Upsot: “we will not go back…we will not go back”

TONIGHT….THE BATTLE IN AMERICA OVER REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS, AS MORE STATES MOVE TO BAN ABORTION

Babies are being murdered in there and women are being lied to and hurt

KIERRA: I’m walking around with a Uterus that I can’t even say is mine

BRIAN “Hey good morning a rose for you?”

PROTESTORS ARE HITTING THE STREETS HERE IN AUSTRALIA, CONCERNED US BANS WILL HAVE A RIPPLE EFFECT.

BUT WHAT WILL IT MEAN FOR WOMEN, IF THEY NO LONGER HAVE ACCESS TO ABORTIONS?

Gloria - The end goal is to make abortion illegal /that’s not going to stop abortions it’s going to stop safe abortions / women will die

AND COULD IT DETERMINE WHO SITS IN THE WHITE HOUSE

From the white house to your house, life is winning in America once again.

TITLE: AMERICA’S WAR ON ABORTION

I’VE ARRIVED IN MISSOURI JUST DAYS AFTER THE GOVERNOR HAS SIGNED A BILL THAT OUTLAWS ABORTION AFTER 8 WEEKS PREGNANCY

IT’S DUE TO COME INTO EFFECT IN AUGUST AND

HERE IN ST LOUIS… IT’S DRIVING PEOPLE ON TO THE STREETS.

Donald Trump told us what he was going to do

You should have known it was coming to Missouri, we waited until the govenor had his foot on our necks and then we said no!

Let’s continue to fight long and hard together  - for free abortion on demand without apology!

We need to have politicians who care about women's health and women's right to choose

Laura: hows it make you feel about the the future, being a young woman in America?

Honestly just terrified

Scared

PRO-CHOICE ADVOCATES WERE ANGERED BY THESE LAWS ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THERE ARE NO CONCESSIONS FOR VICTIMS OF RAPE OR INCEST

BUT FOR PEOPLE HERE PEOPLE ARE NOT SUPRISED

FOR YEARS, MISSOURI HAS IMPOSED RESTRICTIONS MAKING IT MORE AND MORE DIFFICULT FOR WOMEN TO ACCESS ABORTIONS.

MOST CLINICS HAVE BEEN FORCED TO CLOSE DOWN

THIS IS MISSOURI’S LAST REMAINING CLINIC

BRIAN:  Hey good morning, have a good day mam

BRIAN: hey mam a rose for ya, were just doing free pregnancy testing down the street

BRIAN: Hey I got a rose a beautiful rose.. you want one. Have a good day mam

My names Brian we have free pregnancy test  and ultra sounds down the street

FOR PRO-LIFER BRIAN WESTBROOK THE NEW ABORTION  LAWS ARE A GREAT VICTORY 

HIS MAIN GOAL… IS TO LIVE IN A COUNTRY  WITH ZERO ABORTIONS

B: It's definitely a momentous outcome. It's something that is a step in the right direction but what we do know is that there are other places in the country that you can still get an abortion.

B: all this progress will be forgot if we don't continue to protect and defend and stand up for women.

BRIAN’S VERSION OF PROTECTING WOMEN, IS CHANGING THEIR MINDS AS THEY ENTER THE ABORTION CLINIC… HE CALLS THESE MOMENTS, TURNAROUNDS.

B: so what we want to do is have an opportunity to talk to her, offer her free resources and if she's interested in those free resources or that continued support she's going to leave.

Laura: Hey Brian, how are you? What are you doing here?

BRIAN:  we are just doing a little sidewalk counselling,

BRIAN: so as cars are coming in we are waving and smiling at them, greet them we have some amazing roses to give out

Laura: I imagine its pretty hard getting people to wind down the window?

Brian: I mean it depends

BRIAN: For those coming for abortions or pregnancy tests, these kind of things, they have about a 40% stop rate. So we arent doing too bad. Of those we have about a 1% turn around rate. We’ve had 2087 turnarounds now

Laura: oh, someone is coming out.

Brian: so this is the planned parenthood escort… have a good day mam.

