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Update on Iowa Supreme Court decision today: The Iowa Supreme Court, with 1 Justice recused, deadlocked 3-3 today so the fetal heartbeat law gov Kim Reynolds tried to revive will remain permanently blocked! 🥳

But gov Reynolds vowed to keep pursuing the 6 week ban. This from the Des Moines Register’s article today:

“That means if Iowa Republicans want to further restrict abortion, they'll likely need to pass a new law to do so. Reynolds, a Republican, said Friday that she and GOP legislative leaders are "reviewing our options."

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Jun 16, 2023Liked by Grace Haley

I just need to vent today. But first and foremost, thank you, Jessica for all that you and your team do. It’s life saving and important work.

I had an abortion when I was 20 (while in college, 1985) and I’m thankful and grateful everyday that I had that choice. I was too immature to have a baby when I got pregnant. I was in relationship but we were not ready to raise a child. He was supportive of my choice but if his staunch catholic family had found out, they would have keeled over or pressured us to marry and keep the baby. I didn’t tell my non-religious family but I know they would have supported my choice. I believe in my heart that I would have stood my ground with my boyfriend’s family but the nightmarish pressure campaign would have been brutal and shaming.

I only share my story because I’m utterly devastated everyday about the repeal of Roe. I had no idea that we would be in this horrific situation today. My college health clinic performed my abortion; they were supportive and wonderful. The post-op room was full of young women. I don’t think medication abortion was available then. The attack on these drugs is beyond disgusting.

IUDs, implants, morning after pills, birth control pills, etc. --- all forms of birth control need to be accessible to anyone who wants them. Lives will be saved.

Pro-choice = having a choice no matter the circumstances. Abortion is healthcare -- mental, emotional, and physical. 🌺

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I’ve got several trolls I’m challenging on Tik Tok threads telling people (it wasn’t even being discussed!) saying “IT IS NOT HEALTHCARE!!!!!” I think I shut them up for a while now by not backing down. I hate them shaming women. They’re feeling so emboldened now.

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I always point out it's the exact same procedure for a missed miscarriage. Abortion is healthcare.

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Good idea

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author

Thank you for sharing your story with us 💛

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Jessica, Thank you so much for all the work you do. It’s somewhat terrifying to read your updates, but it is so necessary.

While reading this I wondered: Is there an organization or individual that keeps a spreadsheet of all the anti-abortion groups names? Including the “crises centers”?

Also, is it too much trouble to turn the possible questions you posed for candidates, in a previous article, into a pdf that can be shared?

Again, thank you, thank you.

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Equity Forward is a great resource on anti-abortion centers.

https://equityfwd.org/

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Thank you for posting this Laura.

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I was curiosity read the magazine that Jessica mentioned in the last paragraph but the Evie Magazine website requires one to create an account with contact info to read it’s content. I passed.

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founding

Yeah I avoid conservative media, and rely on someone braver like Jessica to let her device interact with their webpages to tell me what kind of sewage is to be found there.

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This gov is single handedly destroying the state. Defunding schools. Rolling back child labor laws, even in dangerous jobs like demolition and slaughterhouses. Removing food assistance from 8000 families, mostly children. Removing women’s reproductive rights. Has probably already banned all POC from entering the state, unless accompanied by a white owner. She’s destroying everything in her path. Seems to be taking her orders directly from Bannon. Terrifying.

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founding

Iowa? Yes, it used to be a moderate, purple state where Democrats could win elections. It's terrible how it's changed.

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Wanna know why?

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founding

Well the standard answer would be that White voters without college degrees have shifted Republican in the last seven years, and Iowa is VERY White. I'm in Wisconsin and the same thing has happened here; it's quite noticeable in the rural areas. But you may have something else in mind? :) Anyway, some very good news out of Iowa today, at least for as long as it lasts. The powerful theocrat groups in Iowa will no doubt demand their toadies in the legislature try and try again.

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No because that’s always been true. “Americans for Prosperity” infiltrated (set up shop in) Iowa apparently, several years ago, targeting Iowa because they’re thought to be easily persuaded (gullible and naive farm families who don’t look up information) and set up booths at state fairs and targeted them for disseminating conservative views such as defunding schools, anti-choice, (I assume anti-gay as well) and rural schools have started to close. Entire communities requiring commutes to school completely lacking schools now. Apparently once schools shut down, the town completely dies. No idea why the gov wants to destroy her own state (or force 8-12 year old rape or incest victims to deliver babies and die or be further traumatized for life but she rejected a bill to allow abortions for children too.) Now the state has become a Red state. Weird.

