48 Comments

It's hard to understand how it helps the forced-birthers to go after birth control...until you realize that Christian Nationalism is driving the agenda. This is about women's sexuality. Christian Nationalism wants to end women having sex for pleasure; if sex results in unintended pregnancy and women can't access birth control, can't access abortion, then sex is only for making babies. This punishes women in many ways and rolls back women's rights. Then women will need to be married to survive, sex will be confined to marriage (for women), and more babies will be made to be Christian warriors for a Christian government. And they will be saved...

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Sounds like hell on earth, they are such freaks.

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I dunno. My friend’s wife just absolutely believes it is dangerous. I think she got pulled into the anti-vax community and just believes it all. I think they moved to a commune.

On birth control this is still one of my most favorite graphics to show people:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/09/14/sunday-review/unplanned-pregnancies.html

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Clearly, male sterilization is the way to go!

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Lol. Yes! I did that.

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👍

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That is it exactly.

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I get so angry at the fearmongering over hormonal birth control. It makes me feel like I can't talk about the bad experiences I've had with it, because some jerk will be like "see? it's dangerous and shouldn't be available!" And that's not the point I'm making at all. I want my friends with uteruses to know what risks to look out for, what questions to ask, and to have every possible option readily available and accessible, and to be able to decide for themselves if any negative side effects are worth it in their particular situation. I want all of us to have the freedom to make choices that we might regret someday, or that another of use might not make in the same situation. It's better than letting the fucking conservatives make the decisions for us.

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Would AED consider creating a section either as part of the daily newsletter or a separate page on small, medium, large actions we can take (or maybe grouped by type of action since we can’t all donate to all the good things)?

I’ve noticed that usually in the newsletter about the time that I read the phrase “this terrifies me” I am feeling opposite emotions of RIGHTEOUS ANGER and INDIGNANT RAGE. (Aside: everyone feel what you feel this is messy ugly stuff)

And I just want to do more to make things better and use those feelings and energy in more constructive ways. Even if only a little bit. But it’s really hard to know what to do and I often find those feelings drive me straight to the AED comments section to find fellow readers expressing and processing their own feels. But it’s not always useful.

(Aside: I think one of our mental health challenges is that social media lets/forces us to see huge complex challenges but doesn’t really give us any tools to deal with it and I just can’t keep throwing more and more money at the problem each time I read about abortion or other social issues. If only donation subscriptions solved it all. Sigh.)

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You described my current situation exactly. I also want to move in the direction of taking more action beyond writing comments on a few different sites. Two resources I am hoping to engage more with are https://votefwd.org/, and https://redwine.blue/.

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♥️

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What is the anti-choice group's real goal? It certainly isn't caring for the woman who is pregnant and is not the fetus either. If it was the fetus, they would work hard to pass measures to help young children. Instead, they are against people having sex except for procreation. They want everyone to live by their religion. That's why they want to make it hard to do anything about getting pregnant, hoping that alone will stop people from having sex.

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People in them have different goals and motivations. Let’s brainstorm:

1. Force their quasi-religious beliefs into law (See Christo-Fascism)

2. Control women and take away the social power they have gained over the past 100 years. (See Patriarchy and “Mens Rights”)

3. Pull America into the past thinking that somehow the 1950s or 1990s was a “better” time to be alive. (See childhood fantasy)

4. Do what Fox News or other conservative media tells them is the right thing to do because they are scared. (See conservative agi-propaganda)

5. Endorse peer pressure and betray their own subgroup to gain social favor (see becoming a useful tool to profit, group dynamics)

6. Decide the truth doesn’t really matter if it gets you elected and you’re wealthy enough to ignore the consequences of the laws your group enacts (see a large percentage of maga congress critters)

7. Turn legitimate frustration/rage born from trauma and express it at something (see trauma response, bad decisionmaking). This includes people who have had legitimate bad experiences with hormonal birth control.

8. Endorphins (see human emotional response, mob behavior)

My opinion as a male raised in an uber conservative upbringing is that the majority of the pro-life voters and harassers at clinics, etc. really know very little about abortion except what they have heard from their preacher or propagandist. They learned nothing about it in school because it wasn’t allowed to be taught. And I think they sincerely believe it’s murder of innocent life. They have done no introspection on what “pro-life” means but they like that label and like to think of themselves as heroes fighting for babies against a wicked world that wants to kill them and kill Jesus. They like that narrative and it helps them sleep better at night since they live in a complex world where everyone is a little dirty and problems are not easy to solve. It’s not childhood anymore but they really miss it. They are well intentioned and yet dangerous and I don’t know how to reach them to help them realize they are voting against their own interests.

