Mayor's Message:
Supreme Court Ruling
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Dear Jazz,
Our nation is divided and shocked, there is a rank smell of injustice in the air, and our constitution has taken a massive step backward. For the last half a century the landmark case of Roe v. Wade has protected a woman’s right to decide whether to terminate a pregnancy or see it to term based on the right to privacy implicit in several amendments to our constitution. On Friday, June 24th, this right was stripped from women all around our nation as the Supreme Court ruled to overturn Roe v. Wade, denying a woman’s constitutional right to choose to abort a pregnancy.
This backward movement began in March 2018 when the Center of Reproductive Rights filed a case on behalf of Jackson Women’s Health Organization- the last abortion clinic in Mississippi- that challenged the state’s ban on abortions after 15 weeks of gestation. Due to the long trajectory that Roe v. Wade had for the last 50 years, which blatantly deemed the ban unconstitutional, lower courts ruled to prevent the ban from taking effect. But Mississippi, being the conservative state that it is, escalated the case to the Supreme Court and pleaded for Roe v. Wade to be overruled (source).
Like many others, I was appalled by the final ruling of the Supreme Court. Each day we must work to be better than who we were yesterday. This ideal applies to our nation as well. Our history stems from seeds of injustice, questionable rights, and the beliefs of the few. For years people have had to fight for rights that should be intuitive and innately protected. The right to freedom regardless of color, the right to equality, the right to love and share your love with the partner of your choosing. How is it that after years of progressive movement, our nation has taken such a giant leap back?
The question isn’t whether abortion is morally or ethically right. The question is do we have the right to prevent an individual from making that choice? After a review of the Roe v. Wade case, the Supreme Court concluded that no express reference to abortion rights is stated within the constitution. The affirmation of an individual’s right to privacy, rooted in the First, Fourth, Fifth, Ninth, and Fourteenth amendments of our constitution, which Roe v. Wade represented, was negated due to the Supreme Court’s opinion of lack of validity (source).
The first amendment protects our right to privacy of beliefs. The fourth amendment protects our right to privacy against unreasonable searches. The Fifth Amendment protects our privacy of personal information, and the ninth protects our privacy in ways not specifically provided in the first eight amendments. The fourteenth amendment, which contains the Due Process Clause, states “nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law” (source).
All the amendments make references to a person’s right to govern themselves. It’s simple, no one has the right to prevent anyone from exercising their civil right to choose for themselves. Men or women, the path we wish to follow is a PERSONAL CHOICE. When a woman becomes pregnant it is her responsibility, to care for the child, not the state’s. A handful of individuals in a position of power cannot attest to a woman’s mental state at the time of conception, her financial status, the situation that led to the pregnancy or the effect it could have on her health. And it will be her, not the state who will have to face all the risks and responsibilities that come with pregnancy and being a mother.
From my bystander experience, pregnancy is hard. A woman’s body changes in ways I couldn’t possibly begin to understand. And as beautiful as we may see pregnancy, it isn’t free of pain, suffering, and challenges. According to a study by Our World in Data more than 300,000 women die from pregnancy every year.
Roe v. Wade wasn’t simply about abortion. It protected a woman’s right to make a choice. Because yes, still today, we need written validation that only we, ourselves, have the authority to govern our bodies. Our liberty to make personal choices is equivalent to freedom and overturning Roe v. Wade, which protected a woman's choice to abortion, is putting freedom in jeopardy.
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Creating One Plainfield. One Future | | |
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Mayor Adrian O. Mapp
City of Plainfield
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Fallo de la Courte Suprema | |
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Querido Plainfield,
Nuestra nación está dividida y conmocionada, hay un olor de injusticia en el aire, y nuestra constitución ha dado un gran paso atrás. Durante el último medio siglo, el caso histórico de Roe v. Wade ha protegido el derecho de la mujer a decidir si desea interrumpir un embarazo o verlo a término basado en el derecho a la privacidad implícito en varias enmiendas a nuestra constitución. El viernes 24 de junio, mujeres en nuestro país fueron despojadas de este derecho cuando la Corte Suprema dictaminó revocar Roe v. Wade, negando el derecho constitucional de una mujer a elegir abortar un embarazo.
