Judy Blume's Support for Planned Parenthood Brings Death Threats
RSSBy Rocco Staino -- School Library Journal, 05/07/2009
“Are you there, God? It's me, the anti choice extremist who sent a death threat to Judy Blume” is a tweet circulating on Twitter. This came after the National Planned Parenthood Organization reported that Blume, the iconic children’s author, is receiving “harassing phone calls and hate mail, including death threats,” following a Mother’s Day fundraising letter Blume wrote in support of the organization.
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Author Judy Blume is receiving |
In her fundraising letter Blume writes, “I'm a mom, and I'm also a writer and an activist. Nothing has made me prouder than seeing my own children—and really, all young people—grow up to be healthy, educated, and in charge of their bodies and their lives”
The letter encourages that donations be made in honor of mothers for Mother’s day by stating “no organization that I know of that supports motherhood and all that it means more than Planned Parenthood.”
In response to the criticism, the National Planned Parenthood Organization has created a page on its site called “Standup for Judy Blume.” It says, “Nobody, absolutely nobody, should be forced to endure these kinds of attacks. Help us make sure that Judy knows that there are millions of us who support her and admire her courage.” It goes on to ask the public to send Blume e-mails of support.
The 71-year-old, Blume is no stranger to controversy. Over the years her frank books, such as Are Your There God, Its Me, Margaret (Yearling, 1970) have been the target of book censors and the religious right. And in 2005 her book, Forever (Bradbury, 1977) was the fifth most challenged book on the American Library Association’s Banned Book List.
