Lon Newman has spent the majority of his professional life advocating for the reproductive rights of Wisconsin women and their families. He is currently Executive Director of Family Planning Health Services in Central Wisconsin. A 2004 Robert Wood Johnson Community Health Leadership awardee, Lon opened the only contraceptive drive up window in Wisconsin in 2005 (one of only three in the United States). He has worked diligently to further the reproductive health and well being of Wisconsin families for over 20 years. His energy and commitment does not diminish as he continues to advocate locally, regionally and nationally for confidential accessible high quality reproductive health care.
With the rejection of the “Personhood Amendment” in Mississippi and the rejection of Measure 3 in North Dakota, we see proof that Americans have a profound respect for religious freedom as the founders intended it.
Let us call upon Cardinal Dolan, the USCCB, and their political allies to practice what they preach. Eliminating public funds and taxpayer support for organizations criminally convicted of protecting child predators will prove they are standing on principle.
To confront the most often-repeated misrepresentations, I ask readers to consider these ten assertions about sexual health and education in the United States.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan, in a March 16th Milwaukee Journal Sentinel opinion column, correctly characterizes the contraceptive insurance coverage debate. He says: “This is first and foremost a matter of religious liberty for all.” But fact is that when it comes to religious freedom, he’s against it.
Those of us who revere the constitution and the individual right to exercise freedom of religion enabled by the separation of church and state must stop the mass media procession that is now engaged in a responsive reading from the archbishop’s hymnal. These sounds you hear are not the chimes of freedom.
“What are they doing out there?” So-called prayer warriors misinform and mislead the public, intimidate clients, and prevent people from exercising their rights to health care.
Until January 13th, you have a voice in whether or not a new national prevention plan will include sexual health as a vital and normal part of a new national prevention plan. Use it now.
In December, Wisconsin won approval of a Medicaid State Plan Amendment, making permanent the very successful MA Family Planning Waiver. Now advocates must protect it from attack.
Public education is about education. In our public debate about sexual health education, what is most important is to respect public education’s core values of evidence, science and reason.
How much harm is done to women because they know very little about ectopic pregnancy and they cannot be sure they can get the care they need?
