I was pleased to see the item about Dr. Winter pulling out of the conference in Texas. That’s great. I would love to see more of the same in re SXSW next year. I realize Austin is progressive, for Texas at least, but the state of Texas also profits. I canceled a trip to TX after they passed SB 8. I don’t want to spend my money there. I also won’t go back to Nashville, even though it’s really fun.
Oh fuck these assholes who want to ban genetic testing on embryos. The only thing I’m “discriminating” against with my PGT-A & PGT-M screened embryos a really shit genetic condition that made my first pregnancy nonviable. I wouldn’t try to have kids again if I couldn’t do genetic testing with IVF.
I hate these people so much. They have no idea what they are talking about and pretending that they care about disability rights as a way to oppress pregnant people (or those seeking pregnancy) is repugnant.
Yes, they are ignorant assholes who want us to be forced to bring those poor (doomed to a short life of pain), fetuses into a world, where even being healthy and normal is challenging as hell.
Any Democrat can win in any district even the reddest of the red if the Democrat hammers on Dobbs all day every day. Try to straddle or prevaricate and lose.
The mention of all the doctors in the house and senate who are anti-abortion made me think of Republican politicians in general. Not even considering unqualified dwebs like green margarine or orange golf cheater, a buttload are grads of Yale or Harvard or similar institutions. Is truth and justice and morality no longer taught? May they all stare at the eclipse next week and have their retinas fried.
There are always smug, arrogant, doctors, think the Frank Burns character in M*A*S*H. I worked with many in my surgical career and, like Frank Burns they are usually not good, doctors as they are impatient, and lack empathy.
Just read The New Yorker piece on Yeni Glick's death. What an avoidable tragedy. There was so much time and so many instances for someone to tell her she had the option to abort and save her own life. And here she dies and the fetus dies as well, even at 31 weeks. Awful. The 6 justices on the SC and the state of Texas is responsible, to start with....
I think part of the problem with media coverage is that they’re still letting the anti-abortionists claim the moral high ground and privileging the sensitivities of religious conservatives over everyone else. They still treat religious misogyny as a “traditional family value” that should be respected and are still treating the whole issue of abortion, reproductive rights and women’s healthcare as a niche issue instead of a full blown humans rights issue.
Yup. You can't attack religion in this country. Maybe if we can't beat them we have to join them and figure out a religion where women's bodily autonomy is sacred and every violation of it is an injury to religion. Since we don't seem to care about injury to actual women.
That would be the Satanic Temple. They are a group of atheists, who needed a deity to be termed a 'religion' legally, so they picked the biggest troll name to mess with the christofascists. They troll by putting up statues of Baphomet next to the ten commandments, and bodily autonomy is a tenet of their religion. They have sued over many religious overreach issues and do great work in general.
There are two ways to successfully confront religion. The more usual way is to belong to some other religion. The other way is to show how their convictions are weak or completely wrong. Religion at its best is willing to be at peace with its own limitations and some religions start that way. But religion always goes bad when it begins to distort history and contradict those things evident to everyone as a common experience and especially science.
What is subverting the right to abortion is not just religious beliefs about women, but religious beliefs about her pregnancy, that it is a person with bodily autonomy that subsumes her own.
But religion is not identical to "nutball fundie Christians." I live in New Jersey. Ravi Bhalla, the mayor of Hoboken, is running for Congress. He's a Sikh, and said that his religion favors love and equality, and reproductive choice doesn't violate his religion.
Florida Supreme Court ruling is out……The initiative can appear on our ballots in November. Tragically, in the meantime a six week ban will be put in place.
"Florida’s conservative Supreme Court ruled Monday that the state’s constitution does not protect abortion rights, allowing one of the country’s strictest and most far-reaching abortion bans to take effect in 30 days.
But in a separate decision, the high court also ruled that an amendment to enshrine abortion rights in the state’s constitution can go on the November ballot, for a vote that could potentially undo the new strict abortion ban in a matter of months." -WaPo
Voters vote for elected officials who don't care what voters want. They're called Republicans. If it's not a news story that laws are passed against voters' wishes, it's because we've become numb to it, just like we have to accept assault rifles everywhere and an insurrectionist leading the polls for president. If we can't change voter behavior this is what we get.
