Minnesota Report
Why is it mostly men, who make decisions on women’s rights?
In the 1990’s the DFL Party had to make a significant decision, which is whether or not they wanted to be a party of pockets of pro-choice places across the state, or if they were going universally support women’s rights. The party platform had contained pro-choice planks for years, but candidates, especially in greater Minnesota still were considered anti-choice, and the state Senate had an anti-choice majority when DFLers combined with Republicans. It is during this time, the term pro-life was only an utterance from a supporter of anti-choice positions rather than the broader community.
This fostered the legislation for the 24-waiting period and dual parental consent.
In the DFL party ranks, in 1992, while selecting delegates to the national convention, local central committees, and party offices a person’s personal stance on abortion became front and center. This meant whether or not you supported the party platform was the primary factor, and that year and subsequent years anti-choice DFLer lost positions, representation and many left the DFL altogether.
We learned long ago they didn’t leave politics, no rather they joined the Republican Party, remember Julie Quist, wife of the GOP Gubernatorial candidate Allen Quist, and co-founder of the Feminist bookstore Amazon?
Additionally, there were Primary contests over the issue like, pro-choice candidate Don Betzold (DFL-Fridley) 1993-2002 v anti-choice Sen Don Frank (DFL-Fridley) 1981-1992 which had played out over two election cycles, with Betzhold prevailing.
This Primary Election in the DFL will not provide as dramatic or as definitive election on the DFL side as it will on the Republican side, because the strident element on the right is the Action 4 Liberty push. The purging of RINO’s (Republicans in Name Only) is well underway and the culling of the herd is what is being attempted, but the question is will the effort succeed, because if it does, then the general electorate will have the opportunity to have its say.
The battle for the soul of the state will play out across the state this election and the Abortion issue and the fight to prevent women from being treated as second-class citizens is the matter at-hand.
Patriarchy and Paternalism is merely the thumb on the heads of women and it must end.