“Coordinated, intentional and dangerous” -- those are the words my friend Susannah Randolph used to describe the Republican attacks on women in a guest editorial published in the May 17^th Orlando Sentinel.

I agree with her, and want to share some of her thoughts. 

“Let there be no doubt that the Republican war on women is coordinated, intentional and dangerous. The first battles began in state legislatures, and what most people don't know is that the GOP's war on women has been quietly raging for years.

Like a stealth attack, model, uniform legislation targeting women's health and reproductive rights was filed simultaneously in several states. Forced ultrasound bills, virtual bans on abortions, and the de-funding of Planned Parenthood all came out of a central command — Americans United for Life, which functions alongside the American Legislative Exchange Council as a GOP legislative factory focused solely on women's issues….

“By the start of 2012, AUL had helped a record number of laws get passed in more than 20 states to restrict women's personal health-care decisions, and its efforts continue….

“The attacks intensified and began to expand to issues other than reproductive rights such as jobs, the economy and sexual assault.”

Susannah continues, listing many examples of legislation in Florida and other states restricting women’s health, job and economic rights, including the Arizona law just passed that would allow employers to interrogate female employees about contraception use. Because of the coordination through AUL and ALEC, the extreme laws passed in states like Arizona and Kansas could soon be coming to Florida.

Susannah concludes:

“Those waging this war will say that this  charge is "manufactured," but one has to look no further than the GOP legislation factories such as AUL and ALEC to see that there is a central command in this war on women and Republican legislators are happy to act on their marching orders.

“Unfortunately, when middle-class women are forced to undergo unwanted procedures at their doctors' offices, receive paychecks that are smaller than their male counterparts, find themselves lacking protection from abusers, or are told that their insurance doesn't cover basic medicines, they realize they have been ambushed.”

Yes, the Republican war on women is real, and must be stopped. Read Susannah’s full editorial here. Then speak out against this coordinated effort to restrict women’s rights, and VOTE in November.