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Dear John,
The Republican National Convention came to a close Thursday night and made one thing perfectly clear: this is truly the most important election of our lifetimes.
The RNC closed with a series of speeches from the lawn of the White House. Never before has what is supposed to be “The People’s House” been used as such an overt political prop. It was also a blatantly illegal choice, violating the Hatch Act (a federal law)—and just one more example in a long list of Donald Trump’s corruption.
And on the eve of Women’s Equality Day, the Convention featured a speech by anti-abortion activist Abby Johnson, who has recently advocated for a "head-of-household" voting system and said that it would be “smart” for a police officer to racially profile her Black adopted son. Johnson’s over-the-top speech featured graphic and deceptive tirades against abortion—the kind of inflammatory rhetoric that Trump has made mainstream over the last few years. She was far from the only speaker to spread such hateful misinformation about reproductive healthcare.
But, as Andrea Miller, president of the National Institute for Reproductive Health Action Fund, wrote in an article for Ms. this week, the GOP’s anti-abortion rhetoric is nothing new. “In reality, nearly 40 years of GOP opposition to abortion and the party’s failure to respect the importance of making fundamental decisions about our reproductive lives has led us to this point.”
What this week has once again confirmed: now is the time to get involved. Register to vote or check your voter registration to make sure you’ve listed your current address. Urge others to register. Request a mail-in ballot now, and plan to return your ballot in person to a designated ballot drop box or on Election Day. With mail delivery disrupted and delayed because of changes to the USPS system by the Trump administration, don’t depend on the mail to submit your ballot. And make a back-up plan to vote in person during early voting or on Election Day if your mail ballot doesn’t reach you in time. Become an Election Day poll worker (almost all states pay poll workers). Join a voter protection program. Today is the day to make your voice heard—we have 65 days to go until Election Day.
For equality,
Kathy Spillar
Executive Editor
P.S. If you become a Ms. Member today, our expanded Fall issue will reach you in time for the elections. Ms. election coverage will feature crucial information and analysis of what’s at stake for women and the country. Our team at Ms. continues to report and truth-tell – but we can’t do it without your support.
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