State’s rights to implement gun legislation is gone; religious schools get public funding but abortion is a state decision? Are you kidding me? Im thinking civil unrest is an understatement of what’s to come. However, my *prayer* is that there will be enough angry people in this country of ours that they will get out and vote!
I just returned from a demonstration. I love the signage! I need to share:
—“as a woman, I just hope one day I have as many rights as a gun has.”
—my favorite “don’t forget to turn back your clock 200 years.”
Ps I was heartened to find at this demonstration that 2/3 of the people there would be under the age of 50 or so!
I went to a protest also. At this point, I need to keep all my protest signs & t-shirts in my car and add a siren to the roof! My favorite sign said "F---you and the elephant you rode in on!" I saw a photo of a woman protesting in front of Alito's house after the leak. Her sign said: "If you don't like me standing in front of your house, get out of my uterus!"
Yes, what could be a more important than these two issues? Women no longer have control over when and with whom they wish to have a child. We apparently cannot protect the children we do have from being shot at school. And then there are the January 6th hearings. It could turn out to be easier to Get Out The Vote for the midterm election than we think.
I had lunch with two women friends today in a local restaurant. The hostess, a young woman, told us of her sadness when we asked her how she was doing. Our waiter, a young man of 18, said when he approached our table: "I can't claim to feel what you are feeling today, but I want you to know that I share your sadness."
Thank you, Robert, for focusing on what we can and must do next. My thoughts between bursts of anger were that RBG got it right when she was asked how many women on the Supreme Court would be enough and she answered nine. Also loved her quote on the gutting of the Voting Rights act: "throwing out preclearance when it has worked and is continuing to work to stop discriminatory changes is like throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you are not getting wet." I also had some smiles thinking about if the word woman or abortion isn't in the Constitution and therefore not rights, how could that be remedied. My answer was to have women, LGBTQ people, minorities and underrepresented people have a Constitutional Convention to write a new version of the Constitution that doesn't have the word man in it or any reference to patriarchy. What would that Constitution look like? Would it be a more perfect Union than we've ever had? One thing I do know is that it would not be rooted in the past but rooted in the well-being of future generations. We, the people, all of us this time!
Thank you Robert!! I am starting to write postcards again--this time for the mid-term elections. We have to get Democrats out to vote in droves so we can have a majority in the Senate and House. In the 2020 election, I think I wrote more than 300 postcards--as a way to manage my fear, anger, and sadness at what has happened to our country. You have helped keep me sane as I live life at 83!!! Jackie Pearson
Writing postcards feels good, and has been found to be effective. Sending a handwritten note and a reminder of elections days, or registration deadlines helps people belong and become VOTERS!
We lament the Taliban resurgence in Afghanistan? Look closer to home! Maybe we women should all start wearing burqas in the US until our Fundamentalist Supreme Court wakes up. A general strike by women in states that ban abortion should happen immediately. Tell your bosses that you are all pregnant and too sick and frail to work. (They want us all home , doing laundry and cooking anyway, right?)Or better yet, move!!! Watch the tax base of poor states sink further. All corporations funding Republican races won’t get my business. We need a list of those corporations that fund Mitch McConnell’s campaigns. Are there ANY responsible Republicans out there that will FINALLY speak up for women? I can’t think of a better reason to become a Lesbian than this new attack on our equal rights. Shame on you all. You make us all have unwanted children and then YOU let people kill them at school, at work, at church, in the streets. The answer is not to always control the government by voting for Democrats. Yes, we should in mass , but we just did that and still look what’s happening. It’s always follow the money. That’s the ONLY thing that changes Republican minds. Stop buying stuff they sell. Don’t live in states they always control. Unionize at your businesses.Don’t buy Tesla’s. Tell your pastors you don’t support this decision if you don’t. Stock up on contraception. Get passports. Consider going to schools out of the US. Tell your lover/ husband/son to call their congressmen and complain. Above all, impeach Clarence Thomas if at all possible. His flagrant abuse of power is stunning.
Diane--bravo! You have hit on a very important point: tax and economic boycotts. Big American businesses gave us this Republican majority by filling their troughs with dirty money. They will stop doing so only when it hurts their profits.
