It is a widespread misbelief that the Hyde Amendment forbids *all* Medicaid coverage of abortions. The federal program is funded by both federal and state money. The Hyde Amendment forbids federal Medicaid funds to be used for abortions, except in cases where the pregnant person's life is endangered, or the pregnancy results from rape or incest. However, not only are states permitted to use their own funds to provide Medicaid abortion care, but 17 states actually do so.
Regarding the 16 AGs attacking Maine legislators - The SCOTUS reversal of Roe vs. Wade put the decisions on abortion rights at a state level. To the states with bans, STAY IN YOUR OWN LANE!
I look forward to creative legislation in the states supporting reproductive health freedoms. Love what is being proposed in Maine!!
The 52 weeks thing by Tim Scott shows that reporters needs to start asking politicians who oppose abortion rights what they know about pregnancy. How many weeks is a pregnancy? How many weeks is full-term? What percentage of abortions are actually performed after 20 weeks? Why women abort after 20 weeks? When is approximate viability? When we say 6 weeks pregnant, that really means 6 weeks since your last menstrual period and 4 weeks since conception. Do they know that? Ahhhhh!!!!!! It is complicated. A lot of women who have had multiple babies don't even know all of this offhand. That's why politicians should not be weighing in on this other than to protect every woman's right to make informed decisions about their own bodies with the input of a medical expert.
more questions: Describe what happens to a pregnant woman who is experiencing preeclampsia. What post-delivery problems require a D&C to prevent hemorrhaging and sepsis? How many US women have natural miscarriages and stillbirths each year in the past decade.
I agree with Simon (see tweet below) and have known this ever since that thing went bust in holding trump accountable. The way the universe reacted to Mueller's investigation with lawyers taking over on TV, instead of the media, made us all wait for him. Lazy media was let off the hook and they were happy doing their both sidesing and milking off of trump. Same thing is happening with the current indictments and he is let off the hook again before the election. Media should have done its job at least after Jan 6th to the extent that he would never show his face again but they didn't. Scary times. Media should be the purveyor for truth and justice in REAL TIME when people like trump are involved and not the courts which does not work in real time. A crook like him knows how to run circles around the justice system to buy time and buy time is what he has done. All we can hope for now is that people #VoteBlue especially in the swing states to stop him no matter what their preferences are otherwise.
Tweet seen:
@emptywheel
Just after 15:30, @SimonWDC says something really important: We have to learn the lesson from "waiting for Mueller. Waiting for Mueller was a mistake. It prevented us from prosecuting case against Trump and his illicit relationship with RU govt."
I haven't even read through this yet. I LOVE JUDY BLUME! I read all of her books when I was growing up. I was even reading Forever when I was 11 on vacation and my grandpa picked it up and then consulted my mother about it and she took it away. She gave it back to me two days later after he left without a word. Hence, this was my sex education "talk" from my mother in 1980. My mom went to Key West a couple of years ago and I asked her to go to Judy Blume's bookstore and she actually talked to Judy Blume and she signed some books for me. There's a great book called The Pain and The Great One that I read to my kids. One day we were driving somewhere and Judy Blume was on NPR and she mentioned the book and my kids got all excited. I'm jealous! And now I have to plan a trip to Key West.
So IOWA Att. Gen. REPUBLICAN Rep. Brenna Bird is best known for ending free emergency care for RAPE Victims. How horrible and cruel is that? I cannot understand that. I cannot understand how vile cristo- fascist republican men can get a woman to agree with them on anti- abortion issues. So that she will vote against the right of other women to do what is best for them. I have cut my sister out of my life and my will, and I will boycott states that ban abortion. And I would like to say to Kacsmaryk and other judges who are cristo-fascists, "FUCK YOU".
