What is Forty 4 Forty?
Forty 4 Forty Campaign Against Clinic Harassment
Sponsored by the Wisconsin Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice and NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin Foundation
It has long been the tactic of anti-abortion activists in Wisconsin and around the country to try to scare women out of visiting women’s health and family planning centers through campaigns of harassment and intimidation outside of family planning and abortion clinics. This year is no exception.
The Family Planning Health Services (FPHS) clinic in Wausau and the Madison Surgery Center in Madison have both been targeted by anti-choice protestors who use graphic and misleading photographs and signs, shout slogan, block access, and create a general atmosphere of fear in their attempts to harass patients and staff.
63 pledges and growing!
To counter these actions, the Wisconsin Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice and NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin Foundation have partnered with FPHS to create the Forty 4 Forty pledge campaign. The name is inspired by what the anti-choice movement refers to as “40 Days for Life” which manifests itself in “40 Days of Harassment” as anti-choice demonstrators maintain a constant 40 day presence outside of clinics during which they harass patients, staff, and others approaching the health centers.
We call upon you to help us in this campaign by making a pledge and by spreading the word to your friends, colleagues, congregations and communities.
How does Forty 4 Forty work?
There are 2 ways to make a pledge:
- You may contribute a flat amount based on the 40 Days of organized harassment. For example, you might pledge $1 per day for a total of $40. Or you may choose any flat amount you would like. Every pledge, however large or small, helps send a clear message to the anti-choice demonstrators that their presence is raising money for pro-choice organizations.
- You may pledge per protestor at FPHS. For the remainder of this spring’s 40 Days for Life pickets (scheduled through the last week of March), FPHS staff will keep a count of how many protestors are present. You complete your pledge form now with an amount pledged per anti-choice picketer. At the end of March, we will send you a pledge fulfillment form based on the total number of picketers counted. For example, if you pledge 20 cents per picketer and FPHS counts 100 picketers, you would contribute a total of $20.
Proceeds of the Forty 4 Forty campaign will be shared by Wisconsin Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice and NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin Foundation and will be used for prevention first initiatives. A large sign will be posted outside of FPHS tracking the funds raised to make the demonstrators aware that their presence is raising money for pro-choice activities.
If the picketing continues after the anti-choice 40 Days campaign has ended, we will continue the Forty 4 Forty campaign in future months.
How can you help?
Click on one of the links below to make your pledge now
Make your Forty 4 Forty contribution now! http://www.firstgiving.com/forty4forty
or
Complete the pledge form to pledge per demonstrator! Click here!
And please forward this page to your on-line networks via email, Facebook, Twitter, and more. You can spread the word the old fashioned off-line way, too. To get flyers or other information to distribute, please contact Lisa@prochoicewisconsin.org or the NARAL office at (608)287-0016.
