75 Comments

The situation today shows how we can never take our reproductive freedom for granted. I am glad for the judge's ruling but am only cautiously optimistic. I pray that the oppression of women's rights will cease before I die!

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I picked up both my copies of your book from my local bookstore (one to keep, one to give away) and will be bringing them on Monday to be signed. I'll be wearing my green bandana.

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As a mom and grandmother in Georgia, I am beyond thrilled!

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This is a strong ruling, but never underestimate the determination of those who measure their power by their ability to oppress others.

And in the name of saving babies-yet fail to extend healthcare and services for vulnerable children and youth.

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got email today that your book is on its way!!! thank you for all you do.

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Not to be a stinker, but GA's GOP-heavy SCOTUS will give Judge McBurney's sane opinion the heave-ho.

Southern women cannot depend on Southern institutions to govern us fairly. Uncle Sam - send help soon because Georgia mothers are dying!!!!

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That;'s pretty much what Chris Geidner said about it in his Law Dork substack.

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Are any of them up for election this year?

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What a breath of fresh air this is! And from a white male judge! Hopefully the tide is turning.

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And...my book shipped today!

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YEAH!!!! Epic is the word for this ruling. He goes to the "viability" standard-where a fetus can survive outside the womb-better than an arbitrary establishment of weeks of gestation by far. Love the Handmaids Tale reference, the reference to involuntary servitude especially. I am going to love reading this in its entirety.

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This is a fatal flaw and should dampen any enthusiasm for it. Viability is a political term and is the exclusive threat to women who need abortions in the late terms. Viability is where the real struggle needs to focus. Gestational personhood before fetal development is more easily seen as superstitious fantasy and this ruling easily skated on that.

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The judge also recognized that the 6-week ban really only applied to poorer women who could not afford to leave the state for care, and poorer women in Georgia are primarily black and brown women (he said that, not me). He said wealthier women could afford to leave the state for care and in Georgia that means white women (he said that, not me). He also recognized that this echoes the history of slavery (I’ve long maintained that forced pregnancy is slavery, if we define slavery as the use of one person’s body for another person’s purposes, and that Roe should have been decided on the basis of the 13th amendment, which outlaws slavery). On the down side, he agreed to enforce the provision that victims of rape or incest be required to report to law enforcement in order to qualify for the rape and incest exception, so as woke as he demonstrated himself to be, he still has a ways to go.

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Indeed...if women are required to jump through the rape and incest exceptions, the likelihood of that happening is another barrier that shouldn't be there. If we're talking slavery here, I see no exception in rape or incest...if one asked a victim if they felt as if they were owned or dominated, whether it was for a few moments or years, I really doubt that answer would be no. "Involuntary servitude". If something happens that is against the will of the victim, that sounds like involuntary and servitude to me.

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Efff YEAH!!!

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I love this Judge! This is how repro activists talk amongst themselves. To hear it, from a Georgia Judge is awesome.

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Love how he explained this.

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This is the best news we've had in a long time. Very thankful for his ruling, although it shouldn't have been necessary in the first place.

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Yay for Georgia! What a win! Wish we had a judge that righteous in Texas👊🏼

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founding

Did you see that Heather Cox Richardson mentioned you in her post yesterday? She mentioned you calling out republicans for trying to change the narrative on abortion bans killing women.

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They need to be called out. How disgusting and ingenuous.

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