Planned Parenthood Luncheon

It was overwhelming to see so many people (mostly women, but there were a few men) turn out for the annual Planned Parenthood lunch at the Convention Center – there were at least 45 tables of about 10. My sister-in-law Kathryn and I arrived just in time to be seated, because of the time we wasted trying to park in the adjacent garage, so we didn’t have time to catch up with many friends, although I did manage to spot her cousin at a nearby table and introduce them to each other (they hadn’t seen each other in decades!).

Karen Nelson, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Central and Western New York, welcomed the audience, gave apologies for Mayor Lovely Warren, who had another event that was more important to her, and introduced Congresswoman Louise Slaughter, who received a standing ovation. I wondered whether County Executive Maggie Brooks had been invited…

The highlight of the afternoon was the keynote speaker – Sarah Weddington. I will admit I’d never heard of her. Roe v. Wade was decided when I was still a pre-teen. Thanks to her, two of my high school friends were able to have safe and legal abortions. Sadly, the Supreme Court decision did not put the issue to rest, and I must have written my Senator in my 20s, because I still have his reply (see below), complete with misspelled last name.

Ms. Weddington was a fantastic speaker, and I suspect we could have listened to her for hours and not been bored. It is amazing to think that she was only 26 years old when she went before the Supreme Court. She appalled us with stories of states that as recently as 50 years ago criminalized birth control, let alone abortion. And she rued that she never would have thought that abortion would still be an issue almost 40 years later, and admitted she is “worried about whether we’re on the edge of losing.” Her state, Texas, like many other southern “red” states, is trying to make abortion unavailable. She implored us to keep New York a haven for women in states that curtail women’s rights. The timing of the luncheon couldn’t have been better, as we approach mid-term elections next week. Obviously, there are many issues to consider in choosing a political candidate (or in many cases, casting a ‘yes’ vote for one candidate merely as a way of saying ‘no’ to the other). But this is one issue I hope is a non-issue in our state, now and forever.