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Tell Bush: Stop Mistreating Women in the Military

Target: President Bush
Sponsored by: FreeChoiceSavesLives.org

Did you know that the military won't cover the cost of abortion, even if the servicewoman has been raped? But the military does cover the cost of cosmetic surgery, including breast implants, nose jobs, and liposuction!

Photo Courtesy of U.S. Army

A Congressional ban on abortions in the military is violating the rights of our women soldiers by forcing soldiers who become pregnant while serving overseas to seek abortions at private clinics and to pay for the procedure themselves, making it difficult and costly to end a pregnancy. Worse yet, the ban leaves women serving in countries where abortion is illegal - like Iraq and Afghanistan - nowhere to turn, effectively depriving them of freedom of choice.

This is no way to say "thank you" to the women in uniform who risk their lives for our country! Please sign the petition asking Commander in Chief, President Bush to respect our women in uniform by lifting the ban on military abortions.

deadline: 9-15-2005
goal: 15,000

14,062
signatures!

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Dear President Bush,

I'm writing to urge you to lift the ban on abortions in the military. Freedom of choice is an American right, yet for women soldiers serving overseas it can be difficult and costly, or even impossible to obtain an abortion. Not only does the ban prevent servicewomen from obtaining an abortion from military doctors, the procedure is not covered by their health insurance should they be able to find a private clinic that will perform the procedure. This is a particularly serious concern for women serving in countries in which abortion is illegal, such as Iraq and Afghanistan, as they find themselves with nowhere to turn.

I am particularly concerned about the ban's effects on servicewomen who become pregnant as a result of rape. It is not uncommon for servicewomen to be sexually assaulted, often by superior officers. The Department of Defense reported that there were 1,012 incidents of sexual assault on service members in 2003, and 901 in 2002.

I find it particularly hypocritical that the military does not cover the cost of abortion even in the case of rape or incest, while it does cover the cost of cosmetic surgery, such as breast implants, nose jobs, and liposuction. The official explanation for covering these frivolous cosmetic surgeries is to allow military surgeons to stay in good practice for reconstructive surgery of battle wounds, but how liposuction and breast implants figure into the equation is anybody's guess.

I urge Congress to get its priorities straight and respect the rights of American servicewomen by lifting the ban on abortions in the military.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

We signed the “Tell Bush: Stop Mistreating Women in the Military” petition!

# 14,066:

11:06 pm PDT, Apr 11, Jenny Vegan, United States Minor Outlying Islands
This is shameful. Soldiers aren't military property.

# 14,065:

9:42 pm PDT, Apr 3, Suzie Gordon, New Hampshire

# 14,064:

3:39 pm PDT, Mar 30, Silky Wyld, Wisconsin

# 14,063:

9:35 am PDT, Mar 28, Ginger Geronimo, Alabama

# 14,062:

7:37 pm PDT, Mar 22, Angela Heid, Indiana

# 14,061:

2:43 am PDT, Mar 22, Art Deco, Maine

# 14,060:

1:55 pm PDT, Mar 20, Marija Pavlovic, Serbia And Montenegro

# 14,059:

2:22 pm PDT, Mar 15, BiLL Fowlie, Maine

# 14,058:

1:14 pm PDT, Mar 15, Name not displayed, Wisconsin

# 14,057:

9:47 pm PDT, Mar 14, Shannon Sultan, Wisconsin

# 14,056:

4:05 pm PST, Mar 7, Roxie Schliesmann, Wisconsin

# 14,055:

5:03 pm PST, Mar 3, Emily Legg, Ohio

# 14,054:

6:10 pm PST, Feb 17, Laura Zanoli, Italy

# 14,053:

8:51 pm PST, Feb 10, Catherine Godfrey, Canada

# 14,052:

10:21 am PST, Jan 29, William Harper, Georgia

# 14,051:

6:27 pm PST, Jan 25, Erika Stone, Virginia

# 14,050:

4:50 am PST, Jan 22, Marie Bergman, Sweden

# 14,049:

5:34 pm PST, Jan 19, LYNETTE ADDY, North Carolina
I HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN TO ME IN 2005. I WAS RAPED BY 2 GUYS FROM MY RESERVE UNIT AND 1 OF THE GUYS BROTHER. I DIDN'T KNOW I WAS PREGNAT UNTIL I GOT ACTIVE DUTY ORDERS TO GO TO HAWAII FOR THREE YRS. I DIDN'T REPORT WHAT HAPPEN TO ME B/C OF THE THREAT THEY MADE ON MY FAMILY. SO WHEN I GOT TO FT L.WOOD TO GO TO HI. THEY STOPPED MY INPROCESSING. THE 1ST IN CHARGE WA GOING TO LET ME GO ON MY OWN TO GET THE ABORTION ON THE LOW BUT WHEN THE COMMANDER CAME BACK FROM LEAVE HE DID EVERYTHING IN HER POWER TO GET ME OFF. AFTER AWHILE I STOPPED TRYINGTO FIGHT THE SYSTEM. THE PROMISED AFTER HAVING THE BABY I COULD COME BACK. IT WAS A NIGHTMARE. I HAD TO GET A MEDICAL WAIVER TO PROVE I WAS HEALTHY B/C THEY DIDN'T PUT I WAS PREGNANT ON MY DISCHARGE PAPERS. THEY MADE IT SEEM LIKE I HAD A SERIOUS MEDICAL CONDITION. I LIVED IT SO I KNOW THE HASSLE AND THE PAIN.