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founding

Cause and effect, I suppose. I identified the effect, and you've made a very good case for the cause(s). It's the same problem everywhere in small town and rural America, and I have no doubt the anger and despair there is being exploited by people who couldn't care less about them. As for the governor, I would wonder about personal issues; if I remember right she was an alcoholic, among other problems? I guess I suspect she may be a very damaged person, but then I'm not in Iowa or an expert on it.

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I did hear she (was) an alcoholic. No idea why she seems so messed up. A lot of these women look like Stepford Wives from that old horror movie. That vacant, flat, pod-person look. I did look her up and she supposedly has 3 kids. I just remember seeing her at the White House late May 2020 lying her a$$ off to Trump and Pence saying “Iowa has turned the corner on the virus” 2 days after news was leaked from an employee at Tyson Foods that they had 700 mostly Hispanic laborers test positive for covid. She got big smiles and praise from both of them. She also suppressed testing data as Trump advices and state cases went from 1200 to 1700 the next week then down to a miraculous 55 cases 3 weeks later. 🙄

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You've probably been pointed to this already, but FiveThirtyEight has a piece out today on the change in average number of abortions per month, per state, since Dobbs came down. They also note some other numbers, such as that in December there was a big national uptick, which runs counter to historical trend; and that the total number nationwide has started to go up again. Lots of interesting (and sobering) stuff there.

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/abortion-trend-after-dobbs/

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There's no way to really tell how abortion rates turn out until the official birth rates come out. So far seems like this whole thing has been an advertising campaign for the abortion pill whether it's obtained legally or not. I even bought some to stash in my medicine cabinet.

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Why do healthcare providers bother with ultra sounds? If you live in a red state and can't have an abortion why do you need to know the health of the fetus? Aren't ultra sounds the gateway that

lead to an abortion? Yes, I am being a jerk, but I am sooooooo tired and want out of this Twilight Zone episode. Under equal protection aren't women and girls considered? Can a toddler sue when

the state doesn't protect it from hunger, lack of medical care and general health and wellness? Can't women sue for equal protection when the fetus has more rights than a fully formed out of the womb human? What is equal?

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Recall this sobering fact: men declared women unfit to vote because they are “nonhuman” and only humans get to vote in this country. The sickness has never left. They want women back in their powerless positions of servitude and obedience. We should all sue. Or better yet, leave the country.

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I have all my papers in order and up to date. The thought is ever present, but where would I go?

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Germany of Austria are good choices

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founding

That's the hard part. If the "leader of the free world" continues to go down this path, how much hope is there for anywhere else? Canada is great, except for that long border with their volatile heavily armed southern neighbor.

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I know you were joking, but there's definitely a connection between ultrasound technology and *antiabortion* advocacy. The inventor of obstetric ultrasound, Ian Donald, would give pregnant patients who wanted abortions medically unnecessary ultrasounds just to show them the images of the fetus. He was acting in the same vein as crisis pregnancy centers today.

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Really? Makes sense now that you say it. Yuck.

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Yep. There's a chapter in the book "Imaging and Imagining the Fetus" that describes Donald's antiabortion use of ultrasound imaging. I also touch on it in a recent post I wrote about the fetal heartbeat as a medical and political phenomenon.

https://open.substack.com/pub/placentalmammal/p/the-sound-of-silence

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Great piece!

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And yeah, that Nat Review article was bullshit.

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Wow, that Cotham woman turned out to be a total b*tch.

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Which proves “getting women elected” is no longer the rah rah avenue to consider any more. And, to Jessica’s point in previous newsletter, why it is vital for media and citizens to pose questions to all running for mayor, state legislature, state AG, Governor & US Congress their positions on abortions, maternal healthcare and birth control. In addition, for their previous actions and so forth to be closely examined… because some will flat out lie.

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founding

The drop off in support for abortion after the first trimester has to be due to ignorance of what the very limited circumstances in which such procedures are performed are. There's a lot of work to do educating.

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The thing about the fake clinic locking the woman in a room gives me an idea. Once that door slams shut, they've just committed the VERY serious federal crime of kidnapping. If she'd called the police and made a complaint, somebody's ass would be in a real jam.

Which brings me to this: who's up for a "sting" operation on these fucks? You pretend to be pregnant and seek their help. As soon as they make any attempt to keep you from leaving, we call the police and file charges.

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founding

Fuck yeah! Great idea!