The efforts by some on the far right to ban birth control present an opportunity to drive a wedge between moderate Republicans (yes, there still are a lot of moderate Republican voters and MAGA Republicans. The hope is that the Republican party splinters, and that moderate Republicans side with Democrats on abortion rights. This has already happened in states that have held referenda, such as Kansas and Ohio. Another case is IVF. On abortion, one of the Democratic points in favor of abortion rights is that in virtually all cases abortion is a good thing, not a bad thing. This is why we want the President to say "abortion" more and not treat it as a word to be afraid of. An abortion is a medical treatment that a pregnant person decides to undertake, in virtually all cases for a good reason or combination of reasons: their health is at risk, the fetus will die or not be able to live a normal life, the father is an abuser or rapist, the mother is not in a position to raise the child in a way that provides conditions for the child's good development and a life of opportunity. Instead of legislating "good" reasons for abortions (aka exceptions that do not work), the best thing to do is leave this decision to the pregnant person, since they are in the best position to judge in the particular case. Every case is different. In other words, proponents of abortions rights should not concede that reducing the number of abortions is a goal we want to sign on to, since most abortions are the results of good decisions. On the other hand, if we are prepared to engaged in some cognitive dissonance, we can acknowledge that in the minds of some moderate Republicans, reducing the total number of abortions, and reducing the number of abortions that occur later in pregnancy (the latter has a somewhat vague boundary, as does the concept of "abortion" itself, but let's say late abortions mean those that occur too late for a medication abortion). Applying these policy goals, the question is what is the best policy to achieve them? The best, simplest, and most effective way to reduce late abortions is to make earlier abortions universally available, accessible, and affordable. In other words, no abortion bans, in fact just the opposite. The best way to reduce abortions as a whole is not abortion bans of any kind. Rather, it is to make birth control easily affordable, accessible to all, sex education broadly available, better prenatal care, making it more affordable to have children by making sure young parents and their children have good and affordable health care and economic support such as generous child care credits, family leave, and child credits. These look like "pro choice" Democratic policies, but in fact they can be seen as "pro life" moderate Republican policies, if moderate Republicans can be convinced to look at them that way. Similarly, full protection for in vitro fertilization, without limitations on whether embryos can be destroyed during the process (such limitations would make in vitro fertilization even more expensive and arduous than it already is), is already seen by many Republicans as a "pro life" measure. Basically, because it is. There is a big opportunity here to draw moderate Republican voters away from the Republican camp, given that the Republican party has been taken over by its MAGA wing. They should be encouraged to temporarily vote for Democrats, at least in 2024, and then decide later which political party is a better home for them, depending on how the Republican party evolves after 2024. There is also a religious liberty aspect to this. Moderate Republicans do not believe it is ok for one group to impose its religious views on another group, and they understand that MAGA Republicans are doing this. Finally, how about women's rights. Moderate Republicans are usually in favor of women's rights generally, not controlling women like MAGA Republicans want to do. They will vote for the party that supports women by allowing women to make their own health care decisions on their own. The motto is don't give up on the non MAGA Republicans. There are still many of them out there in the country, although you won't find many in Congress (in the Senate we currently have Romney, Collins, and Murkowski, maybe that is it and Romney only to the end of this year). It is a mistake to give up on all Republicans.
I will say that when I started my Project 2025 Substack, I thought I'd be talking to liberals. But I already have independent readers and people who voted for 45. They aren't there to argue; they're there to learn. They ask questions, and so far we have a supportive community that helps each other. How we use language with that group is an important persuasive tool.
Jessica, I'm so grateful you're in this world. You deserve to meet people like Judy Bloom while fighting for our right to abortion.
I read yesterday about an effort to film advertising spots with former 45 voters. They've already got around 100, but their goal is to reach 1,000 or more. In each spot, the person says why they will never vote for 45 again. Here's a link to the article in case anyone here is a former 45 voter who has seen the light because of abortion: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/13/republicans-against-trump-video-ad
It would be great to have women tell their own stories of why this ran them out of the Republican Party.
Thanks for posting that Andra. I’m true to blue, but my background in my younger years was in political ads & placement, so I’m always interested in that aspect of campaigns. Appreciate the share.
