I appreciate that you’re afraid, betrayed, & furious. We all feel this way or I know I do. I don’t think it’s helpful to say I don’t want to bash on . . . because this language always precedes the action you definitely don’t want to do. Probably you should assume that every medical organization in the US isn’t making policy decisions without the benefit of legal counsel. All it takes is a single successful application for a temporary restraining order to make this planned parenthood unavailable to everyone not merely the people in adjacent states for medical abortions. For them to be unavailable even to everyone even for a month is terrible. I think a lot of planned parenthood’s are having to choose the lesser of evils. Under the circumstances they chose to continue serving the most people they can. I realize it is a pet peeve of mine that individuals often demand behavior of others that they don’t demand of themselves. If you vote against government programs like Medicaid then don’t accept the help of government programs. The reverse is also true if you want more from your government you have to be willing to pay higher taxes not just volunteer other people to pay. If you’re not willing to put your $ or neck on the line, then you don’t have values or morals you just have talking points. If you want to help send $, go to RN school, Nurse Practioner school, or medical school and start performing abortions, invent a robotic device that does not require a human to perform an abortion. In other words don’t volunteer other peoples’ necks for the chopping block before volunteering your own.
Because this is everywhere, bringing news of abortion fuckery abroad...
There was this piece yesterday in The Guardian re women in England and Wales investigated BY THE POLICE for obtaining *potentially* illegal abortions (incl miscarriages) based on a law dating back to (get ready for it) 1861.
It made me so angry sometimes that I had to take frequent breaks but it really reset my take on the politicization of abortion and I constantly recommend it.
This is going to get unbelievably worse than it already is. It's designed to be complicated so that people will be afraid to do anything. They're trying to scare people into silence and inaction.
The #1 lesson from "On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century" by Timothy Snyder is:
Do not obey in advance.
Most of the power of authoritarianism is freely given. In times like these, individuals think ahead about what a more repressive government will want, and then offer themselves without being asked. A citizen who adapts in this way is teaching power what it can do. (Pg 8, graphic edition, ten speed press, 2021.)
Re: PPMT following a law before it's even been enacted.... I am struck by the degree to which Republicans just flat-out ignore laws they don't agree with. How many Jan 6 subpoenas have been blown off? How many times did the Trump admin just blow right past established precedent and/or the actual rule of law to do basically whatever they felt like doing? Take the fifth, flip the bird at the Constitution, they couldn't care less.
I keep waiting for the Biden administration to wake the fuck up. Am I supposed to be reassured that *weeks* after the leaked Dobbs draft, the Biden admin is NOW convening a task force to figure out what to do? Like, did they think Sam Alito was going to change his mind? Here's an idea: how about coming out swinging with impeachment proceedings against Thomas for his blatant conflicts of interest? How about announcing abortion safe havens on federal land? How about free Plan B made available to every woman in the US?
I'm sorry pro-choice orgs, but news flash: see above.... no one is coming to save you at the federal level. When it comes to reproductive rights, Democrats in Congress can barely walk and sing the national anthem on the Capitol steps at the same time. And on the rare occasions when Biden can bring himself to say the word "abortion," he acts like it'll coat his tongue with shit or something.
I'm trying to wrap my head around my 2 daughters living in a country that would rather they die than have an abortion. That fetishizes their bodies and then punishes them for being female. It's way past time to "vote." The people we elected need to step up... NOW.
Jul 2, 2022·edited Jul 2, 2022Liked by Jessica Valenti
Love this idea! Thank you! I want to keep up on what is happening day to day on the topic of abortion but I also don’t want to spend an hour of my day doomscrolling on twitter. I would really like to know why ppmt is not providing abortion pills for patients out of state but will still do procedural abortions. I would think it would be the opposite because the pills are fda approved. Also they knew this day was coming for a long time and this is the best they can do-immediately abdicate. Very frustrating!
Jul 1, 2022·edited Jul 1, 2022Liked by Jessica Valenti
It’s also important to note that PPMT is currently in a lawsuit against the state of Montana about 3 bills passed in the last legislative session restricting abortions. As soon as Dobbs was issued the state attorney general argued the cases to be dismissed with those decisions pending so I think a lot of this is out of an abundance of caution and not being ready to fight a legal battle with other states at this time and waiting for the national PP to fight it.