Este movimiento hacia atrás comenzó en marzo de 2018 cuando el Centro de Derechos Reproductivos presentó un caso en nombre de Jackson Organización de Salud de Mujeres -la última clínica de aborto en Mississippi- que desafió la prohibición estatal de los abortos después de las 15 semanas de gestación. Debido a la larga trayectoria de Roe v. Wade durante los últimos 50 años, que descaradamente consideró que la prohibición era inconstitucional, los tribunales inferiores habían dictaminado impedir que la prohibición entrara en vigor. Pero Mississippi, siendo el estado conservador que es, elevó el caso a la Corte Suprema y suplicó por la anulación de Roe vs. Wade (fuente).
Como muchos otros, me horrorizó el fallo final de la Corte Suprema. Cada día debemos trabajar para ser mejores de lo que éramos ayer. Este ideal también se aplica a nuestra nación. Nuestra historia se deriva de semillas de injusticia, derechos cuestionables y las creencias de unos pocos. Durante años, las personas han tenido que luchar por derechos que deberían ser intuitivos y protegidos de forma innata. El derecho a la libertad independientemente del color, el derecho a la igualdad, el derecho a amar y compartir tu amor con la pareja de tu elección. ¿Cómo es que después de años de movimiento progresista, nuestra nación ha dado un salto tan gigante hacia atrás?
La pregunta no es si el aborto es moral o éticamente correcto. La pregunta es ¿tenemos derecho a impedir que un individuo tome esa decisión? Después de una revisión del caso Roe v Wade, la Corte Suprema concluyó que la Constitución no establece ninguna referencia expresa al derecho al aborto. La afirmación del derecho de un individuo a la privacidad, enraizada en las enmiendas Primera, Cuarta, Quinta, Novena y Decimocuarta de nuestra constitución, que Roe v. Wade represento, fue negado debido a la falta de validez en la opinión de la Corte Suprema (fuente).
La primera enmienda protege nuestro derecho a la privacidad de las creencias. La cuarta enmienda protege nuestro derecho a la privacidad contra búsquedas irrazonables. La Quinta Enmienda protege nuestra privacidad de información personal, y la novena protege nuestra privacidad de maneras no específicamente previstas en las primeras ocho enmiendas. La decimocuarta enmienda, que contiene la Cláusula de Debido Proceso, establece que "ningún estado privará a ninguna persona de la vida, la libertad o la propiedad, sin el debido proceso legal" (fuente).
Todas las enmiendas hacen referencia al derecho de la persona a gobernarse a sí misma. Es simple, nadie tiene derecho a impedir que alguien ejerza su derecho civil a elegir por sí mismo. Hombres o mujeres, el camino que deseamos seguir es una ELECCIÓN PERSONAL. Cuando una mujer queda embarazada es su responsabilidad, cuidar al niño, no del Estado. Un puñado de individuos en una posición de poder no puede dar fe del estado mental de una mujer en el momento de la concepción, su estado financiero, la situación que llevó al embarazo o el efecto que podría tener en su salud. Y será ella, no el Estado, quien tendrá que enfrentar todos los riesgos y responsabilidades que conlleva el embarazo y ser madre.
Desde mi experiencia como espectador, el embarazo es difícil. El cuerpo de una mujer cambia de maneras que no podría comenzar a entender. Y por muy hermoso que podamos ver el embarazo, no está libre de dolor, sufrimiento y desafíos. Según un estudio de Our World in Data más de 300,000 mujeres mueren por embarazo cada año.
Roe v. Wade no se trataba simplemente del aborto. Protega el derecho de la mujer a tomar una decisión. Porque sí, todavía hoy, necesitamos una validación por escrito de que solo nosotros mismos tenemos la autoridad para gobernar nuestros cuerpos. Nuestra autonomia para tomar decisiones personales es equivalente a la libertad y a anular Roe v. Wade, que protegió la elección de una mujer al aborto, está poniendo en peligro la libertad.
