Perhaps you haven't heard yet, but women's rights were challenged in the state of Texas last night. State Senator Wendy Davis spoke past midnight in an attempt to block the vote, with plenty of support from fellow Democrats and several protestors outside. The bill known as SB5 would have made abortion illegal after a twenty-week pregnancy in the state, potentially forcing women to desperate measures should they wish to terminate an unwanted pregnancy. Together, with an uproarious group shouting on her behalf, this brave woman fought to maintain the rights of women everywhere through the power of continuous speech.
The filibuster protected Texas women today: without it, the bill was likely to pass in a largely Republican-ruled state. Senator Davis managed to stay on point, and the opposition never had the opportunity to evoke Texas' "three strikes" rule to quash the filibuster. She spoke for hours, hardly faltering at all. Furthermore, the protestors outside the senate floor provided much needed support for Davis, braving the brutal tactics of the Texan police force.
Some would argue that the filibuster is an archaic technique. In this particular case, though, there would be a biased vote had Senator Davis failed to filibuster - namely a cadre of men voting upon a bill regarding the rights of women.
Read these articles if you like.
http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/06/25/19140887-texas-abortion-bill-fails-to-pass-after-epic-filibuster?lite>1=43001
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/06/26/texas-lawmaker-filibusters-against-abortion-bill/
Check out some youtube links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02kPpNCHj0Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXemg76twXg
And of course, look at these twitter hashtags: #sb5 #standwithwendy
Then, draw your own conclusions.
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