BRIANS TACTICS ARE NOT AS AGGRESSIVE AS YOU MIGHT EXPECT.

INSTEAD OF GRAPHIC PICTURES AND ACCUSATIONS OF MURDER…. HE USES ROSES.

B: What we find is that the more loving, the more caring, the more outgoing we are, the more opportunities we have to talk to people. It's actually pretty common sense.

THESE INSIGHTS, GAINED FROM A DECADE OF SIDEWALK COUNSELLING, ARE THEN PASSED ON TO HIS ARMY OF VOLUNTEERS.

Brian: Lets be real honest, standing in front of an abortion clinic is controversial

The moment we start yelling screaming holding ugly signs we are going to put a barrier between us and client and thats not what we are here to do.

BRIAN: So have we had any turn arounds?

Guy: yes we had one this morning? Rachel turned her around.

Brian: awesome.

L: Are these women always better off? Who you've managed to turn around from the abortion clinic...

Brian: That's a very interesting question. Um, a woman is... I don't know. I would say most definitely is what we've seen is women who have had abortions have a huge regret.

IT MAY SEEM HARD TO BELIEVE BUT BRIAN WAS ONCE PRO-CHOICE

Hey Laura

LAURA: hey Guys!

Brian: We’ve got , Ethan, Eva, Michael, Isabel and Dominic is the youngest

HE BECAME A PRO-LIFE FOOT SOLDIER AFTER HE NEARLY LOST HIS NEWBORN SON ETHAN.

B:  I literally dropped to my knees, threw my arms up in the air and said, "God take care of my little boy and I'll re-dedicate my life to you."

He saved the life of our little child and gave us a second chance. Gave Ethan a second chance. 

AND WITH THAT, BRIAN’S LIFE CHANGED.

HE FOUNDED ADVOCACY GROUP COALITION FOR LIFE.

B: Our mission statement is clearly "end abortion in St Louis, peacefully and prayerfully.

B: Really the question is: when does life begin? At the moment of conception you have DNA from mum and DNA from dad and it's pulled together in a unique set of DNA that happens at the moment of conception. And many on the other side of the argument can't figure out when human life gets dignity and value.

LAURA: The current laws in Missouri have no exemptions for incest or rape. Do you think that there is a moral or ethical question there?

B: So the child who was conceived in a very difficult situation, that child still deserves life. They still deserve dignity and respect. So that woman who has gone through a traumatic experience, she needs counselling, she needs professional assistance and help and she needs love. A surgical procedure that kills the life inside of her, doesn't make a terrible traumatic experience go away. It doesn't.

L: Do you think that the majority of Americans share your view on abortion?

B: I believe the majority of Americans do in fact share our view on abortion.

IN REALITY, THIS ISSUE IS DIVIDING AMERICA… RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE.

A GALLOP POLL FOUND 48% OF AMERICANS CONSIDER THEMSELVES PRO-LIFE, AND AN EQUAL 48% BELIEVE WOMEN HAVE A RIGHT TO CHOOSE

Abortion is currently legal in all fifty US states,

Following the Roe. V Wade ruling in the Supreme Court in 1973.

‘the surpreme court ruled today that abortion is  a matter of privacy to be decided between mother and doctor in the first 3 months of pregnancy”

The ruling has stood for over 40 years, but its days may be numbered…

Trump wants to make this a state issue, and many states believe abortion should be illegal.

Overturning Roe V Wade, requires a ruling from the Supreme court, ON STATE BANS

which thanks to Trump is now largely conservative.

I am pro-life and I will be appointing pro-life judges

...Nine states across America have introduced abortion bans designed to make it to the supreme court.

 BUT  Some states are moving to increase protections for women seeking abortion.

I’M ABOUT TO CROSS THE MISSISIPPI RIVER IN ST LOUIS, WHICH MARKS THE BORDER BETWEEN MISSOURI AND ILLINOIS. 

ON THIS SIDE OF THE RIVER, ABORTION COULD SOON BECOME A THING OF THE PAST...

BUT ON THE OTHER SIDE THEY’VE PASSED THE MOST PROGRESSIVE ABORTION LEGISLATION IN THE COUNTRY

I’M HERE AT HOPE CLINIC, ONE OF 40 IN THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, TO MEET DR ERIN KING.

Dr King: so this is our ultrasound area, we see about 20 -30 patients here a day

Dr King: So most of our patients are already mothers, they already have babies, so most of our patients are low income or patients of color and are having difficulties accessing healthcare.

RIGHT NOW THE CLINIC HAS CLOSED FOR THE DAY.

BUT LATELY DR KING HAS BEEN DEALING WITH AN INFLUX OF WOMEN CROSSING THE BORDER

Laura: so how busy are these hall ways usually.

Erin: Very busy!

MORE THAN HALF OF THE WOMEN SEEKING ABORTIONS HERE, ARE FROM MISOURI

Dr Erin:  This is one of our operating rooms where we do our abortions…. an abortion takes around 5 minutes. Most people literally without sedation could finish their procedure walk out of the office and go home

Laura: So there’s actually a lot more risk with pregnancy, than there is with abortion?

Dr King: Absolutely

ILLINOIS HAS REPLACED OUTDATED ABORTION LEGISLATION, WITH LEGAL PROTECTIONS FOR PHYSICANS, CLINICS AND PATIENTS. 

ILLINOIS GOV: In this state we trust women

RIGHT NOW, IN THIS STATE, ABORTION IS CONSIDERED A FUNDAMENTAL WOMAN’S RIGHT.

A STARK CONTRAST TO NEIGHBOURING MISSOURI….

We're so pessimistic and very sad about what's happening for our patients in Missouri and our providers and then we're ecstatic that Illinois has turned around and said look, we think the life and the health of the patient is very important.

WHILST ILLINOIS IS MAKING NATIONAL HEADLINES FOR ITS PROGRESSIVE APPROACH.

ONE STATE HAS DRAWN GLOBAL ATTENTION FOR IT’S NEAR TOTAL BAN ON ABORTION.

I’M IN ALABAMA, WHERE A NEW BILL OUTLAWS ABORTION AT ANY STAGE OF PREGNANCY WITH NO EXCEPTIONS FOR VICTIMS OF RAPE AND INCEST.

ALABAMA HAS JUST THREE ABORTION CLINICS SERVICING A POPULATION OF AROUND 2.4 MILLION WOMEN

RIGHT NOW THEY ARE STILL OPERATIONAL, AS THE NEW ABORTION LAW ISN’T DUE TO TAKE EFFECT UNTIL NOVEMBER,

AND IS ALREADY THE SUBJECT OF A LEGAL CHALLLENGE.

"good morning I've seen you walk by ten times... tough morning... nobody wants to be at an abortion clinic"

THIS CLINIC IN TUSCALOOSA HAS BEEN A BATTLEGROUND FOR DECADES.

Laura: Why have you come here today?

P: Because babies are being murdered in there and women are being lied to and hurt

P: Good morning miss! we have a gift for you come on over and talk to us. They can't help you in there!

L: How much time do you spend here at the clinic?

Well, I try to get here every Saturday

L: For how many years?

Oh a couple of decades, maybe a little more

L: Do you think these women should have the choice to be able to decide whether they want to have their baby or not?

No, I don't think that any woman should have a right to kill their children do you?

L: It's not about what I think

Well it's not about what I think, it's about what He thinks

Amen, amen

“our father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name they kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven…”

Woman “good morning or good afternoon I have a blessing bag for you”

JUST METRES AWAY FROM THE PROTESTORS….

THE CLINIC ESCORTS CHAPERONE WOMEN IN AND OUT OF THE CLINIC.

H: I've been told that I'm going to go burn eternally for every baby I've ushered to slaughter.

H: They'll post pictures of the patients, companions, staff and escorts online and harass them online as well.

L: do you ever actually feel scared for your personal safety?

H: we are always alert that there is a risk of violence.

So the clinic hires an off-duty police officer to come here 2 days a week to monitor the protesters activity because they have gotten just that aggressive

Our clinic specifically has been firebombed in the past.

