Pissed at Perry? Let Him Know!

Despite massive protests and Wendy Davis’s epic 11-hour filibuster, less than 24 hours after anti-abortion bill SB 5 failed to pass in the Texas Senate, Gov. Rick Perry called for another month-long special session to shove his draconian bill through the state legislature. While a majority of Texans do not support SB 5, Perry, as well as his Republican supporters in the state’s House and Senate, are ignoring their constituents wishes and prioritizing abortion over bills that would improve transportation or deal with  juvenile justice issues.

But that’s not the worst of it. Perry attempted to shame Davis for being a teenage mother, implying that she was a hypocrite for being pro-choice. At a National Right to Life conference he said,

In fact, even the woman who filibustered the Senate the other day was born into difficult circumstances. She was the daughter of a single woman, she was a teenage mother herself. She managed to eventually graduate from Harvard Law School and serve in the Texas Senate. It is just unfortunate that she hasn’t learned from her own example that every life must be given a chance to realize its full potential and that every life matters.

Perry also had some harsh words for the protesters who showed up to support Davis and ultimately helped prevent the bill from passing. He accused them of using “mob tactics” and said,

The louder they scream, the more we know we are getting something done.

Davis responded to Perry’s charges with the calm she displayed on Tuesday during her filibuster, saying

Rick Perry’s statement is without dignity and tarnishes the high office he holds. They are small words that reflect a dark and negative point of view. Our governor should reflect our Texas values. Sadly, Gov. Perry fails that test.

Abortion-rights supporters are angry at Perry both for his comments and his decision to call a second session. Will you join them? The Feminist Majority Foundation has compiled several ideas for expressing your feelings here, or you can tweet about it using the hashtag #PissedAtPerry.

Photo from Flickr user Dezcom under license from Creative Commons 2.0.

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