66 Comments

Hi Jessica ,

I read your column daily . I recently spoke with Sandy Newman of Focus for Democracy . One of the projects they have supported is Couriernews.com which supports small newspapers in areas where readers mainly read about local news, but don't get much about what is at risk for them or others in elections . I mentioned that some of your real life stories might help wake up and move these potential voters. Would you be willing to be in email contact with Sandy and the young journalist who stated courier news?

I don't have an email for you.

Best

Elizabeth Crawford

Ebcrawfordpt@gmail.com

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I don't know how to express my feelings. I almost want her to get the abortion, and have Paxton try to prosecute some of the hospital staff. Maybe then a court will actually set a ruling saying ok, this is CRAZY, we're not putting hospital staff in prison for doing something legal. Then there would be precedence that could help others going forward The woman WANTS a healthy baby. Cruel seems too soft of a word to describe this....

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That's the test, but I wouldn't put anything past Texas. Idk how much longer things have to get worse before they can get better. We need the bravest to challenge the laws, but I can't fault anyone for getting care in secret instead. But yeah none of this is sustainable in the long term.

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There is something psychologically wrong with people like Paxton and so many other trump Republicans (and of course, with trump himself). These are not normal people. They are like ISIS, Taliban, Al Queda but in suit and tie.

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I agree. ISIS would probably let you get the abortion

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In true Ken Paxton fashion, he has vowed to prosecute anyone involved in the abortion.

He is one sick, malicious, vindictive prick.

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Someone even commented somewhere (maybe NYTimes or WaPo) that he could target the judge for aiding and abetting the abortion! What a crazy thought. Can you imagine?

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To call Texas a right-wing hellscape would be an understatement.

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May it bite him in the ass politically, and wake people who support that douchecanoe the hell up.

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The Fundamentals/Anti-Abortion groups are hiding behind Christianity. There is NO WAY one can follow the teachings of Christ and oppress other people and inflict pain and harm. Jesus Christ was an activist and inclusive.

They can try to hijack the christian religion but not a God, Source, Higher power of love.

Their behavior is not New Testament biblical.

I respect all faith traditions. today when someone says they’re a Christian I ask what kind?

Thanks for listening to my rant. 😊❤️😊

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I think their behavior is definitely represented in the New Testament. They're dead ringers for the religious establishment who were persecuting Jesus. I can't repeat that enough; it's right there in the Book they claim to follow. It's right there over and over. It's one of the main points of the Book. But humanity behaves the same way throughout history.

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A lot of them are old testament, smitey god types. That Leviticus was one freaky messed up dude.

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Well said Zach! Do they see themselves that way? As the persecutor’s or as the ones helping the marginalized unborn? I’m not asking for a response That is a rhetorical question 😉

😊. Appreciate you 👍

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Yes it reminds of the famous words that the unborn are the perfect (i.e. the easiest) 'people' to advocate for, as it really requires nothing other than self-righteousness. I haven't committed the name of the author to memory but I think we all know that one. Fwiw the religious people would be much more convincing if they actually supported any other policy to help any other people. Being pro-Trump and against gun control are other tells.

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It’s a race to the bottom for these assholes. Ugh.

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I hope some Republican women come to their senses and don't re elect these monsters

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Me too. Imo I think abortion positions correlate pretty well with bad decisionmaking in general.

Can you handle complex situations? Do you have empathy? How do you view public good and the rule of law? Who are your close collaborators and affiliations? Who is “the public”?

I hope people don’t see it as an isolated issue that doesn’t affect them or their family/friends but tied irrevocably to our economy, our security, our democracy and freedoms.

Anti abortion policies make us dumber, poorer, less safe, and less free.

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Yes, and sicker.

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💯 in my rage I missed the most obvious one. Lol. 🤦‍♂️ Yes, banning abortion and other forms of health care and scaring away medical workers and closing maternity wards and making it harder for people to become medical workers makes us sicker and less healthy. It makes me wonder who is left in abortion deserts like Texas or Idaho who can perform the care effectively in 2023? If this continues who will be left in a few years? Then what? We haven’t hit bottom yet even from the current policies.

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What happens when Republican women have complications and there are no doctors in sight?