Creando Un Plainfield. Un Futuro
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Alcalde Adrian O. Mapp
Ciudad de Plainfield
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ROE V. WADE ABORTION RULING: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE SUPREME COURT DECISION
By Deon J. Hampton
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The Supreme Court voted 5-4 to overturn Roe v. Wade, ending the constitutional right to abortion. NBC News / Getty Images | |
The Supreme Court’s decision last week to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling, guaranteed a constitutional right to abortion, will have wide-ranging impacts. About half of states have either already banned abortion or indicated that they soon will, meaning millions of women will no longer have easy access to abortion services.
Still, many things remain uncertain, including whether bans will stand up to legal challenges, whether access to abortion pills will become the next target and if the ban on abortion will lead to attacks on other constitutional rights like same-sex marriage.
Here are answers to some pressing questions surrounding the Supreme Court’s decision.
How did we get here?
The Supreme Court agreed last year to consider Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the most serious challenge to Roe in decades. That case challenged a law in Mississippi that banned most abortions after 15 weeks.
Who voted to overturn Roe?
The court ruled 6-3 to uphold Mississippi’s abortion ban and voted 5-4 to overturn Roe. The five members voting in support of ending Roe were Donald Trump appointees Amy Coney Barrett, Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch, as well as Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, who were appointed by George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, respectively.
“It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people’s elected representatives,” Alito wrote in the majority opinion, which also called the original Roe decision “egregiously wrong and deeply damaging.”
Which states have bans?
Abortion bans went into effect or were scheduled to soon be enacted in 13 states that had “trigger laws” after the ruling was handed down on Friday. At least 22 states are likely to institute bans, according to an NBC News analysis of Center for Reproductive Rights. Meanwhile, the Guttmacher Institute, another abortion rights advocacy group, found that 26 states are considered certain or likely to ban abortion.
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REMINDER - SPECIAL MEETING TONIGHT AT 7PM | |
EVENTS THIS WEEKEND - COME CELEBRATE WITH US! | |
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We invite you to join us for a night to remember. Bring your family and friends for mouthwatering food like the lobster tacos and jerk burgers. The DJ will be playing all the hits to get the weekend started. There will be face painting for kids of all ages, popcorn, activities for the little ones, cards & dominoes for the adults.
But wait there's more.
The award winning Plainfield Vikings Division 12 Dance Team will be performing just for YOU! Let's come together as only the Queen City community can.
Tell a friend. Bring a Friend. See you tomorrow.
#LovePlainfield #AmoPlainfield
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REMINDER - MURPHY ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES OPENING OF WAIT LIST FOR STATE RENTAL
ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
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The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) announced that its Division of Housing and Community Resources (DHCR) will be accepting pre-applications online for the State Rental Assistance Program (SRAP) Waiting List. Pre-applications will be accepted to enter a lottery for the statewide SRAP program in the Elderly, Family, Disabled, and Homeless categories.
Elderly applicants must serve as head of household and be 62 years of age or older. For those applying in the Family category, the head of household must be 18 years of age or an emancipated minor, with or without children. To qualify in the Disabled category, the head of household or spouse must be permanently disabled. Homeless applicants must lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.
"At DCA, we have made and continue to make unprecedented investments to reduce the long-term financial impacts of this pandemic and are committed to increasing affordability, especially when it comes to one of the biggest expenses facing families - housing," said Lt. Governor Sheila Y. Oliver, who serves as DCA Commissioner. "We will be selecting 4,000 applicants for the wait list through a lottery process out of the pool of all the applications received. As vouchers are awarded, they will provide the stability that families need. That is why this State Rental Assistance Program opening is so important."
All pre-applications submitted online during the open enrollment period from Monday, July 11, 2022, at 9:00 a.m. until Friday, July 22, 2022, at 5:00 p.m., will be entered into a database and a lottery system will be used to select applicants for the waiting lists. Pre- applications for SRAP assistance will be accepted from very low-income households. Applicants must be eighteen (18) years of age or older to apply or be an emancipated minor. Pre-applications successfully submitted during the open enrollment period have the same chance of being selected during the lottery. Those selected in the lottery for the wait list will then be eligible to receive SRAP vouchers as they become available.
APPLICANTS MUST HAVE AN EMAIL ADDRESS TO APPLY. Web browsers like Google Chrome, Fire Fox or Internet Explorer 10 or higher are recommended. If an applicant is disabled and needs assistance with submitting their pre-application during the open enrollment period, they can contact DCA at 609-292-4080and select Option 9 from the menu to request a reasonable accommodation. For more information concerning the SRAP opening, people can visit: http://www.nj.gov/dca/.