Woman 1: This doesn't need to devastate your life

Woman 2: Please just look we ask you to look please look. This abortion will devastate your life.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE STRUGGLES OF RUNNING AN ABORTION CLINIC IN THE DEEP SOUTH,

HELMI TAKES ME TO MEET THE CLINIC DIRECTOR, GLORIA...

H: Is it ok if Laura goes through to meet Gloria?
Sure!

L: Hi Gloria I’m Laura
G: Nice to meet you!

GLORIA OPENED THIS CLINIC IN 1993.

OVER TIME SHE’S SEEN GREATER AND GREATER RESTRICTIONS PLACED ON THE CLINIC…  AND AN INFLUX OF PROTESTORS.

G: They clinic is referred to by the protesters as the abortion capital in Alabama.

G: Over the years we've seen it progress but since Donald Trump has been in office, the protesters have definitely felt emboldened

GLORIA SAYS THE CLINIC SEES ABOUT 250 WOMEN A MONTH…

…AND SHES’S WORRIED ABOUT WHERE THESE WOMEN WILL GO IN THE FUTURE.

G: I do believe that abortion will be overturned. Roe Versus Wade will be overturned and will be illegal in my lifetime.

The end goal is to make abortion illegal. They don't care that that's not going to stop abortions. It's going to stop safe abortions and women will continue to have abortions. They will just... women will die.

L: Are many of the women who come here in really vulnerable situations?

G: Yes. There are stories that have stuck with me over the years. One being a little 12 year old girl who came in for her first day counselling session and she said, it was not a boy, this was a 54 year old man that was my dad. It will always stick in my mind

L: This law has no exceptions for incest or rape- does that make any sense to you?

G: It makes no sense. Can you imagine a 12 year old, this little girl that I just talked about, having to carry her father's child? That's a child having a child. And not have access to an abortion?

G: I mean it's just something that my mind can't comprehend.

Chad: For 11 weeks 6 days and under it is 500, the 150 is deducted from that total

Alesia: West Alabama women's centre

WHILE THIS BAN MIGHT NEVER BE ENFORCED

RIGHT NOW, MANY WOMEN IN ALABAMA DON’T KNOW WHERE THEY STAND.

Chad on phone: No we're still open the law passed, they did pass the law but it still has to go through the court system,

Alesia: West Alabama women's centre

ALESIA: they ask me will they go to jail? If they have this procedure done? Is it true that they will be arrested for 99 years

ELIZABETH FOUND OUT SHE WAS PREGNANT 4 WEEKS AGO…  NOT LONG AFTER, THE BAN WAS ANNOUNCED.

Elizabeth: I started researching the law about whether or not I was going to catch a felony charge if I did go out of state and it was an awful lot of emotions thinking that I had no choice in the matter, I think that’s what it boils down to is that I don’t get to decide my future

BUT FOR NOW, ABORTION IS STILL AN OPTION FOR ELIZABETH.

Laura: Why did you decide to have an abortion today?

Elizabeth: Um, I am 32, I work 2 jobs, I have been dating the same guy for about 4 years I’m not even close to being mentally, financially, or physically stable to have a kid. So yea that is why. That is absolutely why.

ELIZABETH IS PRETTY CERTAIN ABOUT HER CHOICE…

AND SHE’S AGREED TO LET US FILM THIS FIRST APPOINTMENT,

TO SHOW WHAT GETTING AN ABORTION IN ALABAMA IS REALLY LIKE.

Alesia: have a seat right there for me... I'm Alesia imma do your lab work

Elizabeth - okay

Elizabeth: A lot of women walk in here, their heads are down, they don't want to feel that judgement. Like they don't want people telling them that they're murderers

Alesia: Step on the scale right there I'll get your weight

ELIZ: They're actually choosing for themselves and they're choosing for their own bodies.

