations in Washington, D.C., for abortion rights in 1988-89.

These were both periods of intensive organizing of the pro-feminist population and of outreach to new forces. Both these periods of growth had in common the independent organization of women and their allies. During these campaigns the message was, "We are not asking for what is rightfully ours, we are demanding it. We are relying on our own power to achieve our favor of electoral work.

public hearings on the establishment of a third political party may shed more light on this issue.

There is certainly a great need for a political party in this country which really represents working people-men and women, African Americans, and others whose interests are the opposite from those of the bosses. Such a party will be built when the illusion that meaningful reforms can be won through support to the capitalist parties is shattered. In the meantime, however, NOW needs to rebuild its ability to mobilize women in their own interests.

Power of mass movement NOW's forthright opposition to U.S. war moves in the Persian Gulf show that there's a lot of vitality within the women's movement, and 1991 is a good time to exercise that vitality in a new mobilization for women's rights.

A new round of massive street demonstrations are needed to organize the movement and put ihe government on notice that women will not allow a continuing whittling away of our rights. Not just abortion rights, but affirmative action in all spheres of life, especially in employment, birth control, childcare, healthcare-all these are reforms that will have to be fought for independently of those institutions controlled by the enemies of women's rights.

Jan. 22 is the 18th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that abolished laws against abortion. A most fitting celebration of the Roe v. Wade decision would be to launch, on Jan. 22, a renewed mobilization to defend it.

Local events celebrating this major victory for women's rights and women's lives will take place all around the country. Norma McCorvey, the "Roe" plaintiff in the original case which was eventually decided by the U.S. Supreme Court, will speak at some of the planned events.

Contact the NOW chapter or other women's rights organizations in your area to get involved.

----- pull-quotes -----

KEEP ABORTION VEGAL Brenda Bishop