I had a discussion with an old acquaintance today. She lives in Pennsylvania and I live in Georgia. She was over the moon at this decision and spouted off that women should just learn to live with these “moral” rules! As narrow minded as she was, she went on and on about how great it is to be finally returning decisions to the states and if I didn’t like it to move to a state that “fit” my lifestyle! I did not remain silent but quickly learned she was not listening to my counterpoints. I can’t get that simple conversation out of my head because she is young and lives in her white, rural, and indoctrinated “Christian” bubble. and represents others like her.
If Texas wants to secede along with other states being little red and blue islands…how is this a United States? I’m already living within a gerrymandered district that drove Lucy McBath out to another district where she ousted Carolyn Bordeaux. Where is the win in that? I worked hard to get her there and then a giant pen drew her out. So what do I do? Move? No way! But I do feel silenced down here in the grassroots.
I don’t understand how a persons civil liberties can be overseen by individual states. And if we are taking the SCOTUS Federalist approach to interpretation of the founding fathers isn’t that the same as some taking a literal interpretation of the Bible? Why would a modern society (the supposedly greatest democracy in the world) permanently lock themselves into the rules of antiquity?
I am disgusted by the political pawns that now sit on the bench and I pray that Clarence & Ginny are outed for the dangerous game they are playing with this nation. And I wonder what Ketanji Brown Jackson is thinking about her upcoming first day on the job
**Thank you for letting me think outloud in this safe space **
As a SW Florida resident, I so agree with you about “how can states drive out individual liberties” in a United States? In our hugely Red area, we cannot even field a blue candidate so where is the future for my activism? I do seriously intend to return to my northern roots and tell everyone my reasons!
Have you thought about running for office? After all, if you wouldn't have a chance, then you can go at it with full force and not worry about making mistakes (the bane of so many politicians).
Thank you. As someone who heard Carolyn Bourdeaux several times, and contributed to her campaigns, I resented that Lucy McBath would move into her district rather than running in her old one (I know that a small part of McBath's district was in the one that had been Bourdeaux's). Easy for me to say--it's not my job on the line. But we need Democrats to take on the challenges of gerrymandering. Instead of McBath putting up a struggle and trying to retrieve her district, she took the easy path and made sure that there would be one less Democrat from Georgia next year. If there is a barely-credible Democratic candidate in your (new) district, I hope you will work heart and soul for that person. (And let us know who it is, so that we can send some $$.) The forces of good need to stage some upsets this year.
Jon I feel the same about McBath. She was proven and trusted and could have pulled the country and the party in to back her hold on Ga6. What she did played straight in to the GOPs plan.
So Democrats have a genuine Christian as their candidate. That ought to be a good start. For one thing, it means that those supporting his opponent are, by definition, anti-Christian.
Thanks for your insightful reply. I understand the argument about not moving and I also see where simply voting for who you want is not a viable solution in very red states for those of more liberal ideas. 22 states will abandon equal rights for women if they haven’t already. What will inspire the remaining 28 states NOT to follow suit is for a massive general strike by people in those 22 states who do not agree with the SCOTUS decision. If that doesn’t turn heads, then reducing a very red (and often poor) states tax base by moving to one of the remaining 28 states , starting a business, get a job, and VOTE there is another honest solution and will be felt by Republican donors. And/or stop purchasing goods from corporations that support oppressive candidates. This is very grass roots and effective. If your friend enjoys a more “moral” life, let her. Her kids might choose to move.
Ironically, I was born in Pennsylvania where I was raised on the best of American values; freedom, fairness, caring for others. What the hell happened? Unfortunately, I moved to the south as a child, but when I visited old family in PA, I was appalled to find so much racism, sexism and right-wing cussedness.
Yes, but I must disagree with your advice that people should move. That would lock in Republican control of states. If people are to change their locations because of the most recent actions of reactionaries in legislatures and on the Supreme Court, let them go to places where the presence of more reasonable people (in both senses of “more”) will lead to better government. And , more immediately, get out the vote. If enough people vote this year, Greg Abbott becomes a former governor and Marco Rubio and Ron Johnson (to name just two) become ex-senators. And the nation will be better off.
I have a transgender daughter. I’m exploring becoming an expat. I constantly do volunteer work, donate, and will continue to. But it looks like it could soon be too dangerous for us here. I wish that weren’t true.
I hope that you find a way to stay here, and that it turns out to be the right decision. People like you and your daughter will make this nation a better place. But that's easy for me to say.