The c-section thing is really disturbing. A c-section is major abdominal surgery and much riskier than an abortion. And now those women are more likely to have c-sections for future deliveries, especially in a state with fewer and fewer OB/GYNs. Not all OB/GYNs support Vaginal Birth After A C-section so if there are fewer OBs overall, there are fewer supporting VBAC. I'm surprised insurance companies aren't complaining about paying for unnecessary and expensive surgeries that aren't following the appropriate standards of care.
Then the hospitals should start complaining. This is all so infuriating. And, it's like punishing them by making them have to go through the recovery of major surgery. Some of them are also dealing with the loss of a wanted pregnancy on top of that.
"I was hoping to have an update for you on Florida’s ballot measure—today is the state Supreme Court’s deadline for a ruling—but nothing has come down yet."
I've been reading about incidences, particularly regarding gerrymandering decisions, where SCOTUS does nothing. It just does not hand down a decision, in effect running out the clock until it is too late to change the districting maps. By their silence, they have ruled.
I wouldn't be surprised if they do the same with states' anti-abortion laws that negatively impact a woman's healthcare. With the vast amount of life-endangering legislation being passed so fast and furiously, there will continue to be challenges. Challenges may make it to the Court, but they won't necessarily be decided. In the meantime, women will die, and we the people will feel powerless--until we get to the ballot box in November.
Thanks for all you do to keep us informed. It's infuriating, but we stay involved and caring because of you.
Well, damn me! I misread this. It was, as you clearly said, a state Supreme Court decision, not the federal Supreme Court, which is what I based the above comment on. I just saw this on WaPo:
BAD NEWS: Florida’s conservative Supreme Court ruled Monday that the state’s constitution does not protect abortion rights, allowing one of the country’s strictest and most far-reaching abortion bans to take effect in 30 days.
GOOD NEWS: But in a separate decision, the high court also ruled that an amendment to enshrine abortion rights in the state’s constitution can go on the November ballot, for a vote that could potentially undo the new strict abortion ban in a matter of months.
So true, Joe. As a female, I'm grateful for the males like you who support a woman's right to have autonomy over her own body. I married a man who strongly supports a woman's right to social, political and economic equality. In other words, a feminist!
Your original comment was still valuable because it raised the question of how state courts might handle cases regarding reproductive health care, and there are going to be a lot more cases around the country at the state than federal level.
From a conservative voter at an abortion rights signature gathering in AZ.
"You know, I don’t agree with abortion, but I don’t like the government telling me what to do with my guns, I don’t like the government telling me what shots to put in my body and the government shouldn’t be telling you ladies what to do, either.”
(from “Fight for abortion rights goes to polls” - USA Today, 03/31/24)
Was hoping we’d get there. How about take whatever medication you need without worrying about a swat team so you don’t have to constantly have a suicide plan because of unending agony? There next.
However, it's always negative. A pregnant person who says "Thank you for being pro-life! I know my baby is going to have multiple disabilities, and I know I will need a lot of medical care to maintain this pregnancy, and my baby will need a tremendous amount of medical care to survive and have the best life possible" doesn't gain access to paid leave or affordable medical care either for themself or for the baby.
FYI, Montana. https://billingsgazette.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/montana-aboartion-ballot-initiative-supreme-court-knudsen/article_c3709231-78f1-5a66-acd6-afab20730bc8.html#tracking-source=home-top-story
I was pleased to see the item about Dr. Winter pulling out of the conference in Texas. That’s great. I would love to see more of the same in re SXSW next year. I realize Austin is progressive, for Texas at least, but the state of Texas also profits. I canceled a trip to TX after they passed SB 8. I don’t want to spend my money there. I also won’t go back to Nashville, even though it’s really fun.
Oh fuck these assholes who want to ban genetic testing on embryos. The only thing I’m “discriminating” against with my PGT-A & PGT-M screened embryos a really shit genetic condition that made my first pregnancy nonviable. I wouldn’t try to have kids again if I couldn’t do genetic testing with IVF.
