Jessica, as a long time reader and supporter of yours, I wonder why you still include links to xShiiter in your posts. Your link to one by Reproductive Freedom for All would take me to that trash site when Reproductive Freedom for All is on BlueSky. True, RFA might not have posted that exact bit on BlueSky, but if you don’t let them know their word is not getting out, then they won’t take the appropriate action. Many of us are celebrating MLK day by making sure to remove our profiles from certain profiteering sites
St. Luke’s is an important example on the religion point too. It was founded by the Episcopalian church I think, so strong contrast to Catholic care (which denies women life saving care) and a reminder religious doesn’t mean anti abortion.
"You know what would actually be helpful? Comprehensive sex education, free birth control, abortion access, and the ability to get pre- and post-natal pregnancy care without fear of punishment."
Of all the horrific stories out there, the one of a teenage girl going through a pregnancy + birth alone and in secrecy - resulting in a baby she could not take care of is an absolute fucking horror that shakes me to my core. and then prosecuted?!!! The cruelty and evil of these laws and people enacting them, my god.
“To those paying attention, Coney Barrett’s line of questioning on safe haven laws during the oral arguments in the Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case may have sounded familiar. She pushed the lawyer representing Jackson Women’s Health to separate parenthood from pregnancy — a common narrative from anti-abortion groups, according to Watson — and framed the choice as one between undergoing an abortion at fetal viability, or 23 weeks, or waiting to “terminate parental rights at the conclusion.”
Here’s my response ,”Justice” Barrett…
A woman or child who faces a traumatic,forced pregnancy may have the option to: 1)carry the pregnancy to term, or,2) have a medical procedure to terminate the pregnancy. Some may have absolutely no say in the decision,including those who have been human-trafficked.
A fetus cannot be adopted.Birth mothers have rights up to, and after delivery.Adoption is an option only once there is a living child. If a person carries a pregnancy to term, even if this decision was not freely chosen, the decision is to :1)parent the child, or,2) relinquish the child for adoption.
Many birth mothers who suffer the life-long trauma of relinquishment,as well as adoptees, should not be used as political pawns.
And please stop telling adoptees they should be grateful they weren’t aborted. This “pro-life” gaslighting only serves to promote a false equivalence.
Pro-abortion with a single mom here and single mothered sibling, different father. Born '57. "Oops, I'm (we're) pregnant" is never a way to start (grow) a family. Never. No choices back then.
By the way, the drop box for babies is not a new idea. "Foundlings" abandoned at church doors or orphanages were a popularly understood phenomenon at one time.
Pam Bondi saying, “I have always been pro-life, but I will look at that policy” is like listening to the Supreme Court justices lie about upholding Roe as precedent all over again. None of these disturbing appointments should surprise anyone, as that’s what many Americans voted for. I’m hearing a lot of “that’s just a lie” from conservatives if you ever point out harmful legislation in the works or anything at all regarding reproductive rights. We live in a dangerous post-truth world. I feel like mainstream media has failed us and more attacks on “unfavorable” media are coming in this next administration.
Jessica, thanks for all you do. I don't know how you can write every day about the injustice that women and girls will endure, especially in the next 4 years. It will be a hellacious time, maybe forever, if people keep voting for republican politicians.
Early in my teaching career I taught in an international school in a "third world" country. When I returned to Chicago after that year, my city had a 3 day power outage during a heat wave. I was already used to power outages and preparing for them on the island nation I had taught in. So, when my political book club group and I read Project 2025, I could recognize a formula for a third world nation. In such countries the lives of women are always in jeopardy due to lack of status in these male dominated societies. It boggles my mind that so many people are so misinformed about the genders and buy into all sorts of male power ideas that are just not real.
As a White Supremacist nation where the people who will be in charge have a big Birtherist agenda, we are going to see life become really dangerous all over for women of child bearing years. There will be bombardment on many fronts. We need to be bombarding back, with finding people to do test cases for the courts to advance policies we want, just as the right wing has been doing for decades, and with great success under this MAGA Christian Nationalist dominated Supreme Court.
What I would like to see is the MSM have an economist explain what would happen to the US economy if women left the workforce to become stay-at-home moms. We already have a worker shortage. They don’t want anymore immigrants so who will cover the gap? It’s not a coincidence that the richest countries have higher educated women who are active in the workforce.
How would VPNs figure into efforts to ban websites in states like TX? Someone could pretend to be in CA, or even Canada. I’ve used a VPN to pretend I’m in Canada to watch a sports network there that cannot be accessed in the US. Why wouldn’t that work for abortion info? Or would it work?
I live abroad and everyone I know has a VPN. It gets around blocks for watching programs. My daughter was using it to watch an Irish series that she likes the other day.
