Open Letter to Oxnard City Council & City Attorney Regarding Abortion Targeted Discrimination Against Black & Hispanic Women

Open Letter to Oxnard City Council & City Attorney Regarding Abortion Targeted Discrimination Against Black & Hispanic Women

To the Oxnard City Council Members: John C. Zaragoza (Mayor), Bryan A. MacDonald (Mayor Pro Tem, Dist. 4), Bert E. Perello (Dist. 1), Gabe Teran (Dist. 2), Oscar Madrigal (Dist. 3), Gabriela Basua (Dist. 5) Vianey Lpez (Dist. 6) & Stephen Fischer, City Attorney

July 5, 2022

Re: City Attorney Stephen Fischer’s Recommendations to Oxnard City Council to be addressed at tonight’s City Council Meeting (Agenda Item H) ; specifically:

Resolution Supporting Reproductive Rights.

RECOMMENDATION That the City Council adopt a resolution declaring:

    1. The City of Oxnard’s commitment to women’s rights and reproductive freedom;
    2. The City of Oxnard as a Right-To-Choose sanctuary city; and
    3. Support for the codification of the right to an abortion into Federal and California Constitutional law.

I am stunned at the irony of your apparently proud stand on the premise of protecting women’s rights and specifically, African-American women’s rights and Hispanic American women’s rights to “choose”, upon the platform of unrestricted abortion. I’m sure you are aware, and if you’re not you should be, that disproportionately, the leading consumer of abortion services is the African-American female. According to the United States Census Bureau and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Abortion Surveillance Report, black women made up 15 percent of the childbearing population in 2018, yet obtained 33.6 percent of reported abortions. Black women have the highest abortion ratio in the country, with 335 abortions per 1,000 live births. Percentages at these levels illustrate that about 20 million black babies have been aborted since 1973. Please research Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger, a self-proclaimed eugenicist, with a stated goal of decreasing the birth rate of black children. This is particularly frightening during these challenging times of escalated racial injustice.

Hispanic women are twice as likely to have an abortion that white women are. This is only one among a number of other health disparities between whites and minorities, especially in sexually transmitted diseases and even certain types of cancer.

The rate of abortion for whites is eleven percent while the rate of abortion for Hispanics is twenty-eight percent. Hispanic women account for between twenty and twenty-five percent of all abortions [Cohen, Susan. (2008). “Abortion and Women of Color: The Bigger Picture.” Guttmacher Institute, 2008. Web. 12 Jun 2011. http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/gpr/11/3/gpr110302.html]

Planned Parenthood alone makes a profit of around one billion dollars each year. As the abortion rate for white women declines, Planned Parenthood knows that it has to make up for its lost profits somewhere else [Rojas, Rai. (2009). “Planned Parenthood Increasingly Targets Hispanic Women.” National Right to Life, 22 Jan 2009. Web. 12 Jun 2011. http://www.nrlc.org/HAL/index.html]

Planned Parenthood knows and targets neighborhoods with higher populations of minorities, especially Latinos. They attempt to present themselves as pro-family, pro-children and pro-choice.

The abortion industry argues for a woman’s rights, especially to abort her baby, but is against laws about the long terms effects that abortion may have. For an organization that argues to be pro-woman, it seems that Planned Parenthood is willing to compromise the women that they see by not supporting these laws.

Many of their fliers are now in Spanish to attract the Hispanic population. Online campaigns web campaigns are geared toward the Latino community. Advertising for Planned Parenthood appears in Spanish-only newspapers and publications.

There is a term to describe this type of targeting. The term is racism.
[http://www.whyprolife.com/latinos-and-abortion/]

In my view, this constitutes genocide against the Black & Hispanic population of our country. I can’t fathom what principle you would espouse that leads you to believe this is in the best interest of women or children. In my view, this kind of wholesale commitment to the altar of abortion at any cost constitutes a grave and evidence-based form of grievous racism. 

Oxnard is not a city built upon death. Oxnard is a city that embraces LIFE, thriving and mutual wellbeing for our wonderfully diverse residents. We will not stand by and watch our Black & Hispanic neighbors be targeted by a racism and eugenicist agenda on our watch.

In my late teens and early twenties, I myself had two abortions. I regret this decision 25 years later. I realize how my choice was driven by selfishness and fear that can never lead to true joy or happiness. 

The most basic tenet of our constitution is the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. How can you possibly stand for women’s rights and yet fervently encourage the desolation of female life in its earliest and most vulnerable stages? How many women who would have been strong, brave, passionate and powerful lights in the human race have been exterminated by the carte blanche policies of abortion that have become like a literal idol to the political system? Why are you, the elected leaders sworn to represent our best interests and to defend our inalienable human rights, supporting this culture of death? It is not compassionate, nor kind, nor brave, nor righteous. Given the numbers, we are missing an incongruent number of beautiful black women in our country due to the very abortion policies you are encouraging. This is a deep and troubling hypocrisy.

We the people of Oxnard would like a detailed report provided publicly and easily accessible for all to review: as to what kinds of profits, revenue streams and/or sale of fetal parts is going on currently in this city through abortion clinics and how those figures would be affected under the new resolution recommended by Stephen Fischer. We would like to know if the city would profit in any way from the sale of fetal parts. We officially request an audited report of this information to be made publicly available before any such resolution is voted upon by our city council.

We know these truths to be self-evident, that all human beings are created equal. That means the precious little life whose heart is beating in your womb. That being is equal. That human is precious and valuable. That human deserves to receive every benefit afforded us in the Constitution. 

I hope you will rethink your position on this matter. As the science of our day clearly makes available to pregnant women the powerful images of just how their little life is emerging in the womb, starting from just a couple weeks old, it is no longer possible to attempt an argument that these are not indeed fully viable and clearly visible human beings of the most intricate and wondrous design.

We are awakening. Our representatives must awaken as well if you are to represent us and our best interests.

Who are you, or me, or any man or woman, to destroy the live of another? That is not progress. It’s murder.

Sincerely,
Charissa Proctor

Sent via email on July 5, 2022 to: