What makes it difficult is that there are a lot of people in the 'middle' of the electorate, who would probably agree with us on reproductive rights and health care, but who are not enlightened enough that they can take in a true statement like the one you made, without causing them to question our credibility. I don't want to throw anybody under the bus, but I'm terrified of losing the middle to the Republicans because they don't understand inclusivity and the way we talk about issues. Frankly I'm just terrified in general, with what's happening in this country, and of what comes next if November goes wrong. I don't want to leave people out in an effort to persuade more people to our side, but I'm very worried about how to achieve the greater good. I think we can and should talk about bodily autonomy across multiple contexts, and the threats to people's lives, but I also think different people respond to different language and it's important to recognize that when trying to persuade. This might/probably all sound weaselly, but if people don't listen to us, because of whatever limits in their understanding, we're all in big big trouble. I hope that's understandable, as we all try to choose our words carefully.
I understand your fears and concerns, but I'm not so sure that being trans-inclusive would be an electoral loser; au contraire, I think that it shows that candidates are being inclusive and small-d democratic such that in opposition to a Republican party that would prefer to rule over people than to govern, they would take all pregnant people into consideration, not just cisgender women.
“Women and girls” is inclusive! I do not say biological women. Anyone who claims womanhood is a woman to me, likewise with manhood. Saying “pregnancy capable people” pulls the focus to transgenderism when the focus needs to be pulled toward kids being mutilated by adult lawmakers for whom they cannot vote, and against whom they have no defense.
No, I definitely agree with that. It's just that I find that a lot of people can't wrap their heads around the concept of men being pregnant. We'll get there, because Gen Z understands it, but we're all worried about what happens in the years before. I think that reproductive rights and health care have such a broad appeal that the potential audience includes many people who aren't open minded enough to consider the possibilities of other gender identities being pregnant, and I just don't want anybody who's persuadable on repro rights to not listen because we say something about pregnant men that they can't come to accept, to not hear the message because they're skeptical of the messenger. This would be worth testing experimentally, to see how different messages resonate, and with different groups. I suspect this would be true on other issues as well, such as anything related to race, or even environmental issues, that if the language gets too far out of the box for your targeted audience, they're more resistant to the message.
At the same time there is definitely a more enlightened liberal / progressive audience that wants to hear that this crisis affects other gender identities too than just cis women. I'm just concerned about being able to speak to everyone, and that may sometimes have a least common denominator aspect. I'd also be curious to hear others' experiences in trying to spread the message about the assault on people with the ability to become pregnant, and trying to thread that needle in a country with so many cultural divisions.
Democrats definitely still need to talk about trans issues, because the fact is the other side literally wants trans people dead, and I think that's something that a majority of Americans can clearly abhor even if they otherwise have difficulty understanding trans issues.
For me, the phrase is “women and girls”. This is not to exclude anyone. I support people who are living their truths out loud. That said, the fact that abortion bans are STATE CHILD ABUSE is completely under communicated. When you tell a 12 year old that she has already become “a mother”, maybe give her first ever sex education talk and then tack on some lovely descriptions of the C-Section she will need to avoid bleeding to death, it’s torture.
The government is abusing GIRLS and some will die or become disabled as a result. Most will have their babies taken from them because they are incapable of parenting, adding another hideous scar inside to match the external ones.
What about the doctors who cannot help these girls with anything but an epidural and a scalpel? They want desperately to help with an abortion but are mandated by the government to become the face of the torture to these kids instead. No wonder so many leave their profession or move to safer states!
There would be a tidal wave of support for the Democrats except for the fact that Joe Biden has actively supported and applauded the genocide of the Palestinian people. The three youngest Generations that are able to vote here will not vote for him. They will burn it all down. It would have been so simple and all he had to do was to call for a ceasefire and he not only did nothing but actually encouraged the slaughter of innocent civilians. Screw Biden
Like Trump would be better?? There’s a choice of 2. Jared Kushner is already proposing using GAZA BEACH FRONT property for a resort. Seriously! Do you remember the Kurds who helped our forces fight ISIS? Under Trump we abandoned them to the Russians. Trump literally told them to take safety with the Russians. It was also Trump who released ALL the Taliban prisoners without the ok from the then Legitimate Afghan government. The Trump’s guy, Steve Miller slow-walked(didn’t process) the visas of the Afghans who helped us. One Presidential candidate cares about human beings while the other one cares about himself and his power. People only matter to him as long as they can promote him. Once they are no longer useful - look at the Kurds.
