Florida NOW – Page 23

June 27, 2023 by Florida NOW

ONE CHAOTIC YEAR AFTER ROE V. WADE OVERTURNED

For Immediate Release: June 26th, 2023

One year ago the Supreme Court decided to remove constitutional protection for safe and legal abortions in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. Virtually overnight, a rash of radically restrictive abortion bans were unleashed in conservative-dominated state legislatures, directly targeting women and criminally threatening doctors. Among the most horrific of them is the six-week abortion ban that Florida’s Governor DeSantis signed into law.

Florida Senator Lauren Book said, “These extreme measures not only go against the will of the people [nationally] but also contradict the principles of freedom and justice. In fact, 75% of Floridians oppose such extreme abortion bans.” Not unexpectedly, this outrage is being passionately opposed across the country. To date in some conservative leaning states, such as Kansas, Kentucky and Montana, voters have succeeded in defending abortions rights at the ballot box. Many states, including Florida, are facing legal challenges in the courts, BUT FLORIDIANS ARE NOT STANDING IDLE!

FLORIDA NOW REACTS:

Debbie Deland, Florida NOW President said, “There is a vigorous campaign to protect reproductive rights through a citizen-initiated action to get abortion access on the 2024 Ballot via a petition drive. Those who care about women’s equality, justice and freedom from government violating people’s anatomy, need to complete the petition, “Amendment To Limit Government Interference With Abortion.” To date 240,000 petitions have already been signed, tens of thousands of volunteers have mobilized, and the momentum is gaining. These results are terrific. We need as much enthusiasm going forward as we had initially. Please reach out to sign a petition and join Florida NOW to help with petition collection at flow.org.”

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Florida NOW: is an intersectional grassroots organization that promotes feminist ideals, leads societal change, eliminates discrimination, and protects the equal rights of all women and girls in all aspects of social, political, and economic life.

June 18, 2023 by Florida NOW

JUNETEENTH: AN ANNUAL AFRICAN AMERICAN CELEBRATION TO PROMOTE AND CULTIVATE KNOWLEDGE AND APPRECIATION OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE

For Immediate Release: June 18, 2023 President Debbie Deland, Florida NOW

A LONG TIME COMING: Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day, Freedom Day or Jubilee Day, is the commemoration for the ending of slavery in the United States. The date commemorates 158 years since the Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas. On June 19th, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger read, “The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired laborer.” More than 3 million people were freed and the Civil War had then truly ended.

THE CONTINUOUS STRUGGLE FOR EQUALITY AND FREEDOM: Settling into these new areas as free men and women brought on new realities and the challenges of establishing a heretofore non-existent status for Black people in America. The struggle, with advances and horrific setbacks, continues to this day. There was a resurgence during the Civil Rights Movement and on January 1, 1980, Juneteenth became an official state holiday in Texas and is now a national holiday.

THE MISSION: The Juneteenth celebration began to reassure each other, for prayers and for gathering remaining family members of formerly enslaved people. Recounting the memories of that great day and its festivities would serve as motivation and as a release from the growing pressures encountered in opposition to their newly gained legal rights.

In recent years, Juneteenth has taken on added meaning and significance since George Floyd’s death at the hands of the Minneapolis police on May 25, 2020. Juneteenth should highlight to all of us that Black Lives Matter.

FLORIDA NOW REACTS:

Debbie Deland, FLNOW President said, “The institution of slavery is a shameful and reprehensible part of our history. We haven’t truly faced the horror of it. As a country we’ve made gains towards living up to our professed claim of freedom and justice for all. But clearly, we have a long way to go in fighting the severe backlashes to any gains for people of color. We are far away from the ideals we aspire to. As un-American and incomprehensible as it seems, here in Florida the 2023 forms of a DeSantis Jim Crow and School Segregation will become law on July 1, 2023. Governor DeSantis has signed racist and white supremacist bills that blatantly impact our public K-12 and higher education systems with his racist, sexist, anti-woke, anti-diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging programs, and suppressive changes to the voting process. The NAACP is warning Black people that it is too risky to visit Florida! How is that ever acceptable in 2023? Each of DeSantis’s attacks on liberty and freedom must be confronted. While they are being challenged in court, we must stay strong, informed, and educate others–Resist. Florida NOW will not waver or desist in bringing our state around to reflect in action the promises in our constitution.”

CALL TO ACTION:

Interact and build meaningful friendships with people whose cultures differ from yours. Stay informed and express your support for true freedom for all.

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June 9, 2023 by Florida NOW

JOIN THE PETITION DRIVE TO “LIMIT GOVERNMENT INTERFERENCE WITH ABORTION”

For Immediate Release: June 6, 2023

President Debbie Deland, Florida NOW

president@flnow.org

TIME-SENSITIVE ACTION ALERT!

JOIN THE PETITION DRIVE TO “LIMIT GOVERNMENT

INTERFERENCE WITH ABORTION”

Governor DeSantis signed into law the 6-week abortion ban in the darkness of night on April 13, 2023. This law, like the 15-week ban before it, is dangerous, against the will of the majority of Floridians, and is outrageously ill-conceived. It virtually bans abortion in our state and will continue to jeopardize women’s lives, their health, and shatter families.

FLORIDA NOW REACTS

Debbie Deland, FLNOW President said, “Florida NOW has vigorously joined the drive to place the Constitutional Amendment ‘Limit Government Interference with Abortion’ placed on the 2024 ballot. When we win 60% supermajority approval, we will succeed in reaching a major step towards Women’s Equality. Without the legal platform of the formal recognition of the already ratified Equal Rights Amendment, Women’s Rights must be secured by other possible means, step by step. On May 10, 2023 Floridians Protecting Freedom launched the citizen-initiated amendment drive. The response has been fabulously extraordinary all around the state and we need everyone to keep the momentum robust. With many others organizations, groups, and individuals, we will advance women’s status in our country.”

CALL FOR ACTION:

HERE’S WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE:

Volunteers need to collect 900,000 ‘valid’ Petitions within seven months (deadline is December 31, 2023).Please note that petitions need to be delivered or sent to a hub within seven days of signing.
For links to download Petitions, Intake Sheets and to find a nearby hub, go to: https://floridiansprotectingfreedom.com/petition/.
Petitions need to be filled out in black or blue ink.
No petition will be accepted by email, scan, or fax – it must be the original hard petition.
Only current Florida voters can fill out one petition.
Common errors are illegible letters and/or numbers; middle names or middle initials are not problems; must be a street address (not post office box); county (not country or zip code); choice of voter registration information number or birthdate (correct year must be entered); signature (must match the Supervisor of Elections record); date of signing.

THE OFFICIAL HUB: Petition Collection (Floridians Protecting Freedom), Post Office Box 4068, Sarasota, FL 34230 and an Intake Sheet is requested.

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