March 3- 9, 2005

mixpicks

Do No Harm

discussion

The death this week of Amnesty International founder Peter Benenson reminds us that standing up for people's rights is not a one-shot deal. And the struggle isn't limited to public demonstrations. Even medical professionals are caught in the abortion debate — fighting for doctors like themselves to be able to practice without threats to their safety.

A spate of attacks on abortion practitioners in the 1980s and '90s may have brought attention to the risks associated with the job, where doctors often take a stance in favor of individual patients' rights. This week, David Taub, a former medical director at Planned Parenthood, will discuss his history and the constant choices and decisions he faced as an abortion provider. He'll be joined by Carol Petraitis, director of the ACLU's Clara Bell Duvall Project, which educates the public about reproductive issues. Her perspective (along with the evening's screening of part of Motherless, a documentary about women who have died during illegal abortion procedures abroad) will place the potential loss of U.S. reproductive rights in the context of other freedoms that, without the vigilance of full-time activists, might face subtle erosion.

David Taub and Carol Petraitis discuss "Preserving the Right to Choose," Mon., March 7, 7:30 p.m., free (preceded by optional 6 p.m. a la carte dinner), White Dog Cafe, 3420 Sansom St., 215-386-9224.

—Juliet Fletcher