I've heard a few pundits today talking about Democrats using the Supreme Court abortion and gun decisions to motivate voters. I think we all agree. But they must urge voters to keep our fight against a Republican dictatorship front and center too! If America loses it's democracy, all of our rights and freedoms will be at risk.
I think the issues are perfectly overlapping circles. The Republican dictators who seek to undermine democracy also want to impose their warped and unrecognizable version of Christianity on all Americans. but you are right; without democracy, we lose the path to resist.
As I have suggested before, I think “Democracy Is On The Ballot This Year” should be our slogan. But while I am worried that multiple issues can dilute the message , democracy, individual rights and gun safety make a fine trio that, properly presented, should be unstoppable.
Hello Jon, I'm sure someone else can come up with a better symbol for your message "Democracy Is On The Ballot This Year." But as a starting point, I see an open umbrella (bearing the colors of our flag) labelled "American Democracy" with symbols underneath (protected by the umbrella) representing gun safety protections and a woman's right to make decisions about her own body. They have to be unambiguous and I haven't had time to think about it. But there are lots of intelligent people on this comment section. I welcome ideas! Alternative message ideas "Save Our Democracy - VOTE" or "Protect Our Democracy - VOTE."
Sitting here fighting the roll into despair that has been threatening since the inevitable decision came down. Some combination of the vile misogyny of Alito, the cowardice of Roberts, and the smug arrogance of Kavanaugh, has been temporarily too much for me. But even an old woman who can barely breathe can be revived by the call for a slogan. Especially if she's an English teacher!!
First take is that "democracy" is too abstract. Most of us would agree it's a valuable thing, something we want to keep, but I don't think it rouses many voters to the llevel of real anger, fear and determination that will get them to the polls. In this climate, the opposition isn't preaching an alternative philosophy. They're just taking away rights, unleashing guns, and using every scare tactic they've got.
Do the Republicans even have any slogans? What they have is specifics. Mr. Hubbell and HCR are magnificent about cataloguing the Biden Administration's accomplishments, but for whatever reasons, nobody's buying it.
If we're talking billboards, posters, tv spots:
Every week, say, two concrete achievements, or even just one, a one-sentence testimonial from a citizen, then followed by. This is what democracy looks like. It's worth a fight. VOTE. Then maybe the slogan itself would be just "It's worth a fight. Vote."
Thank you for your thoughts on slogans. : ) I don't know that these slogans will ever be used, but if we come up with something good, who knows! Please remember that on any given day, some of us are right there with you and your response to the evil and deliberate cruelty we see from fascist Republicans wearing a thin veneer of respectability over their seething hatred, greed and fear. They are dangerous, but they are also pathetic. If they keep it up, I wouldn't be surprised if some of them cook their livers in all that rage.
Thank you so much for your insight, accuracy and most of all, your kindness toward us women who are suffering mightily. It isn't just the SCOTUS' decision, but the perceptible pounding of judgements against women by men in power, and unfortunately by other women who gloat about their belief in the sanctity of a conception. At the very least, their ignorance is shocking and deliberate. I can't help but see the irony of SCOTUS' decisions which on one day declares the ever- burgeoning right of Americans to arm themselves with more guns in more places vs. the proclamation of all prenatal life as sacred. We have been reduced to vessels. I am not certain about all mass shootings, but the most recent episodes have marked women and girls as most victims. And now this.
Another thing we should push for: The Equal Rights Amendment has been ratified and should be made an amendment asap/ A joint resolution was introduced in Congress currently to do just that. On 21 January 2021, U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-Calif.), and Congressman Tom Reed (R-N.Y.) announced the bipartisan legislation, which reads simply:
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That notwithstanding any time limit contained in House Joint Resolution 208, 92nd Congress, as agreed to in the Senate on March 22, 1972, the article of amendment proposed to the States in that joint resolution shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution whenever ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States.
This legislation, when passed, will eliminate one of the procedural barriers standing in the way of enshrining gender equality in the U.S. Constitution. You can take action to urge Congress to eliminate the deadline.
Right wing extremists packed the court. It is time to #unpackthecourt by expanding it and fight for every statehouse to protect our democracy.. The right's goal is an authoritarian state
Yes. The right wing fascists on the Supreme Court clearly want to dominate and diminish the status of women. I think they are afraid of women's power, intelligence and ability to compete with men in the work place. They have an especially severe case of TDS. It's particularly pathetic to see women like Barrett using their intelligence to help men handicap and abuse America's female population. They are giddy and vicious wielding this new power. But their cruelty and mean spirited behavior will come back to bite them in time.