The Genocide of the Palestinians has been encouraged by Biden with the transfer of our tax money, billions and billions of it directly to nut-and-yahoo with no strings attached. Go ahead and lie to yourself about this but these kids will NOT vote for him. Not after this blatant display of zionism over childrens lives. Do you know why they dont count the lives lost under the rubble in the death statistics? Because some of them are still alive, buried alive and they don't have anyway to dig them out. They can hear them calling for help.
Biden has certainly made mistakes and been disappointing during this crisis, but to say that he encouraged slaughter and applauded genocide is simply not true. His administration has been attempting to rein Netanyahu in and get humanitarian aid into Gaza. And the alternative is a man who would reinstate a Muslim ban with a supreme court that would now back him up. I have no doubt pro-Palestinian protesters would be deported and imprisoned in a Trump admin. Trump actually encouraged Netanyahu to punish the entire extended families of suicide bombers when he was in office. He delights in violence, and actually will encourage slaughter and genocide. He tried to call in the military to shoot peaceful BLM protesters. His administration took children from their families and put them in internment camps. He and Stephen Miller are bragging about the huge internment camps they plan to build if they get back into power. Do you think they're only meant for immigrants this time? The unfortunate fact is that we have a binary choice and to pretend otherwise is magical thinking. Sometimes you have to choose who you would prefer to negotiate with. Trump will make things exponentially worse for Palestinians and well as for Americans. We can pressure a Biden administration to do better. There is no equivalence here.
I'm just stating facts. Biden could have stopped the genocide at any moment in time. All he had to do was call for a ceasefire and not only did he not call for AC's fire, he stated that it's never going to happen. Like this was some goddamn joke burying these children under the rubble. He transferred so much of our tax money he'll do $39 billion dollars at a pop like it's nothing and send it over there to these effing Zionist so they can drop bombs on unarmed people. So go ahead and try to justify his lack of action because it doesn't fly.
Unfortunately in 2024 'Screw Biden' = 'Screw America and the rest of the world too'. It's impossible to overstate how bad things will be if Republicans win this election. The younger generations will suffer the most under the authoritarian regime. I'm completely open to the Democrats replacing Biden at the convention but I think that's unlikely. Elections are almost always about voting for the lesser of two evils, and when people are unwilling to do that, they tend to get the worse of the two evils, because there are those on the other side highly motivated and foaming at the mouth. You don't want to see what they'll do if they get full power.
I understand that Republicans holding office in this country typically don't go well for women and minorities however once again it would have been a slam dunk and all he had to do was call for a ceasefire. He did nothing of the kind. He only recently started speaking up about humanitarian Aid after Michigan's vote when tens of thousands voted uncommitted. That was the very first thing that finally got his attention where he realized that he could lose this election. That's the only reason that he has spoken up recently. But it's too little too late.
This is a pro-choice, pro-freedom, country. We WILL get our rights back. Dobbs will be the rocks on which we eventually BREAK the Republican party. I am enraged and heartbroken, though, how many women and girls will needlessly suffer in the meanwhile.
I’m a volunteer as an escort for an abortion clinic in Charlotte, NC and we will be slammed when this goes into effect. Interested to see how much busier we will be.
Why do women have to present evidence of rape? How can someone’s word about their own body without looking to criminalize someone else not matter one iota?
To put a massive block in their way, if they can get the cops to take them seriously, and be one whose rape-kit is actually processed, there is still a hard way to go, and the judges here never allow a minor to get an abortion here, they always say they aren't mature enough.
Exactly this. And it won't just be pregnant women and girls, but anyone with the potential to become pregnant. Because how else can they be sure of control.
And since pregnancy is counted back two weeks before the missed period, I worry that all who menstruate will be considered legally pregnant for their childbearing years. That’s why all the fetal personhood stuff is so scary.
There's no limit to how far they'll go if they're allowed to. The American people have to put a stop to this, but to do so it has to be the priority, and I don't know how bad it has to get before that happens.
Well, the one bit of hope in the bottom of the jar is that running a police state (especially incarceration) is expensive, and we're up against hordes of cheap [expletive deleteds] who operate their states as tax havens. Unlike the federal government, states can't just print money, although some of their accounting is pretty fancy.
> DeSantis claimed it wouldn’t apply because a woman is “not a medical practitioner.”
That's news to my sister, an emergency doctor in Miami, Florida.
Also, Just so you know, Trans Men and AFAB Non-Binary people can get pregnant. I know you're trying, Jessica, but there's room for improvement.