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This is a really good list. I would probably try to fit pseudointellectuals who are concerned about declining populations due to low fertility rates but I'm not sure where they fit in (see social engineering?) The conclusion is dispiriting because it boils down to 'stupid people hurt other humans' and I don't know how to make people less stupid; all you can do is take their power away, but that's a problem in democracy.

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This is a really good comment, thank you. I don't know how to reach them either. How do you teach empathy? How do you explain that treating people as they ought to be, instead of how they are, isn't helpful? I'm thinking of Catholic missionaries refusing to hand out condoms in Africa when AIDS was spreading like wildfire or parents who refuse to get the HPV vaccine for their children, because that would (in their belief) encourage immoral sexual behavior. How do you ask "are you here to follow your god's footsteps and serve your fellow humans where they are, or are you here to judge and condemn?" I'm afraid of what the answer is from so many of the religious right, and I don't know how to persuade them otherwise. Planks in eyes, casting the first stone, etc., they won't take scriptural criticism from an apostate like me anyway.

I just commented elsewhere on this post about how I had bad experiences with hormonal birth control, and how my takeaway is that everyone should still have access to whatever type of birth control they want, and the necessary information to be able to recognize any negative side effects if they start experiencing them. What's different about me? I'm not saying that like, oh, why am I so much better and cooler and morally superior, no, I was raised conservative and religious, like Obama is the likely anti-Christ conservative, so why did I take this fork in the road when it went against everything around me? What was in me, what had I picked up from outside my upbringing that allowed me to find a different path? I don't know. I don't know, and I wish I did because it could be useful.

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Great example of solidarity. We need to happen here Texas and nationwide regarding abortion rights. We need something BIG

https://apple.news/AKbXHnDCmRWCkqUqMifG_7Q

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It’s information piece on the Women’s strike in Iceland on Oct 25th. 🥰

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Agreed lots of sickening news. But people are creative and are still having abortions. Sadly it is the marginalized people who seemed to get trapped in the web. I’m grateful for the piece on abortion pills in Mexico. I live in Houston. If I lived in the RGV (Rio Grand Valley) I would buy Miso and call a support line for dosage help. No broadband in RGV for most. When there is a will or crisis there is a solution. Beyond 10weeks well that is rough 🤨

Loved the part when the reporters told border guards they had abortion pills and they waved them through 🙂

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A painful newsletter today. Lubbock is also home to Texas Tech University which has over 40k students.

It’s sad how many times I’ve told my girls that if they think they are pregnant to tell no one and pick up the phone and call me.

It’s also sad to see the impact of the ban here in Texas. My 19 year old was telling me she knows of at least 4 girls from her high school class who are pregnant or have had a baby in the last year. Guess our new Speaker is getting what he wanted.

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What nightmare, these travel restrictions aren’t constitutional, hoping someone somewhere starts filing lawsuits soon. In the meantime, someone should offer free IUDs to Texans.

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Jane’s Due Process is distributing kits and Planned Parenthood is still operating in several places.

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WTF 6 or 7

Unfortunately, that is not the case with Johnson, who may not have been well known prior to being given one of the most powerful jobs in government but is very much someone whose extremist views and actions should keep you up at night.

Herein, a running list of the absolute most WTF things the new Speaker has said and done on everything from the 2020 election to abortion to LGBTQ+ rights and more.

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I don't actually remember posting this, but it's fortuitous since this guy is just pure evil. Clueless about the list that I mentioned, but pretty much all of the major news outlets have major lists of the highlights of his deeds. He's had his hands in ant-iabortion, anti-LGBTQ, anti-women, the insurrection, and most everything else on the evil side. Third in line to be president. Crap.

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As awful as all these conservative women are, it's still true that if only women were allowed to vote most of our problems would never have happened. It is the MEN who deliver these offices to the fascists, and if they win next year I would expect it to be on the biggest gender gap ever. Democrats are holding their own with women, for reasons that are obvious to us, but the men make other excuses for their vote. "The economy". "Biden weak! America need strong! Grrr." So much of what is going on, and the real heart of the issues, are at their core manifestations of toxic masculinity. We have yet to beat it.

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What the fuck times five.

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin defended his abortion ban at a campaign stop yesterday, with his usual bullshit about how it’s totally not a ban:

“I think the other side is mischaracterizing it all, and in fact they call it a ban. It's not a ban, it's actually a limit.”

Tennessee is suing the federal government, claiming—in the most ironic fucking statement of all time—that the government is “playing politics with the health of Tennessee women.”

Nine senior military positions in the Middle East command have also been caught up in the gridlock, including two picks for the Joint Chiefs and officers leading U.S. forces in the Middle East.

There’s no real way to articulate just how bad this is. The biggest Texas county so far, Lubbock, has passed an anti-abortion ordinance banning out-of-state travel for abortion. Let’s be clear: Republicans are trapping women in anti-choice states.