Alesia: And I'll get your blood pressure

UNDER CURRENT LEGISLATION WOMEN CAN NOT GET AN ABORTION AFTER 20 WEEKS PREGNANCY

AND THERE’S A 48 HR WAITING PERIOD BETWEEN THIS APPOINTMENT AND WHEN SHE CAN GET THE PROCEDURE.

Alesia: pregnancy test is positive. Now we're going to come around here and do your ultrasound

Alesia: I'll be just a second

Elizabeth: Just kind of makes you realise that you're not alone...And see there you go god bless you guys... you can have religion and have an abortion

Dr: 31

Liz: oh I'm 31

AFTER THIS ULTRASOUND ELIZABETH HAS TO DO MANDATORY GROUP COUNSELLING ABOUT HER DECISION….

Elizabeth: you've been told your whole life that the minute you get pregnant that it's an actual living breathing human…. when it's just a collection of cells that just happened to have a heart beat

Dr: 9 weeks 4 days, you want to see it?

Liz: nooooo, no no

Dr: Now the state has prepared some information that we have to offer to you, you don't have to take it or read it we just have to let you know that it is available

ACCORDING TO STAFF HERE, THE COUNSELLING, 48 HR WAIT PERIOD AND STATE-ISSUED PAMPHLETS, ARE DESIGNED TO DISSUADE WOMEN FROM HAVING AN ABORTION.

Elizabeth: It’s scary I can't just say yes this is what I decided to do and then move forward. I think that any women that decide to walk in here today to have an abortion has already made that decision and she doesn't need to be deterred for it or made to feel guilty for it.

80 YR OLD DR PAYNE HAS BEEN DOING ABORTIONS FOR 50 YEARS.

L: If you had to guess, how many women have come to you for abortions over the years?

Dr: Probably around 80 000 I would think.

UNDER ALABAMA’S NEW LAWS, NOT ONLY WOULD  ABORTION AT ANY STAGE OF PREGNANCY BE ILLEGAL

BUT THE DOCTOR WHO PERFORMS THEM WOULD GET 99 YEARS IN JAIL.

L: What do you think of that? Does that make any sense?

Dr: Not at all. It's not... I mean we all know that it's unconstitutional. The restrictions they put on there do nothing to protect women. In fact, it's just the opposite. It makes it unsafe for women.

DR PAYNE BELIEVES THERE ARE ALREADY TOO MANY BARRIERS TO ACCESSING ABORTION…

IT’S SOMETHING ALESIA KNOWS ALL TOO WELL….

WHILE SHE’S WORKED AT THE CLINIC AS AN ASSISTANT FOR 8 YEARS

… SHE FIRST WENT THERE AS A PATIENT, WHEN SHE FELL PREGNANT AT 16.

A: It was the best thing that ever could have happened to me. At 16 years old I was still a child. Raising a kid was something that I wouldn't be able to do.

When I see 11 and 12 year old girls I pull them aside with their parents and I tell them my story. And let them know what they're doing is okay.

ALESIA SEES THE CLINIC IS A LIFELINE… FOR HERSELF AND MANY OTHER WOMEN.

It's really hard to get an abortion at Alabama. It’s especially for black women because I am a black woman and it takes me back to when I was 16 and my mum had to bring me. I can just remember her. I waited 'till I was 16 weeks because I was scared to tell my mum that I was pregnant. And just watching her trying to figure out where she was going to get that money from, so. It's hard, it's hard. 

MANY OF THE WOMEN WHO COME TO TUSCALOOSA TRAVEL LONG DISTANCES, FROM SMALL, RURAL TOWNS.

HERE IN ALABAMA, POVERTY IS THE WORST IN THE DEVELOPED WORLD….

AND 90% OF THE POPULATION IS RELIGIOUS.

TO FIND OUT JUST HOW MUCH HOW GOD AND POVERTY PLAYS INTO THIS DEBATE….

I’VE COME TO MEET KIERRA IN SAWYERVILLE.

KIERRA: It’s 150 people, all farmland. It’s very religious, there are at least 45 churches around here

L: 45 churches!

KIERRA IS A RECENT UNIVERSITY GRADUATE.

AND SHE’S PART OF A GENERATION OF YOUNG WOMEN IN THE US, STARTING TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST THE BAN.