Regarding Biden and the word abortion … I think in the big picture, given this election a mere 7+ months away and wording… maybe we should consider that the word “freedom” in reproductive freedom is something that is more pleasing to the ears of pro-life women (who want their children in miscarriage situations to receive care and want birth control), who do not like Trump. We know from 2020 there are many of those. The Rs can’t yell freedom when they are taking that freedom away. Biden does act. He is trying to protect abortion. His campaign is sending out pro-choice messengers. Dems are putting forth protection bills. For the sake of reaching young voters, it seems we should not look for ways to disparage Biden for the next few months. There’s plenty of that out there, without supporters piling on. Just a thought. I wish he could embrace the word, but I’m ok as long as he acts towards protection and with a SCOTUS seat or 2 on the line, we really need him.
Agree, but the Rs (with Civita as the head) will play mind f*ck with words and twist meanings. It will change rapidly. They are already accusing Dems of fascism in some R circles. They will string a list of adjectives together regardless of meaning. But freedom is the Rs favorite word and by using it in a real way that those who desire reproductive freedom … they can’t twist that. They know it too. It’s why they don’t want to talk about it. I don’t disagree with you, but I see the benefit of what the mess engine is. I really hope they will concentrate on SCOTUS because that cannot be twisted. Ts appointees essentially lied to the American public and everybody knows it. I’m hoping they will bring in the trust factor. We cannot trust Ts appointees to tell the truth, just like we can’t trust T to tell the truth. Keep it simple.
Every time someone here tries to criticize Biden, I say the choice on this year's ballot is between living in a free democracy and a Christo-fascist dictatorship. (I'm in Spain, but Europeans constantly ask me why we can't elect younger people.) It is longstanding practice on the left to nitpick language. (I'm submitting an article on Republicans' Christo-fascist language today.) But in this case, I'm giving Biden a pass. He is sending out people to talk about abortion more persuasively than he can. Kamala Harris is doing such a good job. She is empathetic and persuasive and articulate. Plus, she's female. I'm grateful to have her as one of our champions.
Hi, Andra Watkins. Are you a U.S. citizen? If so, are you set up to vote and help other U.S. citizens vote? It is a bit of a cumbersome process but virtually all U.S. citizens abroad can manage to vote if they start the process of getting a mail-in ballot early enough. (Sorry if you are already on this, but I am also posting so anyone abroad can be reminded of this.)
Love this Victoria. Unity!! I feel if people nitpick words they are taking away unity. I get it. Saying abortion takes away the stigma. I talk about my abortion all the time. Please let it go. Kamala is doing excellent.
I talk about mine as well, and use the word, but I'm a trained healthcare professional, though retired. Sadly we often let "perfect" be the enemy of 'good'. And there is nothing wrong with wanting more. But take what we can get this time, the stakes are too high.
Pregnancy/having a baby isn’t a punishment for having sex. It shouldn’t ever be seen as one. That someone thinks it is tells you everything you need to know about them and their distorted beliefs.
And what child would want to know that their mother considered them her punishment?
A long time ago, probably in the 1980’s, I watched a documentary, or maybe a news segment, on the ‘pro-life’ movement. They interviewed a Dr. Schindler, if I remember his name correctly, who had founded and led an anti-abortion organization. And they asked him about birth control. Whether he thought it should be legal and available. And he said that if people were able to use birth control it would mean that they could have sexual intercourse for no reason other than their own pleasure. And it was obvious, from his facial expression and tone of voice that he was horrified and disgusted by the very idea.
Maybe he believed that. Fine, although I feel sorry for him. Maybe he actually lived his life that way. His right to. But most people don’t believe that. And even fewer live their lives that way. And they shouldn’t be forced to, shouldn’t have to live according to someone else’s religious/sexual hang-ups.
But getting rid of access to contraception has been part of their agenda for a long time.
This was the part that jumped out at me the most... That pregnancy is clearly seen and spoken as a punishment or consequence- not a miracle. How does that align with "make more babies" rhetoric. I feel Jessica writes all of the time to listen to what people are telling us, and this clearly tells us that women should stay pregnant as they haven't completed their punishment/ consequence.
So they are rapists, then? no consent, no pleasure*(for the woman, anyway) and supposedly only for procreative purposes, sounds like a human version of a puppy-mill.