We made sure to have a VPN that is not based in the US, so that it is less likely to be under the long reach of Musk, who I suspect is on the outs in the EU and other parts of the world as they see him supporting illiberal candidates and being a total tool.
So, since it registers as if you are in the selected country, you can be in Texas, use it and pretend you are in a country that does not ban those programs. Of course, they may be out of the region so you could still not watch it. Have to trial and error.
It would be good for more Americans to consume news from around the world, at least from some other countries so you get more balanced points of view.
The two most popular VPNs among the people I know here in Germany, who are all feeling very careful about media, in a country that already has a lot of protections are Nord and Proton. People can consider what country their VPN is platformed in. Proton is in Switzerland and might Nord is in Panama, with their security in Lithuania, so it is under the jurisdiction of Panama. There are others that are multi-platform. Our purpose was to pick one that is not under US control in case Musk really gets Trump to take over media outlets in a Hungarian sort of move.
You first go online and either check out a comparison of the VPNs. For some the one rated with the best signal is the one they want and for others the one rated with the best security is the one they want. Here is a comparison. https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-vpn-services
I used Proton. In fact I am using it right now, because I am abroad but I want to use a US Subscription for Passport on PBS, and I cannot access this subscription from abroad.
Then, you need to choose your package. Go to your app store, and download the app once you buy it from them. You might choose the free package. I don't know anyone that has a free package. My husband picked Proton after researching it, and discussing it with good friends of ours here in Germany who use it.
I also have a Proton email address, which has an address out of Moldova. That is our package.
So, you could get a subscription for a year, or 2 years. You might to choose a package with multiple users, because you have several phones, laptops, tablets, that will use it. I recommend that. You can always change your subscription.
Then, you have to download the app, and then you get something like a dashboard, and you can pick which country to be set to. You might just have it set to the US, but it is now not tracing your IP address. However, if US media gets shut down, you might want to be reading French news in English, or German news in English, or British news, or Irish news, or Arabic news in English. You can set to those countries and then it looks as if you are not a US based person looking at these websites.
Jessica, as a long time reader and supporter of yours, I wonder why you still include links to xShiiter in your posts. Your link to one by Reproductive Freedom for All would take me to that trash site when Reproductive Freedom for All is on BlueSky. True, RFA might not have posted that exact bit on BlueSky, but if you don’t let them know their word is not getting out, then they won’t take the appropriate action. Many of us are celebrating MLK day by making sure to remove our profiles from certain profiteering sites
St. Luke’s is an important example on the religion point too. It was founded by the Episcopalian church I think, so strong contrast to Catholic care (which denies women life saving care) and a reminder religious doesn’t mean anti abortion.
A point that needs hammering again and again, because the throwbacks push that only their religion counts.
How does failing to report a death qualify for an arrest? Could you really do jail time?
"You know what would actually be helpful? Comprehensive sex education, free birth control, abortion access, and the ability to get pre- and post-natal pregnancy care without fear of punishment."
!!!!! THIS !!!!!
Of all the horrific stories out there, the one of a teenage girl going through a pregnancy + birth alone and in secrecy - resulting in a baby she could not take care of is an absolute fucking horror that shakes me to my core. and then prosecuted?!!! The cruelty and evil of these laws and people enacting them, my god.
“I have always been pro-life, but I will look at that policy,”
Translation: One of the things I’m tasked with is burning that policy to the ground.
From the linked CNN article:
“To those paying attention, Coney Barrett’s line of questioning on safe haven laws during the oral arguments in the Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case may have sounded familiar. She pushed the lawyer representing Jackson Women’s Health to separate parenthood from pregnancy — a common narrative from anti-abortion groups, according to Watson — and framed the choice as one between undergoing an abortion at fetal viability, or 23 weeks, or waiting to “terminate parental rights at the conclusion.”
Here’s my response ,”Justice” Barrett…
A woman or child who faces a traumatic,forced pregnancy may have the option to: 1)carry the pregnancy to term, or,2) have a medical procedure to terminate the pregnancy. Some may have absolutely no say in the decision,including those who have been human-trafficked.
A fetus cannot be adopted.Birth mothers have rights up to, and after delivery.Adoption is an option only once there is a living child. If a person carries a pregnancy to term, even if this decision was not freely chosen, the decision is to :1)parent the child, or,2) relinquish the child for adoption.
Many birth mothers who suffer the life-long trauma of relinquishment,as well as adoptees, should not be used as political pawns.
And please stop telling adoptees they should be grateful they weren’t aborted. This “pro-life” gaslighting only serves to promote a false equivalence.
Respectfully,
Pro-choice adoptee
Pro-abortion with a single mom here and single mothered sibling, different father. Born '57. "Oops, I'm (we're) pregnant" is never a way to start (grow) a family. Never. No choices back then.
By the way, the drop box for babies is not a new idea. "Foundlings" abandoned at church doors or orphanages were a popularly understood phenomenon at one time.
