I’d like to think there is an “understanding gap” about abortion restrictions. It cannot be that any person REALLY wants to let harm come to any pregnant woman. But so far “pro-lifers” have shown no remorse for the mess they have made and we know they know, because we have told them about the harm being done to women and they are not fixing it. Instead, they tell us the bans are “working as intended” and they aren’t done.
It could be their mother, wife, sister, cousin, co-worker, neighbor, or even a stranger who has pregnancy complications and needs medical intervention, an abortion, to end it safely. Pro-lifers don’t care about women. Apparently, the woman’s life doesn’t even matter to them when the fetus cannot survive.
So, it appears self-described “pro-lifers” must understand what they are doing — they are willing to let women suffer, risk permanent impairment and death. (To add insult to injury, “pro-lifers” tell us they sleep better when abortion is banned and yearn for a national ban.)
When a woman says she is “pro-life” I am completely at a loss to understand her reasoning. No one will force her to have an abortion. Why should she force birth on other women? If a pro-life woman doesn’t want an abortion, ever, not even when her fetus cannot survive and her own life is at risk — it’s her decision (though I hope someone would intervene and save her life). It seems the pro-life policy is to let the women die or at least suffer a long time before receiving medical care. I don’t get the cruelty. Why are bullies in charge of the fate of pregnant women?
It cannot stand that strangers who have never met a pregnant woman and ignore medical experts can pass laws that condemn her to death by denying her prompt medical care.
Please vet your elected officials. Vote out the extremists who disrespect women and replace them with candidates who support women’s reproductive rights. Vote as if women’s lives depend on your vote, because they do.
I understand the peaceful protest against all the innocent lives being lost in gaza ( for the students who know what they are protesting) but I keep wondering where is the same outrage against the Republican men who are taking our rights away from us. The ones who will be suffering are the ones that are the age of the protesters! I won't stop fighting, I feel I've been doing it most of my adult life after I moved to the " Bible belt" anyway!
After hearing the horror stories pregnant people are experiencing and being told by self-described “pro-life” supporters that the abortion restrictions and outright bans are working as intended, one thing is clear: what “pro-life” really means is:
Let the women die.
Sound harsh? If it weren’t true, the so-called pro-life would want to fix the mess they created. They do not. For example, as I write this the AZ Republicans have now TWICE blocked repealing the draconian 1864 law banning abortion. They. Don’t. Care. About. Women.
There is a lot of talk about an abortion ban after X weeks — be it 6 weeks (before most women know they are pregnant), 15 weeks (seems like a random number), or 24 weeks (roughly viability). But having a ban at X weeks, no matter which cutoff is chosen, prevents women from easily receiving an abortion when they may need it most. Pregnancy complications may happen at any time during pregnancy. Women must be able to receive standard
medical care based on accurate medical information. Qualified doctors should never be under threat (of prosecution and loss of license) for providing pregnant women with standard medical care.
Some fetal development (such as the brain) doesn’t happen until the third trimester and some medical diagnostic tests cannot be performed until the third trimester. Women are trusted to raise children. Women must be trusted to decide when, and if, they will have children. Women must be in charge of making their own reproductive healthcare decisions. For me this means banning abortion after X weeks doesn’t work. What will work? Abortion on demand and without apology.
I started a substack just to reach out to women in Virginia about what is going on. I read all your posts and listen to Feminist Buzzkills and Boom! Lawyered and more and I like feeling connected to women I don't even know. We are in the majority, we just have to keep going so we can make sure the majority gets out and votes and votes for the candidate that actually thinks like they do.
So when will women and men who know how to perform abortions, start teaching some laypersons to perform them? We have to take matters into our own hands, clearly, and that's a way to do it. Create a network of people who can perform abortions and a network of contacts. They can't arrest us all and even if they can, good. We'll teach each other in prison.
It’s interesting to see the intersection of how the powerful assign freedoms over time. Compare 1864 slave states to todays states that severely restrict access to abortion.
I am mad every day - easy to do in the heartless state of Texas. I am an old lady - saw all this shit long ago. I can't believe they think it's ok to inflict fear in all women. I also have a young friend who is happily pregnant but still a long way to go. Knot in my stomach. I hope all goes well to the birth.
I'd be ashamed to give in to despair -- but that creeping normalization of banal cruelty, that "it's just the way things are" attitude that you call out, Jessica: it scares me deeply. It's the same mentality that blithely accepts our children being gunned down in schools with no better response than thoughts and prayers. I'll never understand the callousness.
Thanks for all you do, Jessica. Know there are doctors every bit as angry and dismayed at the way the courts and legislators have moved into a medical field they know nothing about.
I’d like to think there is an “understanding gap” about abortion restrictions. It cannot be that any person REALLY wants to let harm come to any pregnant woman. But so far “pro-lifers” have shown no remorse for the mess they have made and we know they know, because we have told them about the harm being done to women and they are not fixing it. Instead, they tell us the bans are “working as intended” and they aren’t done.
