Tampabay.com

JANUARY 25, 2010

It's been 37 years since landmark "Roe v. Wade" case

I'd wager to say that if the game show Family Feud posed the question, "What's the most well-known U.S. Mom_cassell Supreme Court case?'' the top answer would be Roe v. Wade. People immediately know it as the case that gave women the constitutional right to abortion.

If you follow politics or watch the news, it's hard to believe the case was decided in 1973. Feelings about abortion are still so raw and openly expressed, regardless of position. What happens to abortion rights in the years and decades to come is far from certain. Pro-abortion groups like Planned Parenthood don't take it for granted.

So in recognition of the 37th anniversary of the landmark court case, Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida is hosting luncheons Wednesday and Thursday in St. Petersburg and Tampa. Call them pep rallies for a woman's continued right to choose.

The organization is bringing in Carol Cassell, pictured above, an author, researcher and social scientist in the areas of love and sex. She'll speak about the need for greater sex education and wider acceptance of contraception. She'll also talk about her upcoming book, Beyond Knocked Up: The Personal Dilemmas
and the Price We All Pay for Unplanned and Unwanted Pregnancies
.

Cassell promises a frank, and sometimes humorous, discussion about some pretty controversial subjects. She hopes people leave fired up for change. Click here to read a recent interview with her.

-- Susan Thurston, Times mom
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Sharon Kennedy Wynne has sunscreen in her blood. She may have been born in Buffalo but she got here as fast as she could, in time for kindergarten. She grew up in St. Petersburg, graduated from the University of Florida journalism school, and even got married at Sunken Gardens. She's one of the few adults we know who actually loves taking her kids to the beach. She has two sons and with 10 years of parenting under her belt, she's starting to feel a little less out of her league. She comes from a large family and loves to debate, so brace yourself when the hot topics come up.

E-mail Sharon Kennedy Wynne:
wynne@tampabay.com

SP_255665_CROS_KATE.jpgAfter six long years of trying to have a baby, Kate Brassfield was finally able to have one. And then, two minutes later, another one. Suddenly the lady who had never been around babies before was juggling two! Just as Kate felt she was getting pretty good with babies, the girls became toddlers, and now Kate is back to Square One, learning about the care and feeding of these strange, wonderful creatures. She spends her days working part-time from home and trying to keep up with the Twinosaurus Wrecks.

E-mail Kate Brassfield:
katedaphne17@gmail.com

Freelance writer Courtney Cairns Pastor wasn’t so sure about having kids and how she would balance child-rearing with her journalism career. It turned out that her journalism training went to good use. As the mom to a funny, active toddler, she learned to handle him like she did her sources. Never ask yes or no questions (the answer will always be no), get him to be specific (are you crying because you’re wet or your tooth hurts?) and be prepared for anything because no two days are the same. When she’s not playing trucks, Courtney crams for her book club, trains for races and occasionally bursts into showtunes. E-mail her at courtneyblogs@gmail.com.

Suzannah DiMarzio has it bad for the Mouse. Although she grew up outside of Boston, she took her degree in tourism management down to Orlando just to work at Disney and the travel industry. Of course, when she married her high school sweetheart, the reception was at Disney. She’s now a seasoned stay-at-home mom to two tweens and a toddler – and yes, that is as crazy as it sounds. Suzannah has her own blog, ZannaLand.com , and she's a member of the Walt Disney World Moms Panel in addition to being addicted to Twitter, iced coffee, and watching way too much Yo, Gabba Gabba.

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