Also important to note that the MT Supreme Court has found several times that abortion is legal in the state of Montana and is enshrined in the states constitution under its privacy provisions. But here is a breakdown of those three laws being challenged:
HB 136 is titled, “The Montana pain-capable unborn child protection act; prohibiting the abortion of an unborn child capable of feeling pain;…” basically outlawing abortion at 8 weeks of pregnancy because “…an unborn child reacts to stimuli that would be recognized as painful if applied to an adult human…”
HB171 essentially provides requirements for abortion providers in prescribing “abortion-inducing drugs” to pregnant women after 70 days gestation. But, more importantly, this law would outlaw the distribution of medication abortions availability on college campuses and could not be prescribed by a the physicians at the campus health centers.
HB140 is the republican favorite, where you must have a pregnant woman view an ultrasound and listen to the heartbeat.
So I do understand where PPMT is coming from as far as wanting to protect themselves legally but it doesn’t make it right. I was born and raised in Montana and moved to North Dakota and the sole abortion provider in North Dakota is moving to Minnesota and has explicitly said that they will continue to provide abortions to people from ND, so I wish PPMT would have the courage to continue to challenge these restrictive bans in other state of residents traveling to others states for abortions, because I think there is an interesting legal argument to made there, but I can understand the hesitancy with the shitty attorney general the state has right now.
Jessica, I share your frustration (and hesitancy to criticize an abortion provider in a difficult time).
This news reminded me of Timothy Snyder's "do not obey in advance" advice in On Tyranny: "Most of the power of authoritarianism is freely given. In times like these, individuals think ahead about what a more repressive government will want, and then offer themselves without being asked. A citizen who adapts in this way is teaching power what it can do."
Maybe there was real legal confusion in MT, and I know there are real risks, but I'd like to see more people respond to the new law with a "Make me!" attitude than just acquiescing. If nothing else, sorting out the confusion might throw some sand in the gears of theocracy.
This is really great, to have a place to come daily and feel seen and be up to date on what’s happening.
This move by Montana PP makes me so frustrated. Now is not the time to back down just like that.. Planned Parenthood should be leading the way on pushback, setting the example.
I read Michelle Goldberg’s The Means of Reproduction when it first came out, about the history of the politicization of abortion, and it was really a revelation. I think we all should not only know about abortion resources, but also understand what is going on besides the obvious misogyny and religious fanaticism.
I live in Kansas, where abortion is still legal, but close to the Missouri state line where there is an almost total ban.
Maybe somewhat like Montana, a Missouri hospital jumped in quickly and said they could no longer provide Plan b due to possible legal risk. They would, however, continue to provide plan b in their Kansas affiliate.
And like Montana, the announcement hit the news here and quickly escalated. But then maybe the good thing to come out of it was that a day later the hospital announced that they had been assured by the State of Missouri that Plan b was ok, at which point they reinstated availability.
Perhaps the hospital was just reacting out of fear. Or....perhaps it was a savvy move on their part to force the issue.
Regardless, it obviously does us no good to sit back and do nothing. So let's push the limits and see where the s**t falls out.
Thank you Jessica! All in Her Head is invaluable to me because I know I'll read (and hear :) about everything important that's going on (and always very well researched and with insightful analysis) without me having to seek all the information out myself, a process that I might have to agree with my therapist would end up being kind of falling into a hole or spinning my wheels, if that makes sense.
You've put my sense of what's going on into words today. No one wants to pile on providers, but SOMEBODY has to be brave and exercise courage right now, even somebody with privilege and deep pockets. I have to hope that what's happening is that everyone is kind of dazed by the first punch of the fight (though we shouldn't be; we all knew this was coming), and just need to regroup and refocus and get our legs back, or whatever the analogy should be, to fight going forward.
Because if not, if this is going to be the response going forward, then this is going to take much longer and result in many more women dying, and having their living lives stolen from them, than it would if we came out fiercely determined.
Wow, this is such a thoughtful idea. I really appreciate you recognizing how this issue is on our minds ever day and trying out a new format to accommodate. Looking forward to listening!
