Dear Friend,
As many of you may know, conservative leadership throughout the country is threatening women's rights and access to abortion services. As advocates of every woman's right to access safe abortion services, we are writing for your support against an outrageous injustice against a courageous physician who has dedicated his life to providing healthcare and abortion services for women. Dr. James S. Pendergraft has been providing abortion services to women for the past twelve years. His commitment to safe abortion and caring for women is deeply rooted and stems from experiences within his own family, and from patients in medical school who died from complications of unsafe abortion. Over the past years, he has sacrificed his personal life and battled with politicians and protestors to provide safe abortion services to women. However, in Ocala, Florida, there is a blatant and aggressive campaign, instigated by local and federal authorities, to prevent women from accessing abortion services as we have seen.
The women of Ocala have not had access to local abortion services since 1989, when the city's sole abortion clinic was destroyed by arson. When Dr. Pendergraft discovered that young, economically disadvantaged women were driving to distant cities to obtain abortion services, he decided to open the Ocala Women's Center. This clinic has been under fire since its inception by the Marion County Board of Commissioners, the Ocala Police Department, the Marion County Sheriff Department, and protesters. In response to a lawsuit that Dr. Pendergraft finally filed to seek protection for his staff and patients, he has been indicted by the Federal government. The indictment claims, in an unprecedented legal maneuver, that Dr. Pendergraft, who sought protection for himself, his staff and patients, was attempting to extort money from Marion County! (See accompanying flyer for background information.) Although, falsely accused, if found guilty, he faces the potential for 30 years imprisonment and loss of his medical license. Women who access any of his 5 clinics would have their rights to reproductive services greatly imperiled, as the clinics would be in jeopardy of closing. This would be a grave injustice to us all.
We realize that the indictment of Dr. Pendegraft is not happening in a vacuum. Attacks on abortion access and providers continue-- Dr. Bruce Steir in California was convicted of an unprecedented charge of involuntary murder, from a complication that ended in a fatality of his patient (in any other medical field a malpractice suit is the usual way of dealing with this situation). Dr. Romalis in Vancouver, Canada was recently stabbed in the back. The Supreme Court continues to chip away at access to abortion, even in the recent ruling that upheld late term abortions, the 5-4 vote indicated that it is hanging by a string. Statistics from NAF report a staggering and steadily increasing number of violent acts against clinics and providers. Compared to 1996, in 1997 the number of bombings tripled, the number of arsons doubled, and blockades of clinics tripled while the number of arrests dropped by half. Violent acts continue to remain unsolved, while doctors, staff, and clients of clinics all over the country are more aggressively harassed and intimidated on a daily basis. And the number of abortion providers continues its decline (18% drop last year). And let us not forget that Florida is the home of the first doctor, David Gunn, and subsequently, Dr. Britton and escort James Barrett who were murdered in cold blood by anti-abortion protestors.
We cannot stand by silently while the campaign to remove access and our providers continues! Without providers there is no choice. We need your help to support and defend Dr. Pendergraft! We are currently receiving support from the Center for Reproductive Law and Policy, National Abortion Federation, National Organization for Women, Refuse & Resist, and many individuals. What you can do:
More info: www.righttofight.org
Refuse & Resist! Atlanta 404-239-8054 rftfmarch10@aol.com
[posted 8/30/00]
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