Planned Parenthood cleared of charges from fake video

Scan page 2

queers, national minorities, etc. We support the right of self-determination for oppressed nationalities, including Blacks, Chicanos, and Puerto Ricans. We are internationalists, and Socialist Action is a national organization of activists committed to the emancipation of hold that workers of one country have more in common with workers of another than with workers and the oppressed. We strive to revitalize the antiwar, environmental, labor, anti- their own nation’s capitalist class. We seek to link struggles across national boundaries, and racist, feminist, student, and other social movements with a mass-action perspective. In the to build an international revolutionary movement that will facilitate the sharing of experiences process we hope to bring activists together from different backgrounds into a revolutionary and political lessons. That is why we maintain fraternal relations with the Fourth International workers’ party that can successfully challenge the wealthy elite—whose profit-driven system Recognizing the divisions that exist on the left and within the workers’ movement, we seek to form united front type organizations around specific issues where various groups have Our ultimate goal is a truly democratic, environmentally sustainable, and egalitarian agreement. In this way we seek to maximize our impact and demonstrate the power and society organized to satisfy human needs rather than corporate greed. We invite you to join Socialist Action believes that the capitalist state and its institutions are instruments of the We are active partisans of the working class and believe in the need for independent ruling class, and that therefore they cannot be used as tools of the working class but have to working-class politics—not alliances with the bosses’ parties. That is why we call for workers be smashed. That is why we fight for revolution, instead of seeking to merely reform or work in the U.S. to break from the Democratic and Republican parties to build a Labor Party based within the system. When we fight for specific reforms, we do so with the understanding that in the final analysis real social change can only come about with the overthrow of capitalism, We support the struggles of those who are specially oppressed under capitalism—women, Socialist Action (ISSN 0747-4237) is published monthly by Socialist Action Publishing Association, P.O. Box 10328, Oakland, CA 94610.

Postmaster: Send address changes to: Socialist Action, P.O. Box 10328, Oakland, CA 94610. RATES: For one year (12 issues, 1st-class mail): U.S., Canada, Mexico — $20. All other countries — $30. Money orders and checks should be in U.S. dollars.

Signed articles do not necessarily represent the views of Socialist Action. These are expressed in editorials. Socialist Action is edited, Clip and mail to: Socialist Action newspaper, P.O. Box 10328, Oakland, CA 94610.

Jan. 22 marked the 43rd anniversary of the Su­ preme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision, which ruled that abortion is a fundamental right under the U.S.

Constitution. Rallies in cities around the country re­ flected the fact that the right to abortion continues to be under attack through state restrictions, con­ tinual anti-abortion rhetoric, and specific attacks on Planned Parenthood.

This past year, those attacks included not only continual harassment of Planned Parenthood clin­ ics but a gunman entering the clinic in Colorado Socialist Action: Where we stand is driving down living standards and threatens all life on this planet.

us in the struggle to make the world a better place!

on the trade unions.

SOCIALIST ACTION Closing news date: Feb. 10, 2015 Editor: Michael Schreiber Canada Editor: Barry Weisleder designed, and laid out entirely by volunteer labor.

Name Address City State Zip Phone E-mail Springs, Col., and killing three and wounding nine people. In addition, in July, an anti-abortion organi­ zation, Center for Medical Progress (CMP), made al­ legations that a Planned Parenthood clinic in Hous­ ton had attempted to illegally profit from selling fetal tissue. This resulted in cries from politicians to defund Planned Parenthood.

In a surprising turn of events, three days after the nationwide rallies to support Roe v. Wade, a grand jury in Harris County, Texas, cleared the Houston Planned Parenthood clinic of all the charges. More­ over, it indicted the top leaders of the CMP organi­ zation who had prompted the investigation in the effectiveness of mass action. the establishment of a workers’ government, and the fight for socialism. • Buffalo, NY: wnysocialist@google. com • Chicago: P.O. Box 578428 Chicago, IL 60657, [email protected] • Connecticut: (860) 478-5300 • Duluth, Minn.: [email protected]. www.thenorthernworker.blogspot. com • Kansas City: [email protected] (816) 221-3638 • LOUISVILLE, KY: redlotus51@yahoo. com, (502) 451-2193 • Madison, Wis.:

[email protected] • Minneapolis/St. Paul: (612) 8021482, [email protected] • New York City: (212) 781-5157 • Philadelphia: [email protected] first place.

CMP founder David Daleiden and Sandra Mer­ ritt were both charged with using fake driver’s licenses, and Daleiden was charged with violat­ ing the Texas law prohibiting the purchase and sale of human organs, the same law that he ac­ cused Planned Parenthood of breaking. He had sent an e-mail to Planned Parenthood seeking to buy fetal tissue.

Planned Parenthood and their Houston lawyer Josh Schaffer used an unconventional strategy. Instead of taking on a defensive posture, they cooperated fully with the investigators. They volunteered documents, encouraged prosecu­ tors to interview employees, and gave them free rein of their facility.

Texas officials had demanded a criminal in­ vestigation after the anti-abortion activists had posted videos on line that they claimed showed clinic employees discussing the sale of aborted fetal tissue. Planned Parenthood initiated an outside study, which resulted in discovering the videos were deceptively edited.

The Planned Parenthood statement about the indictments was clear: “These anti-abortion ex­ tremists spent three years creating a fake com­ pany, creating fake identities, lying, and break­ ing the law, and when they couldn’t find any improper or illegal activity, they made it up.” This is an important victory on the long road to protecting a woman’s right to abortion. The next struggle involves the U.S. Supreme Court.

In June the U.S Supreme Court is scheduled to make a decision on Health v. Cole, which according to the Center For Reproductive Rights is designed to shut down more than 75% of all women’s health clinics that provide abortion services in the state of Texas. Roe v. Wade was won because feminists demanded an end to back-alley abortions and the right to safe and legal abortion. We will need a strong, visible movement to fight yet another attempt at chipping away at that right. n For info about Socialist Action and how to join: Socialist Action National Office, P.O.

Box 10328, Oakland, CA 94610, (510) 2689429, [email protected] Socialist Action newspaper editorial offices: [email protected] Website: www.socialistaction.org WHERE TO FIND US • Portland, Ore.: (503) 233-1629 [email protected] • Providence: [email protected] (401) 592-5385 • Salem, Ore.: [email protected] • San Francisco Bay Area:

P.O. Box 10328, Oakland, Ca 94610 (510) 268-9429, sfsocialistaction@ gmail.com • WASHINGTON, DC:

National Office

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

— $10 / six months — $20 / 12 months ­— $37 / two years — I want to join the Socialist Action Newspaper Supporters Club.

Socialist Action Subscribe now!

I enclose an extra contribution of: — $100 — $200 — Other 2 SOCIALIST ACTION FEBRUARY 2016

[email protected], (202) 286-5493 Socialist Action Canada

526 Roxton Road, Toronto, Ont. M6G 3R4, (416) 535-8779 http://socialistaction.ca/