I appreciate that you’re afraid, betrayed, & furious. We all feel this way or I know I do. I don’t think it’s helpful to say I don’t want to bash on . . . because this language always precedes the action you definitely don’t want to do. Probably you should assume that every medical organization in the US isn’t making policy decisions without the benefit of legal counsel. All it takes is a single successful application for a temporary restraining order to make this planned parenthood unavailable to everyone not merely the people in adjacent states for medical abortions. For them to be unavailable even to everyone even for a month is terrible. I think a lot of planned parenthood’s are having to choose the lesser of evils. Under the circumstances they chose to continue serving the most people they can. I realize it is a pet peeve of mine that individuals often demand behavior of others that they don’t demand of themselves. If you vote against government programs like Medicaid then don’t accept the help of government programs. The reverse is also true if you want more from your government you have to be willing to pay higher taxes not just volunteer other people to pay. If you’re not willing to put your $ or neck on the line, then you don’t have values or morals you just have talking points. If you want to help send $, go to RN school, Nurse Practioner school, or medical school and start performing abortions, invent a robotic device that does not require a human to perform an abortion. In other words don’t volunteer other peoples’ necks for the chopping block before volunteering your own.
Because this is everywhere, bringing news of abortion fuckery abroad...
There was this piece yesterday in The Guardian re women in England and Wales investigated BY THE POLICE for obtaining *potentially* illegal abortions (incl miscarriages) based on a law dating back to (get ready for it) 1861.
no paywall at the guardian.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jul/02/women-accused-of-abortions-in-england-and-wales-after-miscarriages-and-stillbirths
It made me so angry sometimes that I had to take frequent breaks but it really reset my take on the politicization of abortion and I constantly recommend it.
This is going to get unbelievably worse than it already is. It's designed to be complicated so that people will be afraid to do anything. They're trying to scare people into silence and inaction.
Thank you for this, and all your work.
Yes.
The #1 lesson from "On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century" by Timothy Snyder is:
Do not obey in advance.
Most of the power of authoritarianism is freely given. In times like these, individuals think ahead about what a more repressive government will want, and then offer themselves without being asked. A citizen who adapts in this way is teaching power what it can do. (Pg 8, graphic edition, ten speed press, 2021.)
Re: PPMT following a law before it's even been enacted.... I am struck by the degree to which Republicans just flat-out ignore laws they don't agree with. How many Jan 6 subpoenas have been blown off? How many times did the Trump admin just blow right past established precedent and/or the actual rule of law to do basically whatever they felt like doing? Take the fifth, flip the bird at the Constitution, they couldn't care less.
I keep waiting for the Biden administration to wake the fuck up. Am I supposed to be reassured that *weeks* after the leaked Dobbs draft, the Biden admin is NOW convening a task force to figure out what to do? Like, did they think Sam Alito was going to change his mind? Here's an idea: how about coming out swinging with impeachment proceedings against Thomas for his blatant conflicts of interest? How about announcing abortion safe havens on federal land? How about free Plan B made available to every woman in the US?
I'm sorry pro-choice orgs, but news flash: see above.... no one is coming to save you at the federal level. When it comes to reproductive rights, Democrats in Congress can barely walk and sing the national anthem on the Capitol steps at the same time. And on the rare occasions when Biden can bring himself to say the word "abortion," he acts like it'll coat his tongue with shit or something.
I'm trying to wrap my head around my 2 daughters living in a country that would rather they die than have an abortion. That fetishizes their bodies and then punishes them for being female. It's way past time to "vote." The people we elected need to step up... NOW.
Love this idea! Thank you! I want to keep up on what is happening day to day on the topic of abortion but I also don’t want to spend an hour of my day doomscrolling on twitter. I would really like to know why ppmt is not providing abortion pills for patients out of state but will still do procedural abortions. I would think it would be the opposite because the pills are fda approved. Also they knew this day was coming for a long time and this is the best they can do-immediately abdicate. Very frustrating!
It’s also important to note that PPMT is currently in a lawsuit against the state of Montana about 3 bills passed in the last legislative session restricting abortions. As soon as Dobbs was issued the state attorney general argued the cases to be dismissed with those decisions pending so I think a lot of this is out of an abundance of caution and not being ready to fight a legal battle with other states at this time and waiting for the national PP to fight it.