What makes it difficult is that there are a lot of people in the 'middle' of the electorate, who would probably agree with us on reproductive rights and health care, but who are not enlightened enough that they can take in a true statement like the one you made, without causing them to question our credibility. I don't want to throw anybody under the bus, but I'm terrified of losing the middle to the Republicans because they don't understand inclusivity and the way we talk about issues. Frankly I'm just terrified in general, with what's happening in this country, and of what comes next if November goes wrong. I don't want to leave people out in an effort to persuade more people to our side, but I'm very worried about how to achieve the greater good. I think we can and should talk about bodily autonomy across multiple contexts, and the threats to people's lives, but I also think different people respond to different language and it's important to recognize that when trying to persuade. This might/probably all sound weaselly, but if people don't listen to us, because of whatever limits in their understanding, we're all in big big trouble. I hope that's understandable, as we all try to choose our words carefully.
I understand your fears and concerns, but I'm not so sure that being trans-inclusive would be an electoral loser; au contraire, I think that it shows that candidates are being inclusive and small-d democratic such that in opposition to a Republican party that would prefer to rule over people than to govern, they would take all pregnant people into consideration, not just cisgender women.
Also, being anti-trans is an electoral loser, as proven by the last two election cycles: https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/moms-for-liberty-and-anti-trans-republicans
“Women and girls” is inclusive! I do not say biological women. Anyone who claims womanhood is a woman to me, likewise with manhood. Saying “pregnancy capable people” pulls the focus to transgenderism when the focus needs to be pulled toward kids being mutilated by adult lawmakers for whom they cannot vote, and against whom they have no defense.
No, I definitely agree with that. It's just that I find that a lot of people can't wrap their heads around the concept of men being pregnant. We'll get there, because Gen Z understands it, but we're all worried about what happens in the years before. I think that reproductive rights and health care have such a broad appeal that the potential audience includes many people who aren't open minded enough to consider the possibilities of other gender identities being pregnant, and I just don't want anybody who's persuadable on repro rights to not listen because we say something about pregnant men that they can't come to accept, to not hear the message because they're skeptical of the messenger. This would be worth testing experimentally, to see how different messages resonate, and with different groups. I suspect this would be true on other issues as well, such as anything related to race, or even environmental issues, that if the language gets too far out of the box for your targeted audience, they're more resistant to the message.
At the same time there is definitely a more enlightened liberal / progressive audience that wants to hear that this crisis affects other gender identities too than just cis women. I'm just concerned about being able to speak to everyone, and that may sometimes have a least common denominator aspect. I'd also be curious to hear others' experiences in trying to spread the message about the assault on people with the ability to become pregnant, and trying to thread that needle in a country with so many cultural divisions.
Democrats definitely still need to talk about trans issues, because the fact is the other side literally wants trans people dead, and I think that's something that a majority of Americans can clearly abhor even if they otherwise have difficulty understanding trans issues.
For me, the phrase is “women and girls”. This is not to exclude anyone. I support people who are living their truths out loud. That said, the fact that abortion bans are STATE CHILD ABUSE is completely under communicated. When you tell a 12 year old that she has already become “a mother”, maybe give her first ever sex education talk and then tack on some lovely descriptions of the C-Section she will need to avoid bleeding to death, it’s torture.
The government is abusing GIRLS and some will die or become disabled as a result. Most will have their babies taken from them because they are incapable of parenting, adding another hideous scar inside to match the external ones.
What about the doctors who cannot help these girls with anything but an epidural and a scalpel? They want desperately to help with an abortion but are mandated by the government to become the face of the torture to these kids instead. No wonder so many leave their profession or move to safer states!
There would be a tidal wave of support for the Democrats except for the fact that Joe Biden has actively supported and applauded the genocide of the Palestinian people. The three youngest Generations that are able to vote here will not vote for him. They will burn it all down. It would have been so simple and all he had to do was to call for a ceasefire and he not only did nothing but actually encouraged the slaughter of innocent civilians. Screw Biden
Like Trump would be better?? There’s a choice of 2. Jared Kushner is already proposing using GAZA BEACH FRONT property for a resort. Seriously! Do you remember the Kurds who helped our forces fight ISIS? Under Trump we abandoned them to the Russians. Trump literally told them to take safety with the Russians. It was also Trump who released ALL the Taliban prisoners without the ok from the then Legitimate Afghan government. The Trump’s guy, Steve Miller slow-walked(didn’t process) the visas of the Afghans who helped us. One Presidential candidate cares about human beings while the other one cares about himself and his power. People only matter to him as long as they can promote him. Once they are no longer useful - look at the Kurds.
The Genocide of the Palestinians has been encouraged by Biden with the transfer of our tax money, billions and billions of it directly to nut-and-yahoo with no strings attached. Go ahead and lie to yourself about this but these kids will NOT vote for him. Not after this blatant display of zionism over childrens lives. Do you know why they dont count the lives lost under the rubble in the death statistics? Because some of them are still alive, buried alive and they don't have anyway to dig them out. They can hear them calling for help.