I hate these people so much. They have no idea what they are talking about and pretending that they care about disability rights as a way to oppress pregnant people (or those seeking pregnancy) is repugnant.
Yes, they are ignorant assholes who want us to be forced to bring those poor (doomed to a short life of pain), fetuses into a world, where even being healthy and normal is challenging as hell.
Any Democrat can win in any district even the reddest of the red if the Democrat hammers on Dobbs all day every day. Try to straddle or prevaricate and lose.
The mention of all the doctors in the house and senate who are anti-abortion made me think of Republican politicians in general. Not even considering unqualified dwebs like green margarine or orange golf cheater, a buttload are grads of Yale or Harvard or similar institutions. Is truth and justice and morality no longer taught? May they all stare at the eclipse next week and have their retinas fried.
There are always smug, arrogant, doctors, think the Frank Burns character in M*A*S*H. I worked with many in my surgical career and, like Frank Burns they are usually not good, doctors as they are impatient, and lack empathy.
Lol. Or spontaneous combustion.....
Works for me.
Just read The New Yorker piece on Yeni Glick's death. What an avoidable tragedy. There was so much time and so many instances for someone to tell her she had the option to abort and save her own life. And here she dies and the fetus dies as well, even at 31 weeks. Awful. The 6 justices on the SC and the state of Texas is responsible, to start with....
🎯
I think part of the problem with media coverage is that they’re still letting the anti-abortionists claim the moral high ground and privileging the sensitivities of religious conservatives over everyone else. They still treat religious misogyny as a “traditional family value” that should be respected and are still treating the whole issue of abortion, reproductive rights and women’s healthcare as a niche issue instead of a full blown humans rights issue.
Sadly.
Yup. You can't attack religion in this country. Maybe if we can't beat them we have to join them and figure out a religion where women's bodily autonomy is sacred and every violation of it is an injury to religion. Since we don't seem to care about injury to actual women.
That would be the Satanic Temple. They are a group of atheists, who needed a deity to be termed a 'religion' legally, so they picked the biggest troll name to mess with the christofascists. They troll by putting up statues of Baphomet next to the ten commandments, and bodily autonomy is a tenet of their religion. They have sued over many religious overreach issues and do great work in general.
https://thesatanictemple.com/
There are two ways to successfully confront religion. The more usual way is to belong to some other religion. The other way is to show how their convictions are weak or completely wrong. Religion at its best is willing to be at peace with its own limitations and some religions start that way. But religion always goes bad when it begins to distort history and contradict those things evident to everyone as a common experience and especially science.
What is subverting the right to abortion is not just religious beliefs about women, but religious beliefs about her pregnancy, that it is a person with bodily autonomy that subsumes her own.
Well said. I admire many philosophies, but few religions.
But religion is not identical to "nutball fundie Christians." I live in New Jersey. Ravi Bhalla, the mayor of Hoboken, is running for Congress. He's a Sikh, and said that his religion favors love and equality, and reproductive choice doesn't violate his religion.
Florida Supreme Court ruling is out……The initiative can appear on our ballots in November. Tragically, in the meantime a six week ban will be put in place.
"Florida’s conservative Supreme Court ruled Monday that the state’s constitution does not protect abortion rights, allowing one of the country’s strictest and most far-reaching abortion bans to take effect in 30 days.
But in a separate decision, the high court also ruled that an amendment to enshrine abortion rights in the state’s constitution can go on the November ballot, for a vote that could potentially undo the new strict abortion ban in a matter of months." -WaPo
Now if only Florida Democrats will hammer hammer hammer...
Voters vote for elected officials who don't care what voters want. They're called Republicans. If it's not a news story that laws are passed against voters' wishes, it's because we've become numb to it, just like we have to accept assault rifles everywhere and an insurrectionist leading the polls for president. If we can't change voter behavior this is what we get.
Thank you so much for not attempting any April Fools crap. I super hate it.
