This weekly roundup was good, but I honestly think I prefer the audio daily newsletter. I like listening instead of reading it because I have SO much news I’m subscribed to to read every day from different progressives, so it’s both nice and admittedly convenient to be able to listen to yours instead. And you do also provide some analysis in the daily ones too, so I don’t think that’s missing! 🙂
I'm starting to change my attitude towards doctors who don't want to run the "risk" of a performing an abortion in anti-choice states. I think they're cowards. They're not protecting women -- just their own careers. Doctors and clergy were the first organized group to help women find abortions when they were illegal in the 1960s. Where's their courage now?
HI Georgia, I appreciate the sorrow, rage, and frustration i hear in your comment. Still, I think those of us fighting so hard to protect abortion care access need to hear one another's experiences too, so I hope you can hear this. I work with an incredibly brave group of doctors in states that have rammed bans undemocratically through state legislatures. I am an oral historian, and work with a group of people collecting these doctors' stories about how they are trying to provide evidence-based reproductive medicine in the post-Roe moment. The situations they are in are fairly indescribable. Abortion care has never been easy. But added to their practice now: (1) They have to continually adapt their protocols to address sadistic, medically dangerous laws passed by legislators who don't know how to calculate gestational age, don't know what an ectopic pregnancy is, don't know how long pregnancy is, don't know the basics of female anatomy, etc.. (2) They have created and need to pay attention to/respond to mutual support groups online of doctors across the South and Midwest, who have emergent patients who they are everyday trying to find the closest possible care for, and help each other assess, "can i provide care here for this patient, or do i have to send to you in this other state?" (3) they have to talk to hospital and OR administrators (who may or may not support abortion care) who are constantly finding reasons to limit their OR time when patients, driving across multiple states, are late for procedures, (4) they have to talk to lawyers at their hospitals AND at places like the ACLU to find out how to interpret contradictory and medically dangerous laws in light of new patient situations (5) they have to deal with increasing threats/doxxing at their work and home (6) they have to document exhaustively --well beyond the already punishing Electronic medical record-- all the situations in which they cannot provide evidence-based care to provide the evidence base for future legal challenges to DOBBS, and for medical data collection, and for their own practices in their hospital settings (not all doctors understand even the basics of the ways in which abortion care impacts other health care (7) they have to figure out every day how to deal with rage, frustration, and moral injury of being trained and dedicating themselves to providing care, in a highly professional and thoughtful way, and then being unable to provide it because of what they perceive as highly cynical political functionaries who literally care nothing for their patients, and who are accountable to no one (8) they have to advocate and lobby with legislators and medical board members, as well as respond to journalists questions and decide, "is it worth my time to talk with this person, or are they going to work against my values?" each time, which often requires research, talking with others, and internal reflection;(9) they are so stressed that this often has dramatic impacts on their home life, their relationships, their ability to care for themselves, and their sense of purpose and meaning. In other words, while i hear you, "where is their courage?" I think that might be only because they are laying low to provide every bit of care they possibly can under the circumstances. I see their courage every day, in profound ways, and they are deeply inspiring to me. Publicizing how they are courageous would endanger them right now, so detailed stories will have to wait for future moments. I strongly recommend we *focus*, like a laser beam of the rage of millions, on those unaccountable politicos, most of whom are white men, who are driving these patently barbaric laws. Thanks for listening
You're right, I know next to nothing about what doctors and other practitioners are up against today. I refer you to another oral history project of sorts, "To Offer Compassion -- A History of the Clergy Consultation Service on Abortion" by Doris Andrea Dirks and Patrician A. Relf (University of Wisconsin Press, 2017). The CCS was an organization of doctors and clergy that operated in I believe 36 states in the 1960s. It would be ironic if when abortion was completely illegal, it was easier for doctors to break the rules. Knowing CCS's history was what prompted my comment, by which I meant no disrespect to the doctors with whom you are working.
Thanks for "To Offer Compassion" -- I will read it. And thanks for listening to my point of view. Looking at the early history of physicians who provided abortion when it was illegal reminded me of the bravery of TRM Howard, which the amazing journalist Cynthia Greenlee remembers here. Dr. Howard also worked with CCS! https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/t-r-m-howard-civil-rights-rabble-rouser-abortion-provider
There's got to be a way to design clinics to keep the mobs farther away. They just need the money to remodel and/or hire more security. Big fundraising needs.
If they want to keep beating that 15-week drum, it shouldn't be that hard to counter. Almost every abortion after 15 weeks is a wanted pregnancy with a tragic story attached to it, so we just need to keep telling the stories.
It is very much tied to abuse and weaponized by abusers. It's why countries that criminalize abortion also have extraordinarily high rates of femicide.
I prefer the daily podcast. Thank you for your work!
While I love the daily pod-list, I understand that it’s a lot of work. Would love for the weekly recording to continue if the daily ones cannot.