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Unfortunately somehow it will be the "liberals" fault for chasing all the doctors away. 🤦 When in doubt, double down on lies.

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They need to realize if they aren't rich enough, it will happen to them. I always think of the lady who was so passionately trumpist...until he had her husband deported as an illegal alien.

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The NYT reports:

“After the ruling, the state’s attorney general, Ken Paxton, sent a letter to top hospital officials in Houston, where Cox’s doctor practices, saying that Cox and hospital staff could still face criminal and civil penalties, despite the judge’s order.

Paxton wrote that the restraining order “will not insulate you, or anyone else.” He added that it would expire “long before the statute of limitations for violating Texas’ abortion laws expires.”

Fuck you Paxton you creepy lying cheating fraudster criminal.

Paxton doesn’t need to take it to the TX Supreme Court. All he has to do is threaten the hospital, doctor, and other involved healthcare workers. He should take a really long walk off a very short pier.

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Watch the state declare them unfit parents and take away their children if they go ahead with an abortion. Texas=hell.

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Are these anti-abortion groups now offering to PAY for necessary post-natal palliative care and the mother's mental health care?

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My. God! That vile lawyer who said “her life isn’t sufficiently in danger”—-is he married? Does he go home at night and say “Hi honey, great day in court today!” Does his spouse welcome him home with open arms? (I tried to find info on him online, and frankly, I can’t tell if he’s married or not, but a lot of the other monsters involved most definitely are….)

I don’t know about the rest of you (women) but I”d be furious if a boyfriend or husband or brother argued in court that a woman’s life is so worthless.

What do we do with our rage?

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It just gets crueler, more misogynistic and, frankly, like state sanctioned femicide. I keep saying "Oh my god, oh my god." Yeah...and it ain't over 'til it's over." Remember consciousness raising groups? I need a group to help me stay sane during a very dark time in our history as "The Land of the Free." People of color aren't free. Women aren't free. LGBTQ+ people aren't free...who am I missing here? Thanks for reading my cry of despair...

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It is cruel to force a woman to carry a pregnancy knowing the baby will likely not survive. Imagine having to go 4-5 months knowing the baby is just getting bigger and you will have to see it die, if it survives the birth. An abortion is safer than childbirth. Imagine having to work or take care of other children that whole time. How is that the compassionate approach? The compassionate approach is letting the woman decide what is best for her and her family and not having others judge her because they don't have all the facts and don't know what it is like to live her life. Ahhhhh!!!!! I hope they are doing the abortion right now.

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Republicans are emotionally castrated, and only care if it happens to them. They can't even fake empathy!

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This case helps make the point to all 3 branches of our government that there is no one on the planet better equipped or more appropriate to provide medical advice to a woman than her physician.

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https://x.com/AliceOllstein/status/1732857131081097419?s=20

“NEW: A Texas court ruled today that a woman undergoing a medical emergency *could* legally obtain an abortion reproductiverights.org/temporary-rest…

The state's AG is threatening to prosecute her doctors anyway.”

Vile

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“Every child is uniquely precious and should continue to be protected in law no matter how long or short the baby’s life may be."

So they are lobbying for unlimited government funding for in home nursing care, caregiver support, full coverage for all lifetime medical care, specialized transportation, etc. for every disabled child in the US?

No, no they aren't

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I have often thought that the disabled, especially those born with extra chromosomes, are kept alive because their numbers are relatively low. We dont need to imagine the worldwide outcry if those numbers grew -- we had it with Zika.

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The life of the "child" will be protected unless it becomes so long that she grows up to be a woman, in which case it isn't worth shit.

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So, we can be reasonably certain that the state of Texas will appeal. Does Ms. cox have to wait to see if an appeal is filed? What would an appeal mean in terms of Ms. Cox’s ability to have the abortion now- today? The ruling today is great but if the doctor and hospital are fearful of an appeal, might they still refuse to carry out the abortion?

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According to the NYTimes: “After the ruling, Attorney General Ken Paxton sent a letter to top hospital officials in Houston, where Ms. Cox’s doctor practices, saying she and hospital staff could still face criminal and civil penalties, despite the judge’s order.”

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Shocking, yet truly believable because…cruelty is the point.

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I would like to know the answers that you are asking too! Means while, I would have gone to another state before or now before this trial.

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