# 14,048:

7:52 pm PST, Jan 5, Name not displayed, New York

# 14,047:

4:58 am PST, Dec 25, REGINA WIRTH, Germany

# 14,046:

6:35 pm PST, Dec 7, Karen Gray, Indiana

# 14,045:

5:18 pm PST, Dec 2, Name not displayed, Maine

# 14,044:

7:41 pm PDT, Sep 17, Kyna Crain, Montana

# 14,043:

5:28 pm PDT, Sep 11, Chris Anas, California

# 14,042:

4:18 am PDT, Sep 2, Kaytie Irvine, California

# 14,041:

12:30 pm PDT, Aug 18, Dogan Ozkan, Turkey

# 14,040:

11:58 am PDT, Aug 18, Chuck Dowe, Massachusetts

# 14,039:

7:48 am PDT, Aug 1, Polly Odyssey, Missouri

# 14,038:

2:28 pm PDT, Jul 18, Dana Szemereta, North Carolina

# 14,037:

8:59 pm PDT, Jun 20, Pauline Houzard, Guadeloupe

# 14,036:

9:45 pm PDT, Jun 15, Robyn Sharpe, Massachusetts

# 14,035:

5:41 pm PDT, May 21, Name not displayed, New Jersey

# 14,034:

5:49 pm PDT, Apr 26, Miranda Westbrook, Kentucky

# 14,033:

5:46 pm PDT, Apr 19, Melissa Bardwell, Washington

# 14,032:

8:10 am PDT, Apr 14, Nicky Elizabeth, Maine

# 14,031:

11:06 pm PDT, Apr 13, Kellie Noffsinger, California

# 14,030:

12:43 am PDT, Apr 10, Victoria Thomas, Wyoming

# 14,029:

3:46 am PDT, Mar 23, Chetna Pittea, United Kingdom
That you cover breast implants and cosmetic surgery but not abortion speaks volumes about how you view and treat women.

# 14,028:

9:06 am PDT, Mar 21, Teresa Lanz, California
I had no idea! This is outrageous. And, from a practical perspective, ludicrous - why wouldn't a military force provide a medical service that could return a soldier's physical condition to combat level as soon as possible?

# 14,027:

8:59 pm PDT, Mar 18, Harmony Hartley, Washington

# 14,026:

1:42 pm PST, Mar 9, Lynda LaSage, California
Absolutely! You can cover trivial things but you can't cover something that might save her life. . . and her sanity?! This is crazy! I just don't believe it. . .

# 14,025:

11:57 am PST, Mar 8, Wesley Vincent, New Mexico

# 14,024:

1:32 pm PST, Feb 25, Lindsey Kim, Connecticut

# 14,023:

5:49 pm PST, Feb 18, Dawn Neale, Maryland
Okay now I have heard of everything! This has to be a mistake right?

# 14,022:

11:44 am PST, Feb 18, Crystal Troy, New Jersey

# 14,021:

12:21 pm PST, Feb 14, Jacquie Laraway, Alabama
Let me get this straight. You'll foot the bill for a boob job and a facelift so that she can look GOOD in her coffin?!? But not for an abortion to keep her on the front lines and off of welfare? What a backwards philosophy.

# 14,020:

8:47 pm PST, Jan 25, Peg Fikes, New York

# 14,019:

7:04 am PST, Dec 27, Jessica-Dawn Drouin, Canada

# 14,018:

5:54 pm PST, Dec 24, Ron Matthews, United Kingdom

# 14,017:

8:11 am PST, Dec 22, Susan Walker, California

# 14,016:

9:26 am PST, Dec 20, Zaina Escandon Francis, Guatemala

# 14,015:

8:47 am PST, Dec 16, Robin Davis, Pennsylvania

# 14,014:

5:33 am PST, Dec 13, Joseph Klawiter, Virginia
Women deserve the right to choose!

# 14,013:

9:11 am PST, Dec 7, Jennifer Megeney, Canada

# 14,012:

7:23 am PST, Nov 22, Joseph Buchbinder, California

# 14,011:

12:09 pm PST, Nov 21, Alan Stout, Illinois

# 14,010:

5:10 pm PST, Nov 20, Name not displayed, Texas
Because no one has the right to interfere with this very personal decision. It is an option that should be available

# 14,009:

1:40 pm PST, Nov 19, Dorinda Kelley, Oregon
Isn't it foolish to set up a double bind like this, where you want women to join the military and then once there you treat them unequally? I am personally telling all of the young women that I work with what really goes on if you get pregnant while in the military. They need to know the truth now, rather then later.

# 14,008:

9:13 am PST, Nov 19, Ronald Goodman, Idaho

# 14,007:

1:29 pm PST, Nov 16, Rena Wu, New York

# 14,006:

10:16 pm PST, Nov 15, Alberto Marcillo, Washington

# 14,005:

10:15 pm PST, Nov 15, Jessica Marcillo, Washington
I am a veteran and can verify that this is a legit petition.

# 14,004:

7:28 am PST, Nov 6, Stephanie Swanson, Illinois
say a woman is a pow and raped and becomes impregnated... should she have to pay for her own abortion or have to bear a child produced by one of those terrist scums? i think not!

# 14,003:

9:23 am PDT, Oct 19, Courtney Babcock, Connecticut

# 14,002:

4:35 pm PDT, Oct 15, Amber Vann, Florida

# 14,001:

7:46 am PDT, Oct 14, Janet Schmauss, Louisiana

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Tell Bush: Stop Mistreating Women in the Military

This petition has been closed.