At the time of selection from the waiting lists, applicants must meet the maximum household income limits of the county where they want to live and provide proof of residency. Also, Disabled and Homeless applicants must provide verification of their disability and homelessness at the time of selection from the waiting list.
Individuals selected by the lottery to be placed on the waiting list will be notified via email which may take several weeks.
The Division of Housing and Community Resources strengthens and revitalizes communities through the delivery of affordable housing, supportive services and the provision of financial and technical assistance to communities, local government and community-based organizations. For more information, visit: http://www.nj.gov/dca/
DCA offers a wide range of programs and services, including energy assistance, housing vouchers, affordable housing production, fire and building safety, community planning and development, local government management and finance, and disaster recovery and mitigation.
For more information about DCA, visit https://nj.gov/dca/
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Love Plainfield Initiative | |
¿ How Do You Show Love For Plainfield? | |
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A MESSAGE FROM UNION COUNTY:
Division of Aging/ADRC Launches New Website
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SITE IS MORE INTERACTIVE, USER FRIENDLY AND INFORMATIVE
The Union County Department of Human Services announced today that the Division on Aging/ADRC has launched its redesigned website offering the public a streamlined site that is easier to use, with simpler navigation, new content, and interactive features. The website address is https://ucnj.org/dhs/aging/.
Among the many useful items the redesigned website features:
- A more intuitive, user friendly redesign with a new look and feel
- A streamlined menu bar that simplifies navigation
- Interactive abilities allowing documents to be downloaded or saved onto desktops
- Easy to read information boxes and program breakdowns
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A MESSAGE FROM THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY
GOVERNOR PHIL MURPHY:
Governor Murphy Signs Executive Order Directing State Departments and Agencies to Identify
Gun Violence Prevention Measures
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Announces Intention to Work with Legislature to Expand Sensitive Locations Where Firearms are Prohibited
TRENTON – Governor Phil Murphy signed an executive order directing all state departments and agencies to review all statutes, rules, and regulations to identify actions that may be taken to determine whether, and in what manner, firearms may be carried, displayed, or otherwise regulated. This includes the authority to designate certain locations where carrying of firearms is prohibited, as well as authority to regulate the manner of carrying, transporting, possessing, or conveying firearms.
Governor Murphy also announced his intention to work with partners in the Legislature to expand the number of places where firearms cannot be carried, including locations with a high density of people, locations with inherently vulnerable populations, and buildings where important governmental or First Amendment-protected activities take place.
The signing and call for action follow yesterday’s U.S. Supreme Court decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. Bruen, in which a right-wing majority ruled that individuals have a general right to carry firearms in public.
More than 250 mass shootings have already occurred in 2022 across the U.S. Although New Jersey has the lowest firearm mortality rates in the country, gun violence has claimed the lives of more than 5,000 New Jerseyans in the past decade.
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A MESSAGE FROM THE WHITE HOUSE:
President Joe Biden Remarks After Supreme Court Overturns Roe v. Wade
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President Joe Biden said "the health and life of women in this nation are now at risk" after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and eliminated the constitutional right to an abortion. #CNN #News
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HELP US TAKE CARE OF OUR CITY!
DOWNLOAD THE REPORT- IT APP
Available in IOS and Android Mobile Phones
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Exercise your civic duty-- be the eyes and ears of our City! Your reports can greatly increase the quality of life in our Plainfield community. Let's work together to keep our city safe- If you see it, say it with ReportIt. | |
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Use the app, or text
reportit to 63975
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Mayor Adrian O. Mapp and the City of Plainfield are committed to making it as easy as possible to report concerns in our city. To that end, we've partnered with REPORT IT, which is now live in Plainfield and ready to be used as an important supplemental reporting tool.
Report it makes community reporting easier than ever! Residents and visitors can download the app by scanning the barcode above or by going to your phone's app store. Your reports will be submitted to the appropriate City department to be resolved.
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|THE CITY OF PLAINFIELD NJ|
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Creating One Plainfield. One Future | | | | |