I believe not having recreational sex is part of "Jewish law," which the Old Testament is based on. If I remember correctly, the first few books are part of Muslim, Jewish, and Christian biblical texts. I have heard waaaay too much out of those texts over the past decade or so. When I was growing up and still attended church, we focused on the New Testament--Jesus' teachings.
Yes, the Christ dude is the one the religion is named after, and they ARE supposed to emulate him. They only stole the Jewish Pentateuch, five books (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.) to give it some age and not seem like the upstart religion it was.
Since Jesus wasn't alive during the time the Old Testament was written, nor did Islam exist until 600 plus years after the alleged birth of Jesus,, there are no books in there with Christian or Muslim texts.
Yes, that is what I I was getting at, Zach, but I was wrong in stating that Islam includes those first 4 books. They "simply" worship the god of Abraham, like in Christianity and Judaism.
From my religious upbringing I don’t think most would call it a punishment but focus on the word “consequence”.
The idea that what is being done is unnatural, like fighting physics and violating the proper order of things. There is some deep baked in belief in American culture that there is a natural way of things and that’s just inherently better. Whether it’s Paleo diets, having a “natural” birth, avoiding “unnatural” chemicals, using cotton over polyester, this idea is pervasive. It just is quite fallacious. We have no idea what is natural, our bodies are like duct taped together with tons of virus leftovers in our dna and extra-human bacteria making up our guts, and true nature has no morality; it is kinda monstrous and sucky. Imo nature is the worst.
But when deep expertise is seen as the enemy, we make stupid primal choices. I try to tell my kids: the world is complicated so you can either trust the majority of experts or go get a PhD in that subject.
100% The war against expertise has ramifications in every facet of life, from healthcare to democracy. I don't try to fix my house's electrical system because I'm not an expert! It's interesting how majority female led fields are doubted first. Thanks for instilling critical thinking in the next generation!
I couldn't agree more. I can't understand how pregnancy can be seen as a just 'punishment' for literally anything. I also want to point out that I'd much rather people pursue their own pleasure and live happy lives than fill their free time spying on neighbors and harassing everyone around them.
Absolutely. They will outlaw it all because it will make it dangerous to have sex for pleasure. This garbage belief goes all the way back to St Augustine. It's time we defeated it once and for all.
The ‘doctors are stupid’ motto has been shouted for months if not years here in Texas. Texas Impact is mounting a drive, at the behest of physicians, to get the Texas Medical Board to clarify what doctors can and cannot do. I’m helping with recruiting supporters, but I’m skeptical that the Board will respond—Texas ‘Right to Life’ will not be pleased.
Jessica have you seen this? WTF??
https://today.yougov.com/politics/articles/48727-abortion-ban-16-weeks-poll-support-trump
I’m really not believing polling these days 🙃. People have got to understand the development & testing that happens arnd 18 weeks.
See Alina Salganicoff, Laurie Sobel, and Ivette Gomez, "The Hyde Amendment and Coverage for Abortion Services Under Medicaid in the Post-Roe Era," KFF Mar. 14, 2024, https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/issue-brief/the-hyde-amendment-and-coverage-for-abortion-services-under-medicaid-in-the-post-roe-era/?utm_campaign=KFF-Womens-Health-Policy.
It is a widespread misbelief that the Hyde Amendment forbids *all* Medicaid coverage of abortions. The federal program is funded by both federal and state money. The Hyde Amendment forbids federal Medicaid funds to be used for abortions, except in cases where the pregnant person's life is endangered, or the pregnancy results from rape or incest. However, not only are states permitted to use their own funds to provide Medicaid abortion care, but 17 states actually do so.
Thanks for sharing
Jessica, ICYMI. Pictures in tweet.
https://twitter.com/afrosabi/status/1768108062278144035
🍗🍉Yvette - Normie Dem🍗🍉
@afrosabi
The anti-abortion peeps hire off duty cops w/their uniforms/cop cars (legal here) for THEIR "protection" from us
The "patient registration" sign is to confuse our clients to go to THEM
This fat ass cop said he was going to arrest me for cussing him out 😒
Regarding the 16 AGs attacking Maine legislators - The SCOTUS reversal of Roe vs. Wade put the decisions on abortion rights at a state level. To the states with bans, STAY IN YOUR OWN LANE!
