[View the story "ABQ abortion" on Storify ]ABQ abortion Storified by AJAMStream · Fri, Nov 15 2013 13:09:40
Albuquerque, New Mexico, has become the country's latest abortion battleground. On November 19, the city will
vote on the "Pain Capable Unborn Child Ordinance," which would ban abortions after 20 weeks. The bill made its way onto the ballot after a petition gathered over 12,000 signatures, forcing the city council to either approve the ordinance outright or put it up for a vote. If the measure passes, Albuquerque will become the first city in the United States to have a municipal ban on abortion. A September poll
showed that a majority of the city's residents support the ban, though there is still sizable criticism.
abqjournal.com
One such opposition group is
Respect ABQ Women , a coalition of women and supporting organizations who are working to block the ban.
facebook.com
So proud of @unmFMLA & how hard they've been working to defeat this anti-choice ballot measure <3 #RespectABQWomen http://twitter.com/brookehof/status/400730885453905920/photo/1Brooke Hofhenke
The organization published this testimony from a woman asking Albuquerque citizens to vote no on the ordinance:
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Respect ABQ Women has
received the support of community faith leaders, as well as groups like
NARAL and
Young Women United , an Albuquerque organizing project for young minority women.
Sign the pledge to stand with #NewMexico women against a Texas-style abortion ban in #ABQ: http://nar.al/1il http://twitpic.com/dgw2j1NARAL
From the South Valley to the Southeast Heights, our families stand united AGAINST the November 19th ballot. New Mexican families make tough decisions every day. Personal decisions about abortion need to remain in the hands of women and families.Young Women United
Anti-abortion rights activists from around the country have had their eye on one particular Albuquerque clinic,
Southwestern Women's Options , that performs late-term abortions. The activists
call the city the "late-term abortion capital of the country."
The thing is, if the ban passes on the 19th, Albuquerque will no longer be the late-term abortion capital of the US.Things will be better.Victoria Sieber
Live Action , an anti-abortion rights group based in DC, made this video about the clinic:
Profits from Pain: Late-Term Abortion in ABQliveactionfilms
In August, anti-abortion rights activists
held protests outside the New Mexico Holocaust and Intolerance Museum, demanding an exhibit comparing the Holocaust to abortion. Many of the protesters had
come from California to attend an anti-abortion activist youth summit.
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Troy Newman, president of anti-abortion rights group
Operation Rescue , has suggested that moving into local politics is a new strategy for closing abortion clinics around the country.
"If you can't get anything done in a state legislature ... you look at what is going on in a city. They say all politics is local. This is a great example of that."reuters.com
But some Albuquerque residents are not happy, drawing
comparisons between the anti-abortion activism and the murder of abortion provider Dr. George Tiller in Wichita.
Bud and Tara Shaver say they know how to shut clinics but they denounce violence? In Wichita, the clinic closed when doctor was murdered.Katie Stone
The ordinance has already brought out record numbers of voters, as 25,000 Albuquerque residents have cast their early-voting ballots.
“This election is incomparable to anything we’ve ever seen in the city early voting-wise,” City Clerk Amy Bailey said Monday.abqjournal.com
Read the full text of the measure and leave your thoughts in the comments below:
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