House Republicans cheered on Friday when Jim Jordan announced the ruling. They are a cruel and insensitive bunch. Given Jordan's questionable history of protecting young athletes from sexual abuse, he is the last person to lecture women about children.
Difficult day for so many including those who struggled so hard when they were the age of our grandchildren to get this critical right for women and their daughters and grandaughters.
We are all justifiably upset and outraged at the SCOTUS revocation of a Constitutional Right of women to make reproductive healthcare decisions affecting themselves and their families. And, I agree with all of Robert's suggested actions and wise advice. I would also like to point out that these are all intermediate to longer-term approaches that are unlikely to address the immediate crises many will experience in the wake of this decision. I would like to suggest to all that we also consider how to best address that immediate crisis.
First I ask all to recognize a fact long ignored by anti-abortion activists. The most effective ways to reduce the number of abortions are comprehensive sex and reproductive health education and easy, affordable, and convenient access to all forms of birth control and contraception. Yes, I know these are all areas that have been attacked by conservatives, but they remain the most effective answers to avoid unwanted pregnancies and therefore reduce the need for abortions. Among the most effective organizations advocating for these answers and programs supporting them has always been and continues to be Planned Parenthood. Learn about these programs and support them by supporting Planned Parenthood both nationally and locally however you are able. If you have other organizations advocating for and helping in this effort, please support their efforts as well. This is critically important.
Next, remember this decision returns the control of reproductive healthcare to the states. While we may continue to advocate for and support federal legislation to address the need for and availability of reproductive healthcare, the near-term battles to both preserve and expand the availability of reproductive healthcare will be fought at the state level. Understand that regardless of the status and availability of reproductive healthcare in the state in which you reside, anti-abortion activists are determined to fight this battle everywhere. No state is safe from engaging in this battle, both for their own residents and those who may travel to their state from locations where the right to reproductive healthcare has already been or will soon be rescinded. Be informed and be engaged to defend and preserve the right to reproductive healthcare everywhere.
Also, an increasing number of abortions will be non-surgical abortions supported by medication. These are far less expensive than surgical abortions and, in most cases, do not require expensive travel that is so difficult for vulnerable women. While there are and will continue to be efforts to effectively regulate this type of abortion, they are far more difficult for the anti-abortion movement to control or regulate. An Increasing focus needs to be on providing information and access paths for those where this approach is an appropriate option. Often these can be supported safely for many by telehealth services.
Lastly, we need to let Republican politicians know that we are coming for them. Remember, this decision returns the decisions of regulating abortion to the states and their elected representatives. So, everyone should understand what that means. Many of the states restricting access to reproductive healthcare are overwhelmingly governed at present by Republicans. But the Republican majorities amongst all voters in many of those states are thinner than Republicans will admit. Values and issues are on the side of Democrats. We need to use those values and issues to take the control of state levers of power Democrats deserve to hold. That happens by recruiting strong candidates for every race, building support networks for those candidates, registering every citizen legally entitled to vote, and getting all of them to vote for their values. We know what needs to be done. Let's get to work!
I would like to see a show of hands from the anti-abortionists who would pledge, in the name of their god, to personally adopt one of these unwanted babies.
Yes, or who would pledge to even provide substantial funds to help care for the baby. I think the anti-abortion slogan is "Once the newborn cries, our interest dies."
I hope we shall not define ourselves by our opponents, but I must note that in the past month in particular it has become clear that those opponents are led by people who believe that fetuses in the womb deserve more protection than children in the classroom.
What is and is not on the ballot in this fall’s elections -
While I published these comments for my fellow Texans, you can easily adapt it for your own state as appropriate.
As you begin to consider your support for candidates in this fall’s elections, it is important to give careful thought to what is and is not on this year’s ballot. Here are just a few of the most important of those issues. I invite others to add to this list their own thoughts about the most important issues that should help determine who you will support with your vote.
