NARAL event draws protestors
NARAL event draws protestersPORTSMOUTH — Inside the Portsmouth Pearl on Wednesday night, pro-choice supporters celebrated a woman's right to choose, while outside, protesters called that choice killing innocent people. The National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League Pro-Choice New Hampshire (NARAL) held its 25th annual Chocolate Choice fund-raiser Wednesday, raffling more than 40 silent and live auction items. Funds raised from the evening will go to support pro-choice candidates in the upcoming state elections. NARAL is the nation's leading organization promoting public funding of abortion. "It's about young women," said Pilar Olivia, NARAL's interim executive director. "In this fall's elections, I think people have the economy on their minds, but it's really important to make the connection with real everyday tools women need for family planning and to control their lives — and that is health care." For NARAL, health care includes a full range of reproductive health options including education, birth control, maternity care and safe and legal abortion, Olivo said. Outside the event, Seacoast Right to Life protesters likened abortion rights to slavery, stating their belief that it should be illegal. They carried signs reading "Stop All Abortion," "Face it, abortion kills," and "4,000 Americans die everyday from abortion." "They didn't call slaveholders 'pro-choice,' they called them 'slaveholders' because it was legal," said Warren Goddard, chairman of Seacoast Right to Life. "We're anti-legal abortion. They're pro-legal abortion. Pro-choice is a cover up for the murder of innocent children by choice." Both sides are prepared to fight for their beliefs in the upcoming elections, reaching out to the public, politicians and supporters. Leading to this fall, the key will not only be reaching out to politicians, but to women of the millennium who are passionate about reproductive rights, and who respect privacy and safety, Olivo said. The recently passed national health care policy does "so much for women," Olivo said, but still raises concerns. The top concern is the potential that women could be denied access to an abortion because of a state's ability to prohibit abortion coverage. "That is where women are going to start dying again," she said. Approximately 100 supporters from around the state attended the event Wednesday to support that cause. Amanda Grady, a member of the NARAL affiliate board, believes New Hampshire has strong pro-choice roots which will prevail in the upcoming elections. "We are very fortunate that people are solidly pro-choice in the state," she said. Seacoast Right to Life supporters said they will work with pro-life politicians running for office and spread their information throughout the state. "Most of the Democrats are pro-abortion in the state senate and we are hoping to replace most of them," said Kathleen Souza of Manchester, who was in Portsmouth representing New Hampshire Right to Life. "We're going to have to really get working for the pro-life people we have." Olivo said she respectfully disagreed. "I don't think women should be harassed, shamed and that doctors should be murdered," she said. "I wish we could reach an agreement about that." Two members of the Portsmouth Police Department were available on Pearl Street to monitor the situation throughout the evening. While NARAL holds the event in Portsmouth each year, there was an obstacle in planning the 2010 event after the organization's contract to hold the event at the Casey Function Center was withdrawn in May. The center is owned by the Casey Home Association, whose membership overlaps with that of Council 140 of the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic fraternal benefit society. The society canceled the contract saying the NARAL mission is in direct conflict with the teachings of the Catholic faith.
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