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I live in Lubbock and this is the first I've heard of this news. Seems like they're trying not to draw too much attention. Still don't see how these morons intend to enforce this nonsense. Interrogate every woman of reproductive age in a car?

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We’re looking right now for Christians and probably members of other religions to add to the RFRA suit. If you know of anyone who might be open to adding their name, especially anyone from your part of Texas, you can write me via TexasChristians.org. Look for the contact form. I hope there’s also a constitutional challenge for secular members of the population. I’m surprised the ACLU hasn’t already filed something, except they would likely have to go through Judge Kaz. The attorneys I’m working with are looking at going statewide using state law.

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I would but I'm an atheist. I can sign it anyway if you want me to 😂 I really do appreciate all the hard work you're doing. It will take the sane christians to do something about this.

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We’ll, if you’re sure you don’t want to convert... Uh, maybe not. 😁 If you want to stay in touch, in case you hear of someone, drop me a line. Another organization I work with identified an AAUW chapter with a large membership in Lubbock, too, where we might find someone.

I told the lawyers yesterday about your commentary on Mark Lee Dickson. We had a good laugh and couldn’t agree more.

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I'll ask my mother if she wants to sign. And glad we're able to find some amusement out of all this.

I was trying to write a book deconstructing natural law anti-abortion is based in or what I call the Curse of Eve doctrine inspired by the Curse of Ham doctrine the Church used to justify the enslavement of Black people. I'm having to go back to school to work on my writing and research but I won't start until next fall. It's probably going to be years if I even complete the project at all. I wanted to hire a cowriter but I don't have the money. I don't know if your lawyers would be interested in some of the stuff I've written. Since the issue is biblical, it will take biblical jurisprudence to deconstruct it. I of course point out a lot of logical fallacies in the ideology as a skeptic.

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My condolences. So far it seems to mostly be a deterrent, by inspiring fear. But when someone has an axe to grind they can sue (Marcus Silva), and if they catch someone for anything, anything else, they can tack on anti-abortion penalties to her troubles. So we will have to watch for any type of enforcement escalation.

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That guardian piece yesterday that shows abortion rates haven't budged at all thoroughly demonstrates women aren't putting up with this crap. They can keep trying but it will only make women even more determined.

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It shows me that women are resilient and that there are a lot of good people helping out. But the exact same thing could be said about Ukraine. There are already so many women with horror stories, and I worry that the dam breaks as the restrictions pile on. Their end goal of course is to keep women out of the workforce, or at least out of any remotely important positions, which is already the effect of attitudes and policies about maternity. To me the most consistent finding about societies is that the less active women are outside the home, the worse everything is for the people. There could be no better indicator.

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There's no doubt that's the end goal but there's no way in hell we're going back. Just look at Poland. Their fertility rate dropped 8% in two years after they tried to ban abortion. Women will evidently go on birth strike before they'll ever let their rights be rolled back.

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Yeah. Although I suspect a lot of people just left for greener pastures too. But it can become a stalemate, because what I see is that 40some % of the population in this country (including many women) care more about men feeling emasculated by women having any bit of independence or freedom, than they do about what makes us healthier and wealthier as a people. And that is pathetic.

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I agree 👍

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Thank you, Jessica. So much dispiriting news, but grateful to you for keeping up this vital work.

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Don't forget Grace.

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Amarillo doesn’t know how to enforce Mark Lee Dickson’s law. Meeting tomorrow with attorneys about a suit against these travel restrictions. I’m hoping it provides an opportunity to push the fact that there is no rationale for the state’s bans, especially not in the Christian Bible.

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These horrifying travel restrictions aren’t constitutional, hoping lawsuits can stop them.

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Not in any frigging Bible, I hope.

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Once again, what the fuck!!!

This is total nightmare shit. This ruling will determine whether abortion remains legal in the state up until 15 weeks, or if a ban from 1864—basically ..

Do any other countries base shit on what happened decades or centuries ago as president for law today?

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I doubt it (although in a system like the U.K.'s a lot of the law is unwritten so precedent is very important). I think it's mostly an American fetish. We have had the same constitution for over 230 years. Whatever is gained in stability is more than lost in inflexibility, and we are long overdue for a change. Who knows, maybe the fascists have to win to get us all out in the streets demanding a fresh start. We might need a demonstrated complete failure.

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I just want someone in power to respond with something like:

VA conservatives like Youngkin want the government to decide when you can get medical care. They want government to “LIMIT” raped pregnant children and pregnant cancer patients from getting help. And that’s just the beginning. This action will *not* help you pay your bills or get you a better job or make you safer or more free. This is bullshit and it’s dangerous. The government should not get between you and your doctor. Don’t give them power or they will do this and more.

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If they didn't pretty much own the phrase, I'd say magashit. How about megashit ?

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