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Absolutely! In NC NARAL used to send their people to CPCs to do reconnaissance on all the lies and manipulation. Getting locked up and filing charges for that would be a bonus.

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I volunteer as tribute next time I’m pregnant... 🫡

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The young women we sent only claimed to be pregnant and seeking an abortion. The CPC protocols may have changed since then, but at the time they were not requiring a positive pregnancy test before they started the shaming and indoctrination.

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Yup, there it is. They are starting to target IVF. I just cannot with this heartless arrogant bastards.

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Good luck with your ivf journey. It's a terrifying time to be pregnant right now but I guess it always is. Glad you decided to try again after your TFMR.

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The National Review piece is sickening. They're mentally ill. Fanatics. I read it and it's just abysmal and not worth a minute of analysis. Not once -- not once -- do they mention us... women. We can not let them define what a "person" is. We live in the real world, not Dystopia.

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Same thing happened in Dobbs. Women were barely even given a mention.

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In better media coverage news, The Nation is supposed to be publishing a piece regarding Dobbs and it’s impact soon. They are traditionally a very supportive outlet.

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Semi apology for the language above, but I’m doing IVF right now and am so angry that they would take this option away or force people to implant non-viable or genetically abnormal embryos. So yeah, this also hits home as someone in the middle of family planning.

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founding

Never a need to apologize for language here :) Best of luck with the treatment.

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So free speech absolutist Elon -- who reinstated TFG who got us into this mess -- won't allow free speech on reproductive rights.... Oh the shock.

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founding

Yah. I group twitter with right wing media now and everyone else should be too. Professional users should seek out additional platforms because twitter is no longer trustworthy. Most tech billionaires have unsavory politics, probably because of their privilege, but Musk stands out even among that group for being a piece of shit.

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Have you or anyone you know tried Tribel?

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founding

No I haven't tried anything else, but I had pretty much stopped spending time on twitter and then when Musk changed everything it just affirmed that. The network effects are what's important; professional users especially need to be where everyone else is. So I would be diversifying. I'd expect twitter to bleed users over time as Musk treats them like shit. SCOTUSblog, my go-to source for court information, left twitter because they were expected to pay for the blue check mark, when they saw themselves as providing value to the platform.

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He’s a waste of space. He’s busy spreading his dna around because he thinks he’s such a gift to humanity.

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I dunno I think the third baby mama was a reaction to getting baby trapped by the second baby mama in my opinion 😂 There's no winning when that happens so I guess he thought he might as well knock up another one to knock her down in the tabloids.

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LOL ! I needed this !!

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I had to attend a baptism recently at a catholic church. The had pregnancy brochures in the women’s bathroom. I threw them all in the waste can. I felt so good doing it.

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I have family who is Catholics and I’m really not sure I can stomach engaging in future baptisms and such now.

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This is the best comment.

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Cotham: "...they should not be talking about my miscarriage, that is just very painful and wrong. "

Oh well, let's see how she feels when women are being interrogated and prosecuted for miscarriages in NC because of her turncoat actions. See how "painful and wrong" she says that is !

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founding

Yeah I would guess she made up the abortion story back when she was pretending to be a Democrat.

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She probably won't care. She got the care she needed in the moment and probably won't be needing it again being nearly menopausal or at least had tubal ligation. She got hers. Screw everybody else.

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That’s best demonstrated best by Gov. Comatose Greg Abbott of Texas who got millions after he was hit by a tree then successfully pushed severe limits on medical malpractice.

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founding

To the tree: You had one job.

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Ha !

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founding

I definitely hesitated before posting that one. But damn it the laws he signed are going to get someone killed sooner or later (maybe already if they helped motivate that homicide we all read about here a little while ago).

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Psychopaths sleep well I'd assume not having any conscience.

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founding

This.

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In response to the Tricia Cotham shenanigans, I need to post the obligatory "The Only Moral Abortion is My Abortion" article.

https://joycearthur.com/abortion/the-only-moral-abortion-is-my-abortion/

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Such a good article.

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Oldie but a goodie. Should be mandatory reading for anyone pro-choice.

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Should be mandatory reading for the anti-choice!

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Well hopefully Jessica has enough hate readers looking through the comments.

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founding

😊

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Appreciated this article. Especially liked this passage from the mouth of an reformed forced-birther: ..."And that men don’t have to make this decision, only women do. That it is a very personal, individual decision. I had to own it. I became much more compassionate towards myself and others as a result of my experience. "

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