K: I have two strikes, I'm black and I am a woman. And I barely have rights, I don't have rights to my own uterus, I'm walking around with a uterus and I can't even say it's mine.

KIERRA SAYS RELIGION, POVERTY AND THE LACK OF EDUCATION ARE THE MAIN DRIVERS BEHIND WOMEN SEEKING ABORTION IN TOWNS LIKE THIS.

K: A lot of women get pregnant at a young age, because they're not educated

L: What are women taught about sex in school?

K: Sex education is basically non-existent in rural areas. They didn't tell us anything about contraception, they didn't tell us about STIs, STDs, they just saying, just wait,

Wait. Wait until marriage and if you don't wait, you're a dirty whore. 

L: When it comes to abortion, how much of an issue is poverty?

K: It's the biggest issue. A lot of people think its race, it's not race at all, and it’s poverty.

K: No-one wakes up one day and just says, I need an abortion, just because I'm a heartless person

You make this tough call because you know you're not going to be able to pay your bills, you know that you probably have a child that you can't provide for

My mother had one and she did not do it heartlessly, she did it for me, she did it for my brother, she did it for my other sister. She did it for us. 

KIERRA’S GRANDMA, IS STAUNCHLY RELIGIOUS,

AND THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN THE SOURCE OF MUCH DEBATE IN THE HOUSEHOLD

L:What was your reaction when you heard about the abortion law

KIERAS GRANDMA: Well my reaction was, uh, was y'know.,…. They should let the girls, young ladies, do whatever they want with their own body. That's the way I feel about it. 

L: So 25 white men signed off on this abortion bill. What do you think of that?

K: Oh, damn. 25 white men, I don't like men deciding on my uterus, because one they don't have one but 25 white men in general that just makes it ten times worse.

I don't think this is right. I don't think people are seeing the bigger picture for us as black women. We barely have a seat at the table in society, and we've just got pushed further back from society. So, if this, if abortion illegal, we'd become more impoverished. We barely make it, some of us would probably die

I’M ON MY WAY TO ANNISTON, A REPUBLICAN STRONGHOLD IN NORTH EAST ALABAMA.

I’M HERE TO MEET SENATOR DEL MARSH.

Hi Del,

DEL IS ONE OF THE 25 MALE SENATORS RESPONSIBLE FOR SIGNING ALABAMAS ABORTION BILL

LAURA: Under this law, doctors who perform abortions would get a life sentence longer than a violent sexual assault offender. Does that make sense to you?

DEL: Well there again, at that point it's considered murder and you're going to look at how that senate has termed someone who murders. And it's the murder of the most helpless of the helpless.

I do believe that the majority of, of, people in America frown on abortion in most cases. I definitely know that's the case in Alabama.

LAURA: Do you believe abortion is murder?

DEL: After a certain point.

LAURA: What point?

DEL: When its determined that life begins

LAURA: And when is that?

DEL: Well the supreme court will have to tell us that.

DELL WAS AGAINST SOME OF THE MORE HARDLINE ASPECTS OF THE BAN.

BUT HE VOTED FOR IT ANYWAY

… HE SAYS HE’S LOOKING TO THE LONG TERM.

DEL: This is about challenging Roe V. Wade, that's what this is about. I for instance supported the amendment with the exception of rape and incest. I always have been supporting that amendment.

LAURA: What is the end goal here of challenging Roe V. Wade

Del: To overturn it. End goal's to overturn it to make abortion illegal except under certain conditions.

LAURA: Do you think that a woman has a right to choose what happens to her own body?

Del: I do, but to a point. Because there's a point when you decide, when does life begin? And once that begins that the choices are over.

KIERRA: We are not heard. We don't have the seat at the table. … We are marginalized highly. People don't listen to us at all, at all. And when we do try to speak up, people find some way to shut it down.

LAURA: If you could talk to those legislators, what would you say?

K: I felt like I just, I just lost another one of my rights. And that's sad to say. See, we're supposed to be going forward and we're going backwards every day!