I look forward to creative legislation in the states supporting reproductive health freedoms. Love what is being proposed in Maine!!
The 52 weeks thing by Tim Scott shows that reporters needs to start asking politicians who oppose abortion rights what they know about pregnancy. How many weeks is a pregnancy? How many weeks is full-term? What percentage of abortions are actually performed after 20 weeks? Why women abort after 20 weeks? When is approximate viability? When we say 6 weeks pregnant, that really means 6 weeks since your last menstrual period and 4 weeks since conception. Do they know that? Ahhhhh!!!!!! It is complicated. A lot of women who have had multiple babies don't even know all of this offhand. That's why politicians should not be weighing in on this other than to protect every woman's right to make informed decisions about their own bodies with the input of a medical expert.
more questions: Describe what happens to a pregnant woman who is experiencing preeclampsia. What post-delivery problems require a D&C to prevent hemorrhaging and sepsis? How many US women have natural miscarriages and stillbirths each year in the past decade.
I agree with Simon (see tweet below) and have known this ever since that thing went bust in holding trump accountable. The way the universe reacted to Mueller's investigation with lawyers taking over on TV, instead of the media, made us all wait for him. Lazy media was let off the hook and they were happy doing their both sidesing and milking off of trump. Same thing is happening with the current indictments and he is let off the hook again before the election. Media should have done its job at least after Jan 6th to the extent that he would never show his face again but they didn't. Scary times. Media should be the purveyor for truth and justice in REAL TIME when people like trump are involved and not the courts which does not work in real time. A crook like him knows how to run circles around the justice system to buy time and buy time is what he has done. All we can hope for now is that people #VoteBlue especially in the swing states to stop him no matter what their preferences are otherwise.
Tweet seen:
@emptywheel
Just after 15:30, @SimonWDC says something really important: We have to learn the lesson from "waiting for Mueller. Waiting for Mueller was a mistake. It prevented us from prosecuting case against Trump and his illicit relationship with RU govt."
Podcast w/ Simon R. https://newrepublic.com/article/179821/trump-scary-poll-numbers
I haven't even read through this yet. I LOVE JUDY BLUME! I read all of her books when I was growing up. I was even reading Forever when I was 11 on vacation and my grandpa picked it up and then consulted my mother about it and she took it away. She gave it back to me two days later after he left without a word. Hence, this was my sex education "talk" from my mother in 1980. My mom went to Key West a couple of years ago and I asked her to go to Judy Blume's bookstore and she actually talked to Judy Blume and she signed some books for me. There's a great book called The Pain and The Great One that I read to my kids. One day we were driving somewhere and Judy Blume was on NPR and she mentioned the book and my kids got all excited. I'm jealous! And now I have to plan a trip to Key West.
So IOWA Att. Gen. REPUBLICAN Rep. Brenna Bird is best known for ending free emergency care for RAPE Victims. How horrible and cruel is that? I cannot understand that. I cannot understand how vile cristo- fascist republican men can get a woman to agree with them on anti- abortion issues. So that she will vote against the right of other women to do what is best for them. I have cut my sister out of my life and my will, and I will boycott states that ban abortion. And I would like to say to Kacsmaryk and other judges who are cristo-fascists, "FUCK YOU".
