Judy fucking Blume! You do NOT mess with Judy Blume! No. You. Do. Not.
If you were never a pre-teen girl then the name Judy Blume probably doesn’t resonate with you, but trust me: her books guided many a young girl through the awkwardness of adolescence. I can't tell you how much I loved reading "Deenie" and "Forever" and, of course, "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret," so many years ago.
But according to the anti-choice crowd, Blume made the unforgivable mistake of sending this rather benign Mothers Day fundraising message for Planned Parenthood. She wrote:
There is no organization that I know of that supports motherhood and all that it means more than Planned Parenthood. That's why I'm honoring moms everywhere with my gift to Planned Parenthood today.
This promptly got the anti-choice activists in a tizzy falsely claiming Blume was "promoting abortion.” Blume’s office has since been flooded with hate mail and even death threats.
Let it be noted: the word abortion doesn’t appear anywhere in Blume’s Mother’s Day message. Let it also be noted: only a very tiny percent of the services Planned Parenthood offers are abortion-related. 97-percent of what Planned Parenthood does is regular gynecological care: pap smears, breast exams, STD testing and treatment, birth control, and the like.
But the anti-choice nutzos don’t give a damn about women’s healthcare. All they care about is intimidation and thuggery.
So, are you there Judy? It's me, Southern Beale. I want to say thanks for the books, and for supporting Planned Parenthood, and for taking the heat from the crazies. Don't let the bastards get you down.