It could be their mother, wife, sister, cousin, co-worker, neighbor, or even a stranger who has pregnancy complications and needs medical intervention, an abortion, to end it safely. Pro-lifers don’t care about women. Apparently, the woman’s life doesn’t even matter to them when the fetus cannot survive.
So, it appears self-described “pro-lifers” must understand what they are doing — they are willing to let women suffer, risk permanent impairment and death. (To add insult to injury, “pro-lifers” tell us they sleep better when abortion is banned and yearn for a national ban.)
When a woman says she is “pro-life” I am completely at a loss to understand her reasoning. No one will force her to have an abortion. Why should she force birth on other women? If a pro-life woman doesn’t want an abortion, ever, not even when her fetus cannot survive and her own life is at risk — it’s her decision (though I hope someone would intervene and save her life). It seems the pro-life policy is to let the women die or at least suffer a long time before receiving medical care. I don’t get the cruelty. Why are bullies in charge of the fate of pregnant women?
It cannot stand that strangers who have never met a pregnant woman and ignore medical experts can pass laws that condemn her to death by denying her prompt medical care.
Please vet your elected officials. Vote out the extremists who disrespect women and replace them with candidates who support women’s reproductive rights. Vote as if women’s lives depend on your vote, because they do.
I understand the peaceful protest against all the innocent lives being lost in gaza ( for the students who know what they are protesting) but I keep wondering where is the same outrage against the Republican men who are taking our rights away from us. The ones who will be suffering are the ones that are the age of the protesters! I won't stop fighting, I feel I've been doing it most of my adult life after I moved to the " Bible belt" anyway!
After hearing the horror stories pregnant people are experiencing and being told by self-described “pro-life” supporters that the abortion restrictions and outright bans are working as intended, one thing is clear: what “pro-life” really means is:
Let the women die.
Sound harsh? If it weren’t true, the so-called pro-life would want to fix the mess they created. They do not. For example, as I write this the AZ Republicans have now TWICE blocked repealing the draconian 1864 law banning abortion. They. Don’t. Care. About. Women.
There is a lot of talk about an abortion ban after X weeks — be it 6 weeks (before most women know they are pregnant), 15 weeks (seems like a random number), or 24 weeks (roughly viability). But having a ban at X weeks, no matter which cutoff is chosen, prevents women from easily receiving an abortion when they may need it most. Pregnancy complications may happen at any time during pregnancy. Women must be able to receive standard
medical care based on accurate medical information. Qualified doctors should never be under threat (of prosecution and loss of license) for providing pregnant women with standard medical care.
Some fetal development (such as the brain) doesn’t happen until the third trimester and some medical diagnostic tests cannot be performed until the third trimester. Women are trusted to raise children. Women must be trusted to decide when, and if, they will have children. Women must be in charge of making their own reproductive healthcare decisions. For me this means banning abortion after X weeks doesn’t work. What will work? Abortion on demand and without apology.
I started a substack just to reach out to women in Virginia about what is going on. I read all your posts and listen to Feminist Buzzkills and Boom! Lawyered and more and I like feeling connected to women I don't even know. We are in the majority, we just have to keep going so we can make sure the majority gets out and votes and votes for the candidate that actually thinks like they do.
Thank you so much for this. I was feeling REALLY demoralized today; you picked me up.
So when will women and men who know how to perform abortions, start teaching some laypersons to perform them? We have to take matters into our own hands, clearly, and that's a way to do it. Create a network of people who can perform abortions and a network of contacts. They can't arrest us all and even if they can, good. We'll teach each other in prison.
Close your eyes.
Take a breath.
Open your eyes again and
keep screaming.
We are fighting every day in Arizona. I wish more states had ballot initiatives.
I know. I wish Texas had them. It's rough here
Thank you for showing that image/poster. It is very inspiring.
Except for the self-hating women.
Women are the coolest. Sorry. It's just a fact.
Who would've thought I'd be more concerned with an "American" oligarch owning TikTok than the CCP?! Insane.
It’s interesting to see the intersection of how the powerful assign freedoms over time. Compare 1864 slave states to todays states that severely restrict access to abortion.
I am mad every day - easy to do in the heartless state of Texas. I am an old lady - saw all this shit long ago. I can't believe they think it's ok to inflict fear in all women. I also have a young friend who is happily pregnant but still a long way to go. Knot in my stomach. I hope all goes well to the birth.
I agree. Living in Texas is hell as I reside by the belly of the "beast". Exhausting...
I'd be ashamed to give in to despair -- but that creeping normalization of banal cruelty, that "it's just the way things are" attitude that you call out, Jessica: it scares me deeply. It's the same mentality that blithely accepts our children being gunned down in schools with no better response than thoughts and prayers. I'll never understand the callousness.
That's the exact analogy that's most frightening. 💔
I almost didn't make that comment, because it's so awful.
Thanks for all you do, Jessica. Know there are doctors every bit as angry and dismayed at the way the courts and legislators have moved into a medical field they know nothing about.