Since the over packed Danville City Council meeting in early May, where the Council voted 8-7 with the mayor casting the tie-breaking vote on an ordinance designed to prevent abortion within city limits, Danville’s newly formed Personal PAC chapter has been eyeing the next municipal election.
On Wednesday night (Aug 30th) at DACC’s Bremer Center, Personal PAC hosted one of the ladies who worked with the underground Janes group in Chicago. Between 1968 and 1973, prior to the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v Wade ruling, they were an abortion counseling and provider service. And after the man who performed the abortions for the first few years left the operation, he taught the Janes, most of them in their 20s, how to perform the procedure themselves; with the instruments and medications needed.
One of those ladies with Eileen Smith. After the documentary film about the Janes was shown Wednesday night, she reflected upon how some of the Janes ladies joined the effort because they found it after getting abortions themselves, while others simply saw it as a cause to join.
Former Janes member Eileen Smith takes the DACC Bremer Center stage with Danville Personal PAC vice-president Caylynne Dobbles following the showing a documentary film on the history of the Janes.
AUDIO: There was so much activism then. Everybody was involved with something. It was an exciting time, and there was a lot to be done; and everybody felt that the world was going to chance and we could make it better.
Years later, in the late 80s, a woman named Marcie Love felt the issue of reproductive health was in trouble, and started Personal PAC in Illinois. Current Personal PAC director of outreach Sophia Escobedo, in attendance Wednesday evening, looks back.
AUDIO: Our founder’s actually a Republican woman. After some laws started being passed, making it harder to be able to get an abortion; and she knew that even though it was legal, that she needed to start doing something to project abortion. And she is now chair emeritus for us. So we are a bipartisan group.
Eileen Smith says to counter what has happened with the U.S. Supreme Court and various states, the pro-choice movement must do what the pro-life movement did; think long term, and focus on what is happening close to home.
AUDIO: We have to be willing to fight on this little local level. And to make sure people vote; that people know what they’re voting for. And to realize it’s not just president that counts. It’s all these little, littler offices that are super important also.
Sophia Escobedo agrees.
AUDIO: I think the Janes are now a symbol of hope for pro-choice people everywhere. They fought for what was right; keep doing what we can to help keep choice and abortion safe and legal in Illinois, and safe and legal to whoever can come to Illinois.
Eileen Smith, incidentally, went on to a career in home health geriatrics, assisting the elderly in their own homes. She says that while most of the Janes were young ladies in their 20s, there were some who were older, and some with grown children. She also mentioned that perhaps 200 different ladies were part of it over the five year period, with between 20 and 25 at any given time.
