Each Women’s History Month the portrait of Susan B. Anthony decorates classroom walls around the country. What many people this year will not realize is that a heated debate is taking place involving the life of the 19th Century suffrage leader, and of all things, whether or not she opposed abortion.
Several conservative organizations, calling themselves feminists, have joined forces to manipulate the history of Susan B. Anthony to promote an anti-choice political agenda. Using her image on bumper stickers, t-shirts, and other anti-choice materials, these organizations have painted a woman who devoted her life to securing votes for women, of being publicly opposed to abortion.
According to Mary Krane Derr, an author and member of Feminists for Life, there are “bits of evidence” that prove Susan B. Anthony opposed abortion. Convincing.
One “bit of evidence” these anti-choice groups claim is that the weekly journal Anthony ran, The Revolution, refused to run ads for abortion aides (as many other magazines at the time did). Ann Gordon, one of the leading experts on Anthony argues that, as a homeopathic patients, Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Stady Canton refused to run ads for any “patented medicine advertisements.”
The Revolution’s motto was: “The true republic — men, their rights and nothing more; women, their rights and nothing less.”
Normally I would discount this type of thing as Religious-Right-Wing-Nut activity. Surely I am aware of “feminists for life” groups. And surely most rational people would agree that it is impossible to know how Susan B. Anthony would feel about abortion issues in today’s context. But this time, it’s personal.
A member of Feminists for Life America has purchased the birth home of Susan B. Anthony, a historic landmark, and plans to create an anti-choice exhibit of sorts on the premises.
I truly value Susan B. Anthony and am thankful to her for dedicating her life to ensuring those who came after her enjoyed more rights than she did. I also care about those who will come after me, and in good conscience cannot allow future generations to be fed false information about a woman who deserves to be honored by everyone, regardless of political persuasion.
It is appalling that women who claim to be feminists would exploit the memory of a beloved American hero to advance their own agenda, and that they would do it in a way that blatantly pits women against each other.
Such actions are far from feminist, despite their claims.
Feminism is not merely playing lip service to the basic inherent value of women, but trusting women, as adults, to make choices that influence their lives. Now there is certainly room within feminism for opposing viewpoints and even a debate on abortion access, however, actions become anti-feminist when the goal is to force women into one course of action the way these radical anti-choice groups do.
The organizations involved in the “Susan B. Anthony movement” have been heavily involved in pushing for the Stupak/Nelson amendments, and oppose abortion in all cases, a viewpoint seen as radical by most Americans.
I nearly shudder to wonder if these groups would prefer for young feminists and history enthusiasts such as myself to begin devalue and dismiss the memory of Susan B. Anthony for supposedly being anti-choice.
Well I won’t fall for it.
A website by the name of Susan B. Anthony Museum has been started to combat the exploitation of this influential woman. Support them by sharing it with someone today.
To read more about the debate over SBA legacy, click here. http://www.womensenews.org/story/abortion/061006/susan-b-anthonys-a...
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