The efforts by some on the far right to ban birth control present an opportunity to drive a wedge between moderate Republicans (yes, there still are a lot of moderate Republican voters and MAGA Republicans. The hope is that the Republican party splinters, and that moderate Republicans side with Democrats on abortion rights. This has already happened in states that have held referenda, such as Kansas and Ohio. Another case is IVF. On abortion, one of the Democratic points in favor of abortion rights is that in virtually all cases abortion is a good thing, not a bad thing. This is why we want the President to say "abortion" more and not treat it as a word to be afraid of. An abortion is a medical treatment that a pregnant person decides to undertake, in virtually all cases for a good reason or combination of reasons: their health is at risk, the fetus will die or not be able to live a normal life, the father is an abuser or rapist, the mother is not in a position to raise the child in a way that provides conditions for the child's good development and a life of opportunity. Instead of legislating "good" reasons for abortions (aka exceptions that do not work), the best thing to do is leave this decision to the pregnant person, since they are in the best position to judge in the particular case. Every case is different. In other words, proponents of abortions rights should not concede that reducing the number of abortions is a goal we want to sign on to, since most abortions are the results of good decisions. On the other hand, if we are prepared to engaged in some cognitive dissonance, we can acknowledge that in the minds of some moderate Republicans, reducing the total number of abortions, and reducing the number of abortions that occur later in pregnancy (the latter has a somewhat vague boundary, as does the concept of "abortion" itself, but let's say late abortions mean those that occur too late for a medication abortion). Applying these policy goals, the question is what is the best policy to achieve them? The best, simplest, and most effective way to reduce late abortions is to make earlier abortions universally available, accessible, and affordable. In other words, no abortion bans, in fact just the opposite. The best way to reduce abortions as a whole is not abortion bans of any kind. Rather, it is to make birth control easily affordable, accessible to all, sex education broadly available, better prenatal care, making it more affordable to have children by making sure young parents and their children have good and affordable health care and economic support such as generous child care credits, family leave, and child credits. These look like "pro choice" Democratic policies, but in fact they can be seen as "pro life" moderate Republican policies, if moderate Republicans can be convinced to look at them that way. Similarly, full protection for in vitro fertilization, without limitations on whether embryos can be destroyed during the process (such limitations would make in vitro fertilization even more expensive and arduous than it already is), is already seen by many Republicans as a "pro life" measure. Basically, because it is. There is a big opportunity here to draw moderate Republican voters away from the Republican camp, given that the Republican party has been taken over by its MAGA wing. They should be encouraged to temporarily vote for Democrats, at least in 2024, and then decide later which political party is a better home for them, depending on how the Republican party evolves after 2024. There is also a religious liberty aspect to this. Moderate Republicans do not believe it is ok for one group to impose its religious views on another group, and they understand that MAGA Republicans are doing this. Finally, how about women's rights. Moderate Republicans are usually in favor of women's rights generally, not controlling women like MAGA Republicans want to do. They will vote for the party that supports women by allowing women to make their own health care decisions on their own. The motto is don't give up on the non MAGA Republicans. There are still many of them out there in the country, although you won't find many in Congress (in the Senate we currently have Romney, Collins, and Murkowski, maybe that is it and Romney only to the end of this year). It is a mistake to give up on all Republicans.
I will say that when I started my Project 2025 Substack, I thought I'd be talking to liberals. But I already have independent readers and people who voted for 45. They aren't there to argue; they're there to learn. They ask questions, and so far we have a supportive community that helps each other. How we use language with that group is an important persuasive tool.
I totally want to learn about Project 2025, and I want someone else to do the work for me! LOL! I've subscribed to your substack. Thank you.
"they're there to learn". What a concept!
Jessica, I'm so grateful you're in this world. You deserve to meet people like Judy Bloom while fighting for our right to abortion.
I read yesterday about an effort to film advertising spots with former 45 voters. They've already got around 100, but their goal is to reach 1,000 or more. In each spot, the person says why they will never vote for 45 again. Here's a link to the article in case anyone here is a former 45 voter who has seen the light because of abortion: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/13/republicans-against-trump-video-ad
It would be great to have women tell their own stories of why this ran them out of the Republican Party.
Thanks for posting that Andra. I’m true to blue, but my background in my younger years was in political ads & placement, so I’m always interested in that aspect of campaigns. Appreciate the share.
