This will be a short diary. It's my first, so bear with me.
Planned Parenthood has been attempting to open a full-service clinic in Aurora, Illinois' a second-largest city west of Chicago. The anti-choice, Pro-Life Action League has organized huge protests against the clinic and engaged in political and legal tactics to prevent the clinic from opening. The clinic was expected to open September 18 but the city has delayed that opening, caving to pressure from the anti-choice crowd. The local media, not surprisingly, has acquiesced by giving protestors and their message/talking points the bulk of the coverage
Planned Parenthood wrote an excellent DK diary that gave bloggers the background a few weeks ago. FDL also had a great blog yesterday on the legal issues. Please read both for background.
Most of the local media, The Naperville Sun, Aurora Beacon News, Daily Herald, and Chicago Tribune have mostly reported the views of the anti-choice Pro-Life Action League noise machine but haven't given much coverage to those in our local community that support Planned Parenthood. The pro-lifers are well-organized and vocal. Aurora-Naperville is a conservative community. Also it's easy reporting to focus on them rather than take the time to interview local residents who support the clinic. Here's today's Naperville Sun story as an example.
Planned Parenthood of of Aurora has been liveblogging from federal court today on its lawsuit against the city of Aurora to allow the clinic to open as planned. Unfortunately, the news just out is that that the court is keeping the clinic closed until the city can review the matter further. (I don't know the legal implications for PP, so if someone does please post.) Planned Parenthood of Aurora is asking the pro-choice community to make it's views known in an online poll in the Naperville Sun. I'm asking the DK community to help. Please vote online in the Naperville Sun online poll whether the Aurora clinic should open or not. When you open the link, you'll have to scroll down a bit and look for it on the right. Vote often!
UPDATE: Here is CORRECTED VOTE ONLINE link. Sorry, I thought I'd double-checked all the links.
What happens in Aurora will happen, has happened elsewhere. This is a national issue affecting all of us.