Here, here!
Another Pro-Choice Adoptee (and child-free 70 year old) endorses the above 1000%!
Pam Bondi saying, “I have always been pro-life, but I will look at that policy” is like listening to the Supreme Court justices lie about upholding Roe as precedent all over again. None of these disturbing appointments should surprise anyone, as that’s what many Americans voted for. I’m hearing a lot of “that’s just a lie” from conservatives if you ever point out harmful legislation in the works or anything at all regarding reproductive rights. We live in a dangerous post-truth world. I feel like mainstream media has failed us and more attacks on “unfavorable” media are coming in this next administration.
Exactly my thoughts.
Jessica, thanks for all you do. I don't know how you can write every day about the injustice that women and girls will endure, especially in the next 4 years. It will be a hellacious time, maybe forever, if people keep voting for republican politicians.
Early in my teaching career I taught in an international school in a "third world" country. When I returned to Chicago after that year, my city had a 3 day power outage during a heat wave. I was already used to power outages and preparing for them on the island nation I had taught in. So, when my political book club group and I read Project 2025, I could recognize a formula for a third world nation. In such countries the lives of women are always in jeopardy due to lack of status in these male dominated societies. It boggles my mind that so many people are so misinformed about the genders and buy into all sorts of male power ideas that are just not real.
As a White Supremacist nation where the people who will be in charge have a big Birtherist agenda, we are going to see life become really dangerous all over for women of child bearing years. There will be bombardment on many fronts. We need to be bombarding back, with finding people to do test cases for the courts to advance policies we want, just as the right wing has been doing for decades, and with great success under this MAGA Christian Nationalist dominated Supreme Court.
What I would like to see is the MSM have an economist explain what would happen to the US economy if women left the workforce to become stay-at-home moms. We already have a worker shortage. They don’t want anymore immigrants so who will cover the gap? It’s not a coincidence that the richest countries have higher educated women who are active in the workforce.
How would VPNs figure into efforts to ban websites in states like TX? Someone could pretend to be in CA, or even Canada. I’ve used a VPN to pretend I’m in Canada to watch a sports network there that cannot be accessed in the US. Why wouldn’t that work for abortion info? Or would it work?
I live abroad and everyone I know has a VPN. It gets around blocks for watching programs. My daughter was using it to watch an Irish series that she likes the other day.
We made sure to have a VPN that is not based in the US, so that it is less likely to be under the long reach of Musk, who I suspect is on the outs in the EU and other parts of the world as they see him supporting illiberal candidates and being a total tool.
So, since it registers as if you are in the selected country, you can be in Texas, use it and pretend you are in a country that does not ban those programs. Of course, they may be out of the region so you could still not watch it. Have to trial and error.
It would be good for more Americans to consume news from around the world, at least from some other countries so you get more balanced points of view.
Could you give precise instructions on how to set up a VPN? Include names and vendors please. It would help many. Thx
Sure Suzanne. I am going to give you an article explaining what it is first.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/what-is-a-vpn-and-why-you-need-one
The two most popular VPNs among the people I know here in Germany, who are all feeling very careful about media, in a country that already has a lot of protections are Nord and Proton. People can consider what country their VPN is platformed in. Proton is in Switzerland and might Nord is in Panama, with their security in Lithuania, so it is under the jurisdiction of Panama. There are others that are multi-platform. Our purpose was to pick one that is not under US control in case Musk really gets Trump to take over media outlets in a Hungarian sort of move.
You first go online and either check out a comparison of the VPNs. For some the one rated with the best signal is the one they want and for others the one rated with the best security is the one they want. Here is a comparison. https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-vpn-services
I used Proton. In fact I am using it right now, because I am abroad but I want to use a US Subscription for Passport on PBS, and I cannot access this subscription from abroad.
Then, you need to choose your package. Go to your app store, and download the app once you buy it from them. You might choose the free package. I don't know anyone that has a free package. My husband picked Proton after researching it, and discussing it with good friends of ours here in Germany who use it.
I also have a Proton email address, which has an address out of Moldova. That is our package.
So, you could get a subscription for a year, or 2 years. You might to choose a package with multiple users, because you have several phones, laptops, tablets, that will use it. I recommend that. You can always change your subscription.
Then, you have to download the app, and then you get something like a dashboard, and you can pick which country to be set to. You might just have it set to the US, but it is now not tracing your IP address. However, if US media gets shut down, you might want to be reading French news in English, or German news in English, or British news, or Irish news, or Arabic news in English. You can set to those countries and then it looks as if you are not a US based person looking at these websites.
I hope this helps.
Thank you, Linda. I will file this away. I appreciate the time it took you to write all this out. ❤️
tragic
CARE. NO MATTER WHAT.
It's going to get gruesomer and gruesomer.