Regarding Biden and the word abortion … I think in the big picture, given this election a mere 7+ months away and wording… maybe we should consider that the word “freedom” in reproductive freedom is something that is more pleasing to the ears of pro-life women (who want their children in miscarriage situations to receive care and want birth control), who do not like Trump. We know from 2020 there are many of those. The Rs can’t yell freedom when they are taking that freedom away. Biden does act. He is trying to protect abortion. His campaign is sending out pro-choice messengers. Dems are putting forth protection bills. For the sake of reaching young voters, it seems we should not look for ways to disparage Biden for the next few months. There’s plenty of that out there, without supporters piling on. Just a thought. I wish he could embrace the word, but I’m ok as long as he acts towards protection and with a SCOTUS seat or 2 on the line, we really need him.
Well said. I concur 👍. Let’s not disparage him. There is a lot at stake with democracy
I think freedom vs facism is a great contrast between the two visions for our future.
Agree, but the Rs (with Civita as the head) will play mind f*ck with words and twist meanings. It will change rapidly. They are already accusing Dems of fascism in some R circles. They will string a list of adjectives together regardless of meaning. But freedom is the Rs favorite word and by using it in a real way that those who desire reproductive freedom … they can’t twist that. They know it too. It’s why they don’t want to talk about it. I don’t disagree with you, but I see the benefit of what the mess engine is. I really hope they will concentrate on SCOTUS because that cannot be twisted. Ts appointees essentially lied to the American public and everybody knows it. I’m hoping they will bring in the trust factor. We cannot trust Ts appointees to tell the truth, just like we can’t trust T to tell the truth. Keep it simple.
Every time someone here tries to criticize Biden, I say the choice on this year's ballot is between living in a free democracy and a Christo-fascist dictatorship. (I'm in Spain, but Europeans constantly ask me why we can't elect younger people.) It is longstanding practice on the left to nitpick language. (I'm submitting an article on Republicans' Christo-fascist language today.) But in this case, I'm giving Biden a pass. He is sending out people to talk about abortion more persuasively than he can. Kamala Harris is doing such a good job. She is empathetic and persuasive and articulate. Plus, she's female. I'm grateful to have her as one of our champions.
Hi, Andra Watkins. Are you a U.S. citizen? If so, are you set up to vote and help other U.S. citizens vote? It is a bit of a cumbersome process but virtually all U.S. citizens abroad can manage to vote if they start the process of getting a mail-in ballot early enough. (Sorry if you are already on this, but I am also posting so anyone abroad can be reminded of this.)
I’m coming back to vote in person.
I agree.
Completely agree. Side note: I'm actually not hating the "reproductive freedom appointment", it sounds rad.
Love this Victoria. Unity!! I feel if people nitpick words they are taking away unity. I get it. Saying abortion takes away the stigma. I talk about my abortion all the time. Please let it go. Kamala is doing excellent.
I talk about mine as well, and use the word, but I'm a trained healthcare professional, though retired. Sadly we often let "perfect" be the enemy of 'good'. And there is nothing wrong with wanting more. But take what we can get this time, the stakes are too high.
Agreed. I’m a retired social worker 👍❤️
Not sure if this has been reported on or posted, but for VA
https://vadogwood.com/2024/03/13/heres-where-reproductive-rights-bills-stand-in-va-now-that-session-has-ended/
That was a very revealing article. Thanks!!
Yes.....Jen Jackson Quintano and Julie Burkhart are HEROES!
Such brave people.
Pregnancy/having a baby isn’t a punishment for having sex. It shouldn’t ever be seen as one. That someone thinks it is tells you everything you need to know about them and their distorted beliefs.
And what child would want to know that their mother considered them her punishment?
A long time ago, probably in the 1980’s, I watched a documentary, or maybe a news segment, on the ‘pro-life’ movement. They interviewed a Dr. Schindler, if I remember his name correctly, who had founded and led an anti-abortion organization. And they asked him about birth control. Whether he thought it should be legal and available. And he said that if people were able to use birth control it would mean that they could have sexual intercourse for no reason other than their own pleasure. And it was obvious, from his facial expression and tone of voice that he was horrified and disgusted by the very idea.