Thanx Biden.
Biden has certainly made mistakes and been disappointing during this crisis, but to say that he encouraged slaughter and applauded genocide is simply not true. His administration has been attempting to rein Netanyahu in and get humanitarian aid into Gaza. And the alternative is a man who would reinstate a Muslim ban with a supreme court that would now back him up. I have no doubt pro-Palestinian protesters would be deported and imprisoned in a Trump admin. Trump actually encouraged Netanyahu to punish the entire extended families of suicide bombers when he was in office. He delights in violence, and actually will encourage slaughter and genocide. He tried to call in the military to shoot peaceful BLM protesters. His administration took children from their families and put them in internment camps. He and Stephen Miller are bragging about the huge internment camps they plan to build if they get back into power. Do you think they're only meant for immigrants this time? The unfortunate fact is that we have a binary choice and to pretend otherwise is magical thinking. Sometimes you have to choose who you would prefer to negotiate with. Trump will make things exponentially worse for Palestinians and well as for Americans. We can pressure a Biden administration to do better. There is no equivalence here.
I'm just stating facts. Biden could have stopped the genocide at any moment in time. All he had to do was call for a ceasefire and not only did he not call for AC's fire, he stated that it's never going to happen. Like this was some goddamn joke burying these children under the rubble. He transferred so much of our tax money he'll do $39 billion dollars at a pop like it's nothing and send it over there to these effing Zionist so they can drop bombs on unarmed people. So go ahead and try to justify his lack of action because it doesn't fly.
Unfortunately in 2024 'Screw Biden' = 'Screw America and the rest of the world too'. It's impossible to overstate how bad things will be if Republicans win this election. The younger generations will suffer the most under the authoritarian regime. I'm completely open to the Democrats replacing Biden at the convention but I think that's unlikely. Elections are almost always about voting for the lesser of two evils, and when people are unwilling to do that, they tend to get the worse of the two evils, because there are those on the other side highly motivated and foaming at the mouth. You don't want to see what they'll do if they get full power.
I understand that Republicans holding office in this country typically don't go well for women and minorities however once again it would have been a slam dunk and all he had to do was call for a ceasefire. He did nothing of the kind. He only recently started speaking up about humanitarian Aid after Michigan's vote when tens of thousands voted uncommitted. That was the very first thing that finally got his attention where he realized that he could lose this election. That's the only reason that he has spoken up recently. But it's too little too late.
This is a pro-choice, pro-freedom, country. We WILL get our rights back. Dobbs will be the rocks on which we eventually BREAK the Republican party. I am enraged and heartbroken, though, how many women and girls will needlessly suffer in the meanwhile.
I’m glad you have the words for this, I don’t.
I’m a volunteer as an escort for an abortion clinic in Charlotte, NC and we will be slammed when this goes into effect. Interested to see how much busier we will be.
If only the Republicans could make felons out of all young women. Perfect way to eliminate their pesky voting abiity!
Why do women have to present evidence of rape? How can someone’s word about their own body without looking to criminalize someone else not matter one iota?
To put a massive block in their way, if they can get the cops to take them seriously, and be one whose rape-kit is actually processed, there is still a hard way to go, and the judges here never allow a minor to get an abortion here, they always say they aren't mature enough.
So the South owned slaves. Now they're doing it again, just with pregnant women and girls now.
Exactly this. And it won't just be pregnant women and girls, but anyone with the potential to become pregnant. Because how else can they be sure of control.
And since pregnancy is counted back two weeks before the missed period, I worry that all who menstruate will be considered legally pregnant for their childbearing years. That’s why all the fetal personhood stuff is so scary.
I am concerned about this, too. Anyone who *can* be pregnant will be surveilled and controlled, regardless of whether they *are* pregnant.
That’s the way it worked “pre-Roe”. Women and girls were restricted on medications and medical treatment because they “might get pregnant”.
There's no limit to how far they'll go if they're allowed to. The American people have to put a stop to this, but to do so it has to be the priority, and I don't know how bad it has to get before that happens.
Well, the one bit of hope in the bottom of the jar is that running a police state (especially incarceration) is expensive, and we're up against hordes of cheap [expletive deleteds] who operate their states as tax havens. Unlike the federal government, states can't just print money, although some of their accounting is pretty fancy.
True, and the for profit side is very profitable.
Yeah but there are plenty of volunteer MAGAts who would love to be little nazi helpers :(
Exactly.