Vote on Tidewater NOW Bylaws 

Tidewater NOW members met at our August meeting to discuss possible amendments to the chapter’s bylaws, which would have been the first change, in almost ten years. Members gathered to discuss any interests or concerns that they might have about the proposed changes to the bylaws. 

After listening to several members’ stance on the issue, and discussing the pros and cons of the proposed changes, members in attendance took a vote to decide whether or not to accept the potential changes.  Members decided to do away with the changes and to retain the current bylaws.

 Although the proposed bylaws were designed to create a venue to stimulate member activity, most members felt that such a radical change to the bylaws was unnecessary to achieve this feat.  Most members in attendance agreed that the Tidewater NOW bylaws should mirror the bylaws of our National affiliates and that any changes that needed to be made could be done so, more easily, on an as need basis.

 Tidewater NOW would like to thank all the members that helped make this tough decision. Thank you for showing your concern on an issue that is very important to Tidewater NOW’s future.

New Meetings at Tidewater NOW

Attention members: Tidewater NOW is  bringing you something new at every 3^rd Tuesday meeting. There will be socials, guest speakers, lecturers and more for our NOW community.

If you missed the September meeting, then you missed a great time to meet and greet your fellow NOW sisters at the Tidewater NOW soiree.  There were a few new faces in attendance, in addition to those dedicated members who came out to share our ideas on where Tidewater NOW is headed and also to partake in some great food.  

 Be sure not to miss our October meeting, where we’ll have special guest speaker Margie Rashti from Planned Parenthood. Come out and see what’s happening NOW!

Tidewater NOW's Abortion Assistance Fund

Tidewater NOW members voted start an Abortion Assistance Fund to benefit women in Hampton Roads. As the second Virginia NOW chapter to participate with the National Network of Abortion Funds, we voted that our first fundraising effort would be to request one hour's wage as a donation from our membership. Your help in this matter would be greatly appreciated. We have a stronger need with every regressive that is passed to support women's right to choose. Please send your donation to: 

Tidewater NOW
C/O AAF
PO Box 446
Norfolk Virginia 23501

For more information 
call Mary Roberson at 490-0006

THE ATTACK THROUGH DIFFERENT EYES

By Roz Hill

Sunday, September 9^th, I declared with the surety of my "bones" that Bush was going to find a way to declare war. He needed a way to jump-start our demoralized economy. On Tuesday, September 11^th, Connie called and said to turn on the TV; a plane had hit the World Trade Center. The picture quickly showed me that two planes had hit the towers. A newsman was broadcasting from the Pentagon; he said he felt that building shake. There was next a panorama shot of the Pentagon under a broad cover of billowing smoke. A plane had hit the Pentagon – by some "quirk" hitting the best spot it could in terms of lives. It hit next to a just-reinforced wall, and went into offices that were pretty well vacated for the next stage of reinforcement. An inflammatory "missing" count of 800 finally dropped down to less than 200, including those who were on the plane. Considering the fuel on the plane, it was nothing short of a miracle – or good planning.

Then it was announced that another plane had gone down in Pennsylvania, possibly also hi-jacked. My bones responded again: that plane was headed for the Capitol and passengers inside – knowing they had nothing more to lose – struggled with their captors to thwart their plans. My bones were right on target.

Then we were shown a clip of Bush getting the news in Florida. He didn't blink. He didn't react at all. The media praised a "new steeliness" in the president. My bones, however, were registering something else. They were screaming in angry disgust, saying that the "newly steeled" man on the screen had his finger in the devastation that was happening that day.

I forced myself to watch him when he visited the destruction in New York. He "chummed" with a firefighter as he gave his typical two minutes of clichés through a bullhorn. He smiled. He stood in pose with his arm around the firefighter, holding the bullhorn as he stood atop a heap of rubble. A photo op! Some applauded and chanted, but other faces looked incredulous. In this time of horror, the leader of this country was glad-handing, smiling and posing for photos. The media declared him to be in a state of shock. My bones declared him to be guilty of the most horrendous of crimes – he was manipulating the American public with a declaration of war. It became his mantra, his chant. In every appearance on camera, he uttered his war cry.

My bones had declared on the 9^th that he would do so. My bones went on to say it will be Americans who will pay the price for those acts of treason. Those assaults will be used to take away more and more of our rights and freedoms; and, indeed, with Congress moving in unison in the war cry, we have been moved closer to a police state. The FBI seeks even more latitude in its ability to eavesdrop on we, the people. With his declaration of war, Bush can stop elections.

With extremely broad latitudes already available for covert spying, how did these heinous crimes happen? How is it that our own military trained some of the suicide pilots, and our intelligence still came up with a big fat zero in preparedness? My bones knew. I sent an email off to the media within an hour of the attacks and said, "Look for those trained by our own military." Some in the media came to wise conclusions; these attacks had been so intricately planned that it had to have been a government – a wealthy government -- that put them in action. Indeed, my bones were screaming that it was our own government. Later, when commentators resisted the claims of government officials that more freedom to spy and regulate American citizens was needed, it was implied that the resisting commentator was a traitor.

This is a time when we need to make our voices heard – loud and clear. We need to flood our representatives with voices of reason. War will not bring peace. War will not change the heart of those who consider America the great Satan; and this is what we need to do. We need to change the hearts of those who hate us. The world has seen the best of us by seeing New Yorkers respond to this devastation. We need to show the same compassion for those who face these kinds of ravages every day. We do not need to be perpetuating more ravages upon any part of the world.

Speak up. Speak out. Fight for our own rights and freedoms. Fight for the lives of other innocents who may be in the path of more destruction. The tail is wagging the dog. We HAVE to be the voice of reason.

"Those who trade liberty for security will have neither."
--Benjamin Franklin

HEALTH CARE FOR WOMEN – YES!
FAKE CLINICS – NO!

On Saturday, October 6, local feminists will join with Virginia Now to protest public funding of fake clinics, also called “Crisis Pregnancy Centers.” There are more than 40 Crisis Pregnancy Centers (CPCs) in Virginia – including right here in Virginia Beach! They claim to promote women’s health, but they actually promote a rightwing anti-choice agenda. 

What: Protest at Crisis Pregnancy Center, Virginia Beach

Why: To protest Attorney General Mark Earley’s donating funds to phony clinics, while ignoring women’s health needs

When: Saturday, October 6, from 10:00 a.m. to noon

Where: CPC, 522 South Independence Blvd., Virginia Beach

Who: Local activists and NOW

Bring: Signs! “HEALTH CARE FOR WOMEN – YES!
FAKE CLINICS – NO!”

Information: Tidewater NOW (456-1509) or 
VA NOW (800-824-6690)