Maybe he believed that. Fine, although I feel sorry for him. Maybe he actually lived his life that way. His right to. But most people don’t believe that. And even fewer live their lives that way. And they shouldn’t be forced to, shouldn’t have to live according to someone else’s religious/sexual hang-ups.
But getting rid of access to contraception has been part of their agenda for a long time.
I guarantee you he had some serious skeletons in his closet, that kind always do.
This was the part that jumped out at me the most... That pregnancy is clearly seen and spoken as a punishment or consequence- not a miracle. How does that align with "make more babies" rhetoric. I feel Jessica writes all of the time to listen to what people are telling us, and this clearly tells us that women should stay pregnant as they haven't completed their punishment/ consequence.
The thought of bringing a woman to orgasm never crossed his mind.
And I'm sure you've heard that some of the Project 2025 people are advocating to end recreational sex, LMAO.
So they are rapists, then? no consent, no pleasure*(for the woman, anyway) and supposedly only for procreative purposes, sounds like a human version of a puppy-mill.
I believe not having recreational sex is part of "Jewish law," which the Old Testament is based on. If I remember correctly, the first few books are part of Muslim, Jewish, and Christian biblical texts. I have heard waaaay too much out of those texts over the past decade or so. When I was growing up and still attended church, we focused on the New Testament--Jesus' teachings.
Yes, the Christ dude is the one the religion is named after, and they ARE supposed to emulate him. They only stole the Jewish Pentateuch, five books (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.) to give it some age and not seem like the upstart religion it was.
Since Jesus wasn't alive during the time the Old Testament was written, nor did Islam exist until 600 plus years after the alleged birth of Jesus,, there are no books in there with Christian or Muslim texts.
I think what they meant is those two newer faiths carried over and incorporated a lot from the older faith.
Oh, I think you're, right! I've read it like 4 times now, and now I see what Kelley was trying to say.
Apologies, Kelley!
No problem, Sko.
Yes, that is what I I was getting at, Zach, but I was wrong in stating that Islam includes those first 4 books. They "simply" worship the god of Abraham, like in Christianity and Judaism.
From my religious upbringing I don’t think most would call it a punishment but focus on the word “consequence”.
The idea that what is being done is unnatural, like fighting physics and violating the proper order of things. There is some deep baked in belief in American culture that there is a natural way of things and that’s just inherently better. Whether it’s Paleo diets, having a “natural” birth, avoiding “unnatural” chemicals, using cotton over polyester, this idea is pervasive. It just is quite fallacious. We have no idea what is natural, our bodies are like duct taped together with tons of virus leftovers in our dna and extra-human bacteria making up our guts, and true nature has no morality; it is kinda monstrous and sucky. Imo nature is the worst.
But when deep expertise is seen as the enemy, we make stupid primal choices. I try to tell my kids: the world is complicated so you can either trust the majority of experts or go get a PhD in that subject.
100% The war against expertise has ramifications in every facet of life, from healthcare to democracy. I don't try to fix my house's electrical system because I'm not an expert! It's interesting how majority female led fields are doubted first. Thanks for instilling critical thinking in the next generation!
I couldn't agree more. I can't understand how pregnancy can be seen as a just 'punishment' for literally anything. I also want to point out that I'd much rather people pursue their own pleasure and live happy lives than fill their free time spying on neighbors and harassing everyone around them.
I wish everyone felt as you, and I do, the world would be a happier place.
Absolutely. They will outlaw it all because it will make it dangerous to have sex for pleasure. This garbage belief goes all the way back to St Augustine. It's time we defeated it once and for all.
Absolutely!
The ‘doctors are stupid’ motto has been shouted for months if not years here in Texas. Texas Impact is mounting a drive, at the behest of physicians, to get the Texas Medical Board to clarify what doctors can and cannot do. I’m helping with recruiting supporters, but I’m skeptical that the Board will respond—Texas ‘Right to Life’ will not be pleased.
Gaslighting is an exhausting form of abuse in any relationship, but especially in our relationship with our government.
Because of gaslighting, I was exhausted from 2017-2021. Soooo glad that's over!
I think we all have collective PTSD. And the fact the rapist wants to come back again starts it up again.