Also important to note that the MT Supreme Court has found several times that abortion is legal in the state of Montana and is enshrined in the states constitution under its privacy provisions. But here is a breakdown of those three laws being challenged:
HB 136 is titled, “The Montana pain-capable unborn child protection act; prohibiting the abortion of an unborn child capable of feeling pain;…” basically outlawing abortion at 8 weeks of pregnancy because “…an unborn child reacts to stimuli that would be recognized as painful if applied to an adult human…”
HB171 essentially provides requirements for abortion providers in prescribing “abortion-inducing drugs” to pregnant women after 70 days gestation. But, more importantly, this law would outlaw the distribution of medication abortions availability on college campuses and could not be prescribed by a the physicians at the campus health centers.
HB140 is the republican favorite, where you must have a pregnant woman view an ultrasound and listen to the heartbeat.
So I do understand where PPMT is coming from as far as wanting to protect themselves legally but it doesn’t make it right. I was born and raised in Montana and moved to North Dakota and the sole abortion provider in North Dakota is moving to Minnesota and has explicitly said that they will continue to provide abortions to people from ND, so I wish PPMT would have the courage to continue to challenge these restrictive bans in other state of residents traveling to others states for abortions, because I think there is an interesting legal argument to made there, but I can understand the hesitancy with the shitty attorney general the state has right now.
Jessica, I share your frustration (and hesitancy to criticize an abortion provider in a difficult time).
This news reminded me of Timothy Snyder's "do not obey in advance" advice in On Tyranny: "Most of the power of authoritarianism is freely given. In times like these, individuals think ahead about what a more repressive government will want, and then offer themselves without being asked. A citizen who adapts in this way is teaching power what it can do."
Maybe there was real legal confusion in MT, and I know there are real risks, but I'd like to see more people respond to the new law with a "Make me!" attitude than just acquiescing. If nothing else, sorting out the confusion might throw some sand in the gears of theocracy.
This is really great, to have a place to come daily and feel seen and be up to date on what’s happening.
This move by Montana PP makes me so frustrated. Now is not the time to back down just like that.. Planned Parenthood should be leading the way on pushback, setting the example.
I read Michelle Goldberg’s The Means of Reproduction when it first came out, about the history of the politicization of abortion, and it was really a revelation. I think we all should not only know about abortion resources, but also understand what is going on besides the obvious misogyny and religious fanaticism.
thank you. this is wonderful.
I live in Kansas, where abortion is still legal, but close to the Missouri state line where there is an almost total ban.
Maybe somewhat like Montana, a Missouri hospital jumped in quickly and said they could no longer provide Plan b due to possible legal risk. They would, however, continue to provide plan b in their Kansas affiliate.
And like Montana, the announcement hit the news here and quickly escalated. But then maybe the good thing to come out of it was that a day later the hospital announced that they had been assured by the State of Missouri that Plan b was ok, at which point they reinstated availability.
Perhaps the hospital was just reacting out of fear. Or....perhaps it was a savvy move on their part to force the issue.
Regardless, it obviously does us no good to sit back and do nothing. So let's push the limits and see where the s**t falls out.
Thank you Jessica! All in Her Head is invaluable to me because I know I'll read (and hear :) about everything important that's going on (and always very well researched and with insightful analysis) without me having to seek all the information out myself, a process that I might have to agree with my therapist would end up being kind of falling into a hole or spinning my wheels, if that makes sense.
You've put my sense of what's going on into words today. No one wants to pile on providers, but SOMEBODY has to be brave and exercise courage right now, even somebody with privilege and deep pockets. I have to hope that what's happening is that everyone is kind of dazed by the first punch of the fight (though we shouldn't be; we all knew this was coming), and just need to regroup and refocus and get our legs back, or whatever the analogy should be, to fight going forward.
Because if not, if this is going to be the response going forward, then this is going to take much longer and result in many more women dying, and having their living lives stolen from them, than it would if we came out fiercely determined.
Wow, this is such a thoughtful idea. I really appreciate you recognizing how this issue is on our minds ever day and trying out a new format to accommodate. Looking forward to listening!