58 Comments

I'm confused. Is the thinking that because they used the language of the law rather than citing the statute, that the case would not be impacted an injunction? What am I missing because I know it's something.

Expand full comment

I had to wait a day to read this. I was afraid that there was no one involved but police tracking pregnant women which is certainly what Idaho wants to do. This sounds like parents losing control of a nearly adult child to less than honorable people and then weaponized law enforcement. Teenagers are often vulnerable and lack life skills to get out of these situations. I am sure there is more to this story but it is disturbing that they used cell phone data to track her to the abortion clinic area. This could happen to any of us. Our phones are an electronic diary. How very sad and scary all around. We are rapidly losing our rights to extremists. I live in North Carolina and watch the horror unfolding every day.

Expand full comment

How horrible and sad. Also amazing (in a sick way) how police can somehow coordinate an orchestrated effort to gather evidence to criminalize people in a desperate situation, yet demonstrate so much incompetence (or even feigned incompetence) when it serves the states interest to subjugate the vulnerable.

Expand full comment

IKR? Idaho. Stalkers and serial killers running amok but gotta git them little teenage girls, don't cha, you big Idaho knuckle draggers! Looking at you Kohberger.

Expand full comment

Exactly. Unfortunate that idahos law and structure is so “libertarian” and totally regressive.

Expand full comment

This story…everything about it breaks my heart. It’s also Handmaid’s Tale level of scary.

I also just read about the (Republican) Secretary of State in Ohio purging over 20K voters from the rolls. As a former Ohioan I’m so angry I can barely see straight. They are the most foul cheaters…

Expand full comment

It's a sad story but the important thing may be that prosecutors found a case where they can apply the text about abortion kidnapping and the public may accept it.

Expand full comment

THIS. That's exactly the point - they didn't choose this case willy nilly

Expand full comment

Oh, dear God. I live in Idaho. The worst is coming true. How long until women of childbearing age have to show proof they're not pregnant before they cross the state line? If that sounds outlandish, I'd bet the rent that some of our state legislators are considering something like that.

Expand full comment

Your first seven words said it all. At least Idaho is relatively small, if we had to have a test kitchen for all of this evil. Texas on the other hand aspires to be the leader of the nation. Either way evil is evil wherever the misogynists are at work.

Expand full comment

I've been talking about this shit for years. I share Abortion Everyday on social media. No one I know seems to care??? I feel like I'm screaming into the void.

Expand full comment

I hear you! I have been telling people about the nutty theocrats plans, since the 80's, when I did escort duty at the local women's health Clinic. Everyone blithely assured me it would never happen.

Expand full comment

We're just being typical hysterical women, even to OTHER WOMEN. 🙃

Expand full comment

Yes, some will listen, seem to get it, and have to be reprogrammed to reality, next time you talk to them, my older sister is one such.

Expand full comment

Well at least we can scream together!

Expand full comment

HUZZAH! 😂😭😭😭😭

Expand full comment

You're not alone here in voicing that sentiment, and that is something that concerns me, that what if the vast majority barely knows or cares about any of this. It amazes me how well abortion rights poll DESPITE that ignorance, and I think, imagine if everyone knew what we know here. Which of course is why you share it, which brings us back around to the beginning again. It is very frustrating.

Expand full comment

It seems like so many people I know are content to scream at others about the war in Gaza or gush over Taylor Swift releasing the same album but shit like this folks are like 🤷, whaddya do? It's baffling to me that they'll share the "bigger" stories and be like OMG HANDMAID'S TALE and like....ARE YOU LISTENING EVEN A LITTLE??? YOU LITERALLY DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO YOUR BODY IN 21 STATES.

Expand full comment

Yeah, that sounds about right - Christian fascists taking over my country? 🤷 Whaddya do? 🤦 It's like, at least be deeply deeply disturbed by it. I get that you might think you can't do anything about it. But you can't do anything about Gaza either. At least this is in your own backyard. I guess it just doesn't 'trend''. Idk if that's the taboo about bodies and reproductive systems or what, which is a big big part of the problem, but the silence is deadly.

Expand full comment

And so much of what they do cover, is actually disinformation, like the six-week "heartbeat" bullshit!

Expand full comment

What a cluster. And honestly this stuff could happen in certain branches of my family! Looks like this girl was in a bad situation any way you look at it. I’m fine if you want to charge them with providing meth to the girl but this kidnapping stuff is going to be one slippery slope.

Expand full comment

Exactly, it's clear she was being failed by adults and mistreated left and right - and that they're using this to make a political case. It's awful.

Expand full comment

The worst part is you know they will intimidate her, and offer a deal if she rats out her boyfriend, so they can make their test case, like she hasn't been abused enough!

Expand full comment

This is precisely, and sadly, the sort of hypocritical and messy situation where, as others have said, nobody wins except those who want to push this as "trafficking." It certainly leaves a bad taste, and smell. Thanks for relating this because it really puts the lie to the idea that these laws are protecting anyone's rights to have and keep a child that was actually wanted.

Expand full comment

Exactly - it's a terrible story top to bottom

Expand full comment

We have officially entered the "dystopian hellscape" era of American history.

Expand full comment

Unfortunately, the world history is trending that way as a whole

Expand full comment

Because of authoritarians and theocrats everywhere, sadly.

Expand full comment

Horrifyingly, yes.

Expand full comment

This is such a sad story — and prosecution isn’t going to help any of them.

Expand full comment

Just another example of what you keep saying -- they criminalize abortion in a variety of ways. And wow, this story was sad.

Expand full comment

I think that's one of the worst parts about criminalizing abortion, aside from the monumental human rights violation that these bans are: often these stories are complicated and sad, often with few truly good options. It's another reason pregnancy and reproduction are too nuanced to properly legislate.

Expand full comment

Really, really sad

Expand full comment

I heard it here first.

Expand full comment

"likely to go after people who won't garner much sympathy from the public" - exactly. In a way that seems like a good thing, if it means they know they can't actually enforce these laws any way they want. Except that it's designed to be a slippery slope, testing boundaries in different communities across the country. We can't let it go unchallenged but we also have to be careful which cases we highlight to promote our cause, because it's not just about right or wrong, but whether we can be persuasive and get and keep people listening to us. In this case I think the message should be the clear demonstration of the need for abortion care here. Focus on asking why KB should be made to be a mother, rather than on the other two.

Expand full comment

Yes, the last thing the poor kid needed is to birth a drug addicted meth baby.

Expand full comment

And this is only the first of how many 😪😪😪

Expand full comment

Horrified by this blatant misogynistic hateful activity.

Expand full comment