First, lets talk about a couple of things on everyone’s mind but are not on the ballot. Regardless of how you feel about Joe Biden personally or the job he is doing as President, Biden is not on this year’s ballot. For that matter, neither is Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, or John Cornyn. But there are plenty of Republican scoundrels that could be targets of your feelings about the positions, policies, and values of the Republican Party. For those who may be unclear about those positions, policies, and values the Texas Republican Party has clearly documented and published them here:
If the values clearly demonstrated by this party platform are inconsistent with your own values it is easy to identify those candidates undeserving of your support and your vote. The undeserving candidates are all branded on your ballot with an (R), henceforth to be recognized as the new Scarlet Letter. Candidates who hold opposing positions to those in the Republican Party platform will be easy to identify by their brand, (D).
A couple of issues not on the ballot but everyone in the Republican party is talking about are gas and food prices, and inflation. But you will hear Republican candidates talking a lot about them as if your vote this fall could have someting to say about them. Let’s remember who and what has the most influence on those issues. The primary influencers on those issues are the Federal Reserve chaired by Jerome Powell, broken supply chains, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine sharply driving up energy and food prices. None of those are on this fall’s ballot. However, let’s look at them closely for a moment. Who elevated Jerome Powell to the position of Chair of the Federal Reserve? Why it was Donald Trump. So if you think the Fed screwed the pooch on managing the economy by acting too slowly to control inflation, you know who to blame - Trump, and yes also Biden as Powell has just been nominated for a second four year term by Biden. So he will continue to serve in that role until 2026. OK, who broke supply chains? Well, there are several factors for that - the Pandemic, labor supply disruptions, silly dysfunctional tariff policies, and oh yes, the Pandemic. Well, none of those are really on this fall’s ballot, although Trump and his foolish trade advisor, Peter Navarro, did have a lot to do with those silly tariffs. And how about the Russian invasion of Ukraine and that whole mess. Well, the one person who owns that fiasco is Vladimir Putin, unless you think Putin’s friends had any role to play in that.. But really Vlad pretty much owns that one and he is not on this fall’s ballot.
So what is on the ballot? Well here are a just a few of those issues:
- democracy, support for our Constitution over personal power, and the Rule of Law
- free and fair elections administered by non-partisan election officials
- orderly and peaceful transitions of power
- recognition of and respect for election outcomes
- the right of all American citizens of legal age to easily, conveniently, and fairly cast a vote in every election regardless of where they live
- truth versus lies and respect for truth
- women’s rights and equality of opportunity
- reproductive healthcare
- affordable healthcare
- equal access to quality education for all
- dignity for and fair treatment of refugees and immigrants
- support for childcare for all regardless of where they live or their economic circumstances
- affordable housing and efforts to better address homelessness
- needed criminal justice and policing reforms
- serious efforts to reduce gun violence
- efforts to address the existential threats of climate change
- protection and preservation of our environment
- an economy that provides equal opportunities for all and provides reasonable assistance to the most vulnerable amongst us
- respect for the dignity and choices of each individual to define themselves in whatever manner they wish, to be who they truly are, and to love and worship whoever they wish in whatever manner they feel appropriate
These are just a few of the important issues that are on the ballot this fall. I urge all to think carefully about your own values and carefully compare them to the demonstrated values of the candidates you choose to support and vote for. We always hear people telling us that “this year’s election is the most important one ever.” Here is the real message we need to be delivering - “Every election is important!” Voting is both a right and a civic responsibility. There are so many reasons to vote and no acceptable excuse for not voting. So as the Grail Knight advised Indiana Jones, “But choose wisely, for while the true Grail will bring you life, the false Grail will take it from you.” The same is true of your vote in every election.
The conservative S.C. justices were quite deceptive in their confirmation hearings and never used the exact words "I wouldn't vote to overturn Roe." Instead, they said, "it is settled law," knowing everyone would think they meant that the door was closed, including Senator Susan Collins. Now they have cover. Sneaky and dishonest, not very Christian, but coached by some clever lawyers for sure.
I believe they all intended to overrule Roe when they were confirmed. If so, they all lied, regardless of what words they used. We have no reason to believe a word that Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, or Barrett utters in the future. They are liars who did so to impose their reactionary religious views on all Americans.
State’s rights to implement gun legislation is gone; religious schools get public funding but abortion is a state decision? Are you kidding me? Im thinking civil unrest is an understatement of what’s to come. However, my *prayer* is that there will be enough angry people in this country of ours that they will get out and vote!
I just returned from a demonstration. I love the signage! I need to share:
—“as a woman, I just hope one day I have as many rights as a gun has.”
—my favorite “don’t forget to turn back your clock 200 years.”
Ps I was heartened to find at this demonstration that 2/3 of the people there would be under the age of 50 or so!
My favorite from the 2017 Women’s March in DC was “My uterus wouldn’t need regulation if it shot bullets”.
I went to a protest also. At this point, I need to keep all my protest signs & t-shirts in my car and add a siren to the roof! My favorite sign said "F---you and the elephant you rode in on!" I saw a photo of a woman protesting in front of Alito's house after the leak. Her sign said: "If you don't like me standing in front of your house, get out of my uterus!"
Yes, what could be a more important than these two issues? Women no longer have control over when and with whom they wish to have a child. We apparently cannot protect the children we do have from being shot at school. And then there are the January 6th hearings. It could turn out to be easier to Get Out The Vote for the midterm election than we think.
Great statements!!
I second your *prayer*. I see it as our only hope, and I continue to write postcards.
I had lunch with two women friends today in a local restaurant. The hostess, a young woman, told us of her sadness when we asked her how she was doing. Our waiter, a young man of 18, said when he approached our table: "I can't claim to feel what you are feeling today, but I want you to know that I share your sadness."
That young man better never have an "accident" or he'll feel it.
Abortion rights is a man's problem and every parent and grandparents. Not just the woman's.
Thank you, Robert, for focusing on what we can and must do next. My thoughts between bursts of anger were that RBG got it right when she was asked how many women on the Supreme Court would be enough and she answered nine. Also loved her quote on the gutting of the Voting Rights act: "throwing out preclearance when it has worked and is continuing to work to stop discriminatory changes is like throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you are not getting wet." I also had some smiles thinking about if the word woman or abortion isn't in the Constitution and therefore not rights, how could that be remedied. My answer was to have women, LGBTQ people, minorities and underrepresented people have a Constitutional Convention to write a new version of the Constitution that doesn't have the word man in it or any reference to patriarchy. What would that Constitution look like? Would it be a more perfect Union than we've ever had? One thing I do know is that it would not be rooted in the past but rooted in the well-being of future generations. We, the people, all of us this time!
The ERA - its ratified. Now we have to MAKE the senate approve and make it an amendment. We’re close. https://msmagazine.com/2022/06/23/equal-rights-amendment-abortion/
The ERA was never ratified!
Thank you Robert!! I am starting to write postcards again--this time for the mid-term elections. We have to get Democrats out to vote in droves so we can have a majority in the Senate and House. In the 2020 election, I think I wrote more than 300 postcards--as a way to manage my fear, anger, and sadness at what has happened to our country. You have helped keep me sane as I live life at 83!!! Jackie Pearson
Writing postcards feels good, and has been found to be effective. Sending a handwritten note and a reminder of elections days, or registration deadlines helps people belong and become VOTERS!
https://www.activateamerica.vote/postcards
Write Pro Choice Postcards - Don’t react, ACT!
https://votefwd.org/
We lament the Taliban resurgence in Afghanistan? Look closer to home! Maybe we women should all start wearing burqas in the US until our Fundamentalist Supreme Court wakes up. A general strike by women in states that ban abortion should happen immediately. Tell your bosses that you are all pregnant and too sick and frail to work. (They want us all home , doing laundry and cooking anyway, right?)Or better yet, move!!! Watch the tax base of poor states sink further. All corporations funding Republican races won’t get my business. We need a list of those corporations that fund Mitch McConnell’s campaigns. Are there ANY responsible Republicans out there that will FINALLY speak up for women? I can’t think of a better reason to become a Lesbian than this new attack on our equal rights. Shame on you all. You make us all have unwanted children and then YOU let people kill them at school, at work, at church, in the streets. The answer is not to always control the government by voting for Democrats. Yes, we should in mass , but we just did that and still look what’s happening. It’s always follow the money. That’s the ONLY thing that changes Republican minds. Stop buying stuff they sell. Don’t live in states they always control. Unionize at your businesses.Don’t buy Tesla’s. Tell your pastors you don’t support this decision if you don’t. Stock up on contraception. Get passports. Consider going to schools out of the US. Tell your lover/ husband/son to call their congressmen and complain. Above all, impeach Clarence Thomas if at all possible