This weekly roundup was good, but I honestly think I prefer the audio daily newsletter. I like listening instead of reading it because I have SO much news I’m subscribed to to read every day from different progressives, so it’s both nice and admittedly convenient to be able to listen to yours instead. And you do also provide some analysis in the daily ones too, so I don’t think that’s missing! 🙂
I'm starting to change my attitude towards doctors who don't want to run the "risk" of a performing an abortion in anti-choice states. I think they're cowards. They're not protecting women -- just their own careers. Doctors and clergy were the first organized group to help women find abortions when they were illegal in the 1960s. Where's their courage now?
HI Georgia, I appreciate the sorrow, rage, and frustration i hear in your comment. Still, I think those of us fighting so hard to protect abortion care access need to hear one another's experiences too, so I hope you can hear this. I work with an incredibly brave group of doctors in states that have rammed bans undemocratically through state legislatures. I am an oral historian, and work with a group of people collecting these doctors' stories about how they are trying to provide evidence-based reproductive medicine in the post-Roe moment. The situations they are in are fairly indescribable. Abortion care has never been easy. But added to their practice now: (1) They have to continually adapt their protocols to address sadistic, medically dangerous laws passed by legislators who don't know how to calculate gestational age, don't know what an ectopic pregnancy is, don't know how long pregnancy is, don't know the basics of female anatomy, etc.. (2) They have created and need to pay attention to/respond to mutual support groups online of doctors across the South and Midwest, who have emergent patients who they are everyday trying to find the closest possible care for, and help each other assess, "can i provide care here for this patient, or do i have to send to you in this other state?" (3) they have to talk to hospital and OR administrators (who may or may not support abortion care) who are constantly finding reasons to limit their OR time when patients, driving across multiple states, are late for procedures, (4) they have to talk to lawyers at their hospitals AND at places like the ACLU to find out how to interpret contradictory and medically dangerous laws in light of new patient situations (5) they have to deal with increasing threats/doxxing at their work and home (6) they have to document exhaustively --well beyond the already punishing Electronic medical record-- all the situations in which they cannot provide evidence-based care to provide the evidence base for future legal challenges to DOBBS, and for medical data collection, and for their own practices in their hospital settings (not all doctors understand even the basics of the ways in which abortion care impacts other health care (7) they have to figure out every day how to deal with rage, frustration, and moral injury of being trained and dedicating themselves to providing care, in a highly professional and thoughtful way, and then being unable to provide it because of what they perceive as highly cynical political functionaries who literally care nothing for their patients, and who are accountable to no one (8) they have to advocate and lobby with legislators and medical board members, as well as respond to journalists questions and decide, "is it worth my time to talk with this person, or are they going to work against my values?" each time, which often requires research, talking with others, and internal reflection;(9) they are so stressed that this often has dramatic impacts on their home life, their relationships, their ability to care for themselves, and their sense of purpose and meaning. In other words, while i hear you, "where is their courage?" I think that might be only because they are laying low to provide every bit of care they possibly can under the circumstances. I see their courage every day, in profound ways, and they are deeply inspiring to me. Publicizing how they are courageous would endanger them right now, so detailed stories will have to wait for future moments. I strongly recommend we *focus*, like a laser beam of the rage of millions, on those unaccountable politicos, most of whom are white men, who are driving these patently barbaric laws. Thanks for listening
You're right, I know next to nothing about what doctors and other practitioners are up against today. I refer you to another oral history project of sorts, "To Offer Compassion -- A History of the Clergy Consultation Service on Abortion" by Doris Andrea Dirks and Patrician A. Relf (University of Wisconsin Press, 2017). The CCS was an organization of doctors and clergy that operated in I believe 36 states in the 1960s. It would be ironic if when abortion was completely illegal, it was easier for doctors to break the rules. Knowing CCS's history was what prompted my comment, by which I meant no disrespect to the doctors with whom you are working.
Thanks for "To Offer Compassion" -- I will read it. And thanks for listening to my point of view. Looking at the early history of physicians who provided abortion when it was illegal reminded me of the bravery of TRM Howard, which the amazing journalist Cynthia Greenlee remembers here. Dr. Howard also worked with CCS! https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/t-r-m-howard-civil-rights-rabble-rouser-abortion-provider
There's got to be a way to design clinics to keep the mobs farther away. They just need the money to remodel and/or hire more security. Big fundraising needs.
If they want to keep beating that 15-week drum, it shouldn't be that hard to counter. Almost every abortion after 15 weeks is a wanted pregnancy with a tragic story attached to it, so we just need to keep telling the stories.
Great listen! I like the weekly round-up!
Thank you!
". . .anti-abortion lawmakers and activists insist that they are the ones who are in danger of pro-choice violence."
This is the reaction of all abusers. They become the victim. It is gaslighting. I know as I lived with an abuser for twenty years.
It is very much tied to abuse and weaponized by abusers. It's why countries that criminalize abortion also have extraordinarily high rates of femicide.