24 Comments

I’m in a blue state, and last year when I went in for a checkup, I expressed my fear that if the Dump gets elected again I’d be at risk of losing out on birth control. My midwife assured me that our state is safe but I didn’t believe her then, and certainly not now.

I have 2 years left on my copper IUD, and I’m 49 years old and just barely starting perimenopause. The idea of having an oops at this stage of life is terrifying, especially if there’s a national abortion ban. I’ve never been the same after I had my last child at 41.

Men have no business telling us what to do with our bodies.

Expand full comment

Jessica - those 3 short films are amazing. I hope you feel so much pride for your part in creating them.

Expand full comment

The "Do No Harm" video was also my favorite! So impactful.

Expand full comment

I saw that ad twice last night, and my jaw just dropped. WOW. Incredibly powerful.

Expand full comment

OMG the do no harm video. Haunting.

Expand full comment

Last night's townhall was good. But I wonder why VP's campaign has not put together an event with 'girl dads' or 'Dobbs dads' or an ad focusing on the men?

Expand full comment
founding

https://sojo.net/articles/news/harris-declines-consider-religious-exemptions-abortion-laws

Here’s more on Harris’ view that there shouldn’t be religious concessions in future abortion legislation. The piece starts out hopeful, but quickly throws in the towel, stating that no religious restrictions is not realistic. That’s bullshit! We can’t let all these deaths and suffering since Dobbs result in religious limitations on women’s healthcare, especially with the acceleration of Catholic hospital chains buying up hospitals.

Expand full comment

This is a comment on the Harris ad on YouTube: "This is exactly what changed my POV about abortion. Its not just about ending an unwanted pregnancy. It about protecting women. Period."

This is not the only formerly anti-choice woman who has changed her mind.

Expand full comment

These extremist doctors are cut from the same cloth as the anti-vax “Front Line Doctors”—you explore who they are and none of them were front line doctors…they were just quacks. Embarrassing to my profession.

Expand full comment

I am tired of the words “misinformation” and “disinformation”. Let’s just be clear; those words are euphemisms for lies. The forced birthers lie. Legal abortion makes it possible for women to get the range of healthcare they need when pregnant. An ectopic pregnancy or a pregnancy where the amniotic fluid is lost CANNOT possibly be a viable pregnancy EVER. Most legislators, being male, do not know that. This whole makes me spitting mad and terrifies me for my daughter and granddaughters. Men can walk away from a pregnancy; women put their lives on the line.

Expand full comment

CD

Expand full comment

Abortion is

Older than Cleopatra . Trying to stp it is futile. Might as well try to stop masturbation for men. You can’t stop that either. Recently the church got involved and tried to use Jesus inspired morality as a hedge. If they could make people fear that god would punish them for having had abortions , it might work for a few years. But Jesus couldn’t convince enough women to stop rampant back street abortion. The women who offered that service were called “angel makers” and were Indicated by word of mouth among women . Now we know men make laws about about abortion .but we also know that women will no longer be left “ barefoot and pregnant “ so we can hatch more babies. Sorry now we have several pairs of shoes and no longer be counted on to have their children. If a man wants a child he’ll have to grow new plumbing and pump out his progeny all by himself. Then he can be a single father and give up stock. Brokering and settle into what single parenting is all about

Expand full comment
Oct 24·edited Oct 24

MVP going to Texas is a very smart thing, not only to help Alred but also highlighting R v W in the last two weeks. That new ad is gut wrenching but hey that is what is really happening.

FWIW, here is a pollster talking about their study of what issues move voters for Harris. TLDR, using and quoting Rs who say trump is unfit in their own words and R v W, are the top 2 issues.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVrQBXft1ZQ

Also Harris is giving a major speech at the Ellipse on Tuesday, the scene of trump's crime on Jan 6th. Remind people of how unAmerican that whole thing was. I watched it as it happened, the mob rushing to the Capitol and could not believe something like that could happen in this country.

Expand full comment

The fact that 73% believe that emergency contraceptives cause abortions is shocking yet unsurprising. One only has to recognize the definition of contraceptives- to stop a pregnancy- to understand their purpose. It’s not complicated. The level of ignorance is astounding.

Expand full comment

Not enough proper sex education in this country!

Expand full comment

The problem is that there is considerable evidence to indicate that contraceptives like IUD's do end a pregnancy, including citations from the manufacturers themselves. Furthermore, many of us do not care if IUD's or any other kind of birth control end pregnancies and so if 73% believe that any kind of contraceptives causes an abortion -- if you can call it that when it's that early -- you need to correct a response to that fact based on that.

Abortion is birth control. Why do people keep dodging this simple fact?

Expand full comment

IUDs prevent implantation, so there is no pregnancy. Various versions of the birth control pill mimic pregnancy so you stop ovulation. Birth control pills are used by women of all ages, as it can reduce cramps and heavy periods, which all women deal with all their lives.

As to "abortion is birth control", I guess you could consider it a last resort, if it makes you feel better.

Expand full comment

Are you defining a pregnancy as implantation or before that?

I think words matter here especially in terms of legal definitions given we have decades of case law on the books. If we’re changing definitions because language is fluid, it’s consequential.

Expand full comment

💯 And yet, when would it be taught? It would be too controversial for secondary schools. Maybe a mandatory health class in college?

Almost everything I learned about fetal development and babies happened from personal and family/friend experiences in my 20s and 30s and proactive work like reading AED.

I just don’t know how to fix it without a better communication/education strategy. Especially with all the anti-abortion disinformation nowadays that even our best corporate media just regurgitates without batting an eye.

There is really great info out there but I wonder how we get it to people.

Expand full comment

Fetal development is an aspect of biology and occurs throughout the vertebrate animal world. We need more elementary study of biology to include sexual reproduction where it occurs in all life, plant and animal.

Expand full comment

We learned about contraception (1970s and a different world) in 11th grade, mostly because of the court cases. If I remember correctly, back then it was legal for married women to take, but not single women?

Expand full comment

Eisenstadt v. Baird, 405 U.S. 438 (1972), was a landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court that established the right of unmarried people to possess contraception on the same basis as married couples.

Expand full comment

I loved Harris’ answer as well. I did want her to use that moment to point out there already is a conscience clause. That said, that’s a quibble.

I loved the clarity that she’s going to fight for women’s rights. More please. 🙏

Expand full comment

That whole interview was kind of off. I thought the reporter was being too aggressive with inane questions.

Expand full comment