Confront the Woman-Haters in DC and San Francisco, January 22 and 23

Forced Motherhood = Female Enslavement:
Abortion on Demand Without Apology

January 18, 2016 | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us

Important demonstrations are being mobilized by StopPatriarchy.org and others against the vicious war on women and women’s fundamental right to abortion and birth control, on January 22 in Washington, DC, and January 23 in San Francisco.

These demonstrations come at a time of extreme emergency: abortion clinics are being set on fire, vandalized, and shut down... anti-abortion fanatics are stalking, terrorizing, and even murdering people... women everywhere are being hounded, harassed, and shamed on their way into the clinics... growing numbers of women cannot access safe abortions and are risking their lives to self-induce abortions, with some even ending up in prison... the vicious LIES that it is women’s “duty” to bear children, that it is “selfish” of women to choose not to bring every pregnancy to term, that abortion is tantamount to “murder” or even “genocide,” are being pumped out by ruling class politicians, influential religious fanatics, and mainstream organs of culture and “news.”

Bob Avakian put it well:

Unbelievable as it may seem, in the 21st century there are still people—including people in positions of power and authority—who are determined to force women to bear children, regardless of the situation, the feelings, and the better judgment of those women themselves. That is a way of enslaving women to the dictates of an oppressive male supremacist, patriarchal system; and that is what the cruel fanatics who are determined to deny women the right to abortion are really all about.

None of this grotesque and Dark Ages oppression of women is necessary and no one should tolerate it. Fetuses are NOT babies. Abortion is NOT murder. Women are NOT incubators. Women have absolutely no obligation—to society, to the state, to the church, or to men—to bring a pregnancy to term or to have a child. Women are full human beings, capable of participating fully and equally together with men in every realm of human endeavor.

Counter-demonstration against the Walk for Life in Washington, D.C, January 2015. Photo: Special to www.revcom.us/Revolution

Sign readsL "Not one more, I want to go into the streets without fear, International Women's Day, Mexico City, Mexico, March 8, 2011.
Sign reads: "Not one more, I want to go into the streets without fear," International Women's Day, Mexico City, Mexico, March 8, 2011. AP photo

New Delhi, India, Dec.2012. In the streets protesting the gang-rape and killing of a New Delhi student. AP photo

Yet, in 2016, on every corner of this planet women are treated like punching bags, breeding machines, sex objects, and slaves—their humanity denied, despised, broken, and sold. Women and girls in the millions upon millions are kidnapped and raped, pimped out and beaten, sexually tortured and humiliated—in war zones, in bedrooms, in schools and workplaces, in prisons, in churches and mosques, and in the multibillion-dollar porn and sex “industries.” From the moment they are born until the second they die, the half of humanity that is female and others who do not conform to patriarchal gender and sexual “norms” are heaped with thousands of years of shame, contempt, and cruel judgment for how they look, for how they love, for their sexual desires, for the violence that is inflicted on them, and for daring to defy patriarchal, male domination.

The only reason any of this outrageous oppression continues is because the world continues to be held hostage to the domination of capitalism-imperialism, backed up by armies, unjust laws, and a whole woman-hating, vicious culture. This system has the oppression of women knitted into its every nook and cranny. This system RELIES on this oppression. But that is not all! This same system unleashes its pigs to terrorize and murder Black and Brown people with impunity in Amerikkka while unleashing its military to carry out imperialist occupations, torture, and terror against innocent people abroad. This same system’s blind pursuit of profit is fueling—and can do nothing to stop—the mounting environmental emergency that threatens our very planet. This system is completely outmoded and must be swept aside at the soonest possible time in the only way it can be: through an actual revolution to emancipate humanity.

This revolution is possible. Because of Bob Avakian and the work he has done over several decades, summing up the positive and negative experience of the communist revolution so far, and drawing from a broad range of human experience, there is a new synthesis of communism that has been brought forward—there really is a viable vision and strategy for a radically new, and much better, society and world, and there is the crucial leadership that is needed to carry forward the struggle toward that goal.

Break ALL the Chains!
Bob Avakian on the Emancipation of Women and the Communist Revolution

Sampler Edition | Full Work

Everyone who wants to see an end to slavery in every form needs to dig deeply into the work and leadership of Bob Avakian, actively spread this leadership throughout society, and join in the movement for revolution that he is leading today.

As one critical part of this, people should dig deeply into the compendium, Break ALL the Chains! Bob Avakian on the Emancipation of Women and the Communist Revolution, which builds on the best of what has been accomplished in previous revolutions while also going way beyond even the best of this. Everyone who wants to see real and lasting liberation must take to heart and act upon Bob Avakian’s recognition of how taking up the fight for the liberation of women is critical in both building up the strength to make a revolution, and in ensuring that this revolution goes all the way to the full emancipation of all humanity.

At the same time and very immediately, we all must confront that putting a STOP to the vicious attacks on abortion and birth control and going on to DEFEAT and REVERSE this entire war on women will not happen without a fight—without people going into the streets, raising hell, and putting themselves on the line.

In sum, two challenges must be posed very broadly:

1. Stand up against the woman-haters January 22 in DC and January 23 in San Francisco. Change yourself and others in the process, casting off centuries of tradition and shame while forging and modeling a new liberating morality. Be part of fighting to break many—especially many youth and women—out of the enslaving brainwash of anti-abortion religious fanaticism. Be part of waking up many others throughout society who do not want to see women slammed backwards but who do not yet understand the extremes of this emergency or the possibility of defeating this war. Spread the word to everyone you know—in your school or religious congregation, in your neighborhood or professional network. Let people know they are needed and then bring everyone you can from wherever you are to be in the streets on January 22 and/or 23.

2. Get into BA—Get with the science, the strategy, and the leadership for an actual revolution and a radically new society on the road to real emancipation!