Help Mississippi's Women

Two weeks ago, an anti-abortion extremist invaded the wait- ing room of the Jackson Women's Health Organization in  Jackson, Mississippi. Law enforcement authorities were not  only slow to respond when called, but once on site, chose  only to talk with the aggressor instead of filing a police  report. This is the only abortion provider in the entire state of  Mississippi. Extremists are trying to shut down this vital women's  clinic. This clinic and its doctors need our help now. Thankfully, many of you have responded to our requests for  help for this clinic, with your support we has just funded an  improvement to the clinic's security system that will help  prevent future invasions. But we must do more.Two weeks  ago, an anti-abortion extremist invaded the waiting room of  the Jackson Women's Health Organization in Jackson,  Mississippi. Law enforcement authorities were not only  slow to respond when called, but once on site, chose only  to talk with the aggressor instead of filing a police report. This is the only abortion provider in the entire state of  Mississippi. Extremists are trying to shut down this vital  women's clinic.  This clinic and its doctors need our help now. Just one year ago, Dr. George Tiller was brutally murdered.  His killer, Scott Roeder, has been sentenced to life in prison,  but the extremists have not been deterred. The leading anti-abortion extremist in Jackson is an advocate  of Justifiable Homicide - or the belief that justifies the murder  of doctors who perform abortions. The clinic and its doctors  have been repeatedly threatened. The clinic needs immediate help to pursue legal  strategies and to make additional enhancements to its  security system. Our National Clinic  Access Project  legal coordinator  has traveled to  Jackson to assist  the clinic. She met  with clinic staff  and community  pro-choice  supporters to  discuss  ways to improve security, to assess legal needs and to  devise new ways for the local community to support this  critically needed health facility. We are determined to do  everything we can to keep Jackson Women's Health  Organization open and its patients, doctors and staff safe. Help the doctors, health care workers, and patients of  Jackson Women's Health Organization today by making  an emergency, tax-deductible contribution. Half your  contribution will go directly to the clinic to help pay for  upgraded and additional enhanced security measures. The other half of your emergency contribution will help  support our National Clinic Access Project's work to keep  this clinic and other besieged clinics across the country  safe and open. The demand for our work is dramatically  increasing. As I write this, we are also working with Dr. Carhart and  his clinic in Nebraska. Dr. Carhart, who had worked with  Dr. Tiller, and his clinic were immediately targeted for closing  by Wichita-based Operation Rescue after the murder of Dr.  Tiller. This group had harrassed Dr. Tiller for seven years. And we are also working very closely with Family  Reproductive Health in Charlotte, NC under siege by  Operation Save America/Operation Rescue. Recently,  anti-abortion extremists published the photographs of and  information about the clinic's doctors in a WANTED poster.  Similar posters appeared before the brutal murders of two  doctors in Pensacola, Florida. Without doctors and clinics to provide safe, legal abortions  and access to birth control, there can be no choice for women. Please make an emergency contribution today to help  Jackson Women's Health Organization and our National  Clinic Access Project. Together we are making a difference. For Women's Lives, Eleanor Smeal President Katherine Spillar Executive Vice President P.S. Act now to ensure the safety of the courageous doctors  and staff as well as women seeking health services at the  Jackson Women's Health Organization.

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