The c-section thing is really disturbing. A c-section is major abdominal surgery and much riskier than an abortion. And now those women are more likely to have c-sections for future deliveries, especially in a state with fewer and fewer OB/GYNs. Not all OB/GYNs support Vaginal Birth After A C-section so if there are fewer OBs overall, there are fewer supporting VBAC. I'm surprised insurance companies aren't complaining about paying for unnecessary and expensive surgeries that aren't following the appropriate standards of care.
What Victoria says.
It wouldn't surprise me if insurance companies just deny coverage and pass the bill along.
They made a deal with deathsantis to be allowed to jack up rates here so...
Then the hospitals should start complaining. This is all so infuriating. And, it's like punishing them by making them have to go through the recovery of major surgery. Some of them are also dealing with the loss of a wanted pregnancy on top of that.
And somehow I suspect that will be more of a story than forcing women to be cut open unnecessarily. 💔
I hope Lizelle Gonzalez gets every dollar - one of the best ways to spend Texas' taxpayer funds. Wish she was seeking more.
And Abott's head on a platter, politically speaking.
Hi Jessica, you wrote:
"I was hoping to have an update for you on Florida’s ballot measure—today is the state Supreme Court’s deadline for a ruling—but nothing has come down yet."
I've been reading about incidences, particularly regarding gerrymandering decisions, where SCOTUS does nothing. It just does not hand down a decision, in effect running out the clock until it is too late to change the districting maps. By their silence, they have ruled.
I wouldn't be surprised if they do the same with states' anti-abortion laws that negatively impact a woman's healthcare. With the vast amount of life-endangering legislation being passed so fast and furiously, there will continue to be challenges. Challenges may make it to the Court, but they won't necessarily be decided. In the meantime, women will die, and we the people will feel powerless--until we get to the ballot box in November.
Thanks for all you do to keep us informed. It's infuriating, but we stay involved and caring because of you.
Well, damn me! I misread this. It was, as you clearly said, a state Supreme Court decision, not the federal Supreme Court, which is what I based the above comment on. I just saw this on WaPo:
BAD NEWS: Florida’s conservative Supreme Court ruled Monday that the state’s constitution does not protect abortion rights, allowing one of the country’s strictest and most far-reaching abortion bans to take effect in 30 days.
GOOD NEWS: But in a separate decision, the high court also ruled that an amendment to enshrine abortion rights in the state’s constitution can go on the November ballot, for a vote that could potentially undo the new strict abortion ban in a matter of months.
It sucks. Damned if you do, damned if you don't, and worse, damned if you're female ☹.
So true, Joe. As a female, I'm grateful for the males like you who support a woman's right to have autonomy over her own body. I married a man who strongly supports a woman's right to social, political and economic equality. In other words, a feminist!
I've never been sure if I was co-opting the word, but I'm proud to consider myself a Feminist 🙂. Thanks.
You definitely are Joe, even if those who coopted it to hate men won't recognize that.
This brings tears to my eyes. Maybe it's just because I'm so emotional with all that's going on, but I'm proud to know you, too.
🙂
Your original comment was still valuable because it raised the question of how state courts might handle cases regarding reproductive health care, and there are going to be a lot more cases around the country at the state than federal level.
Thanks, Zach.
Speaking of ballot measures, this from USA today.
From a conservative voter at an abortion rights signature gathering in AZ.
"You know, I don’t agree with abortion, but I don’t like the government telling me what to do with my guns, I don’t like the government telling me what shots to put in my body and the government shouldn’t be telling you ladies what to do, either.”
(from “Fight for abortion rights goes to polls” - USA Today, 03/31/24)
Was hoping we’d get there. How about take whatever medication you need without worrying about a swat team so you don’t have to constantly have a suicide plan because of unending agony? There next.
That is an excellent question, all the medical care denied 'in case' someone gets pregnant. It makes the impact of all of this that much broader.
However, it's always negative. A pregnant person who says "Thank you for being pro-life! I know my baby is going to have multiple disabilities, and I know I will need a lot of medical care to maintain this pregnancy, and my baby will need a tremendous amount of medical care to survive and have the best life possible" doesn't gain access to paid leave or affordable medical care either for themself or for the baby.