The Maggot Punks

No, she's not my wife or girlfriend, though she is in a sense somewhat of a sister. She's "Betti Wannabang", and she is a member of a Pro-Choice advocacy group known as-The Maggot Punks

and they have had their share of success over the four odd years or so since they started out in Wichita Kansas as a group in oppossition to such Far Right radicals as the Army of God

In fact, they have been sucessful enough they have been profiled in Rolling Stone, though unfortunately I have been unable to find the url to the specific magazine article, assumming it was ever on-line to begin with. If I find it I will update this post.

In the meantime, I would be remiss in posting this were I not to mention their main opponents, a Kansas based splinter group of Operation Rescue, known as Operation Rescue West

They began by escorting women into abortion clinics when the latter were being blocked from entry and otherwise harassed by members of this organization, who sometimes went as far as to stalk the women to their own neighborhoods. On one occassion, a shouting match started, which culminated with one or more of the group members being called "maggot punks"-hence the name.

Since that time, they have grown in stature and determination. Devoting their limited resources and their seemingly boundless energy and enthusiasm to the cause, they were successful in instigating an investigation of ORW's leader, a man by the name of Troy Newman, which resulted in Operation Rescue West-whom they consider a domestic terrorist organization- being relieved of it's tax exempt status by the IRS, due to a number of illicit activities This included support of Republican political candidates, as well as the harrassment of people who were pursuing perfectly legal abortions, and evidently even birth control and other family planning counseling.

Their complete investigation of Newman is detailed in a file you can download for ten dollars (to help the group defray it's expenses), called The Newman Report. A spokesperson for Newmans group claimed laughably that the group actually wished to no longer be a tax exempt organization. Well, good for them. The IRS has granted their wish, with evidently no input from them. Christmas came early for them I guess.

The Newman Report also contains other information about Newman, such as his criminal associations, money laundering activities, and "extensive property holdings".

Ultimately, Newman has ended up being charged with assault for the unfortunate happenstance of misplacing somewhere his Christian love and patience, when he assaulted a cameraman, and group member "D-Cubed", during the course of an attempted interview. As if that were not enough, Newman was holding his child at the time, and so may also end up being charged with child endangerment.

Nor has the group limited it's resources and drive to this one issue, they have also been instrumental in objecting to religous fundamentalism pervading the public schools, and were active in the latest political primaries. Due in no small part to their efforts, a number of religous conservatives- who wished to foist "Intelligent Design" as a part of science classes in the public schools in Kansas- found themselves ousted in the schoolboard elections by more moderate candidates.

For these efforts alone, The Maggot Punks deserve gratitude, and support. Even if you don't donate any money to them, you can still visit their web-site via the link I provided, read all about them, join in on their forums, and spread the word about them to anybody you think might be interested by sending a link to their url.

They are unabashed atheists who believe strongly in seperation of church and state, and are determined to go all out to protect that most basic and fundamental of American concepts. Yet, they insist they have no problem with people exercising their own personal private religous faith, so long as they don't endeavor to force it on them, or anybody else. Good for them.

They are also Pro-Choice advocates who believe and care deeply about womens reproductive freedom, and have also achieved a great deal of success, in addition to notoriety, in fighting for these rights. Again, good for them.

They have also been active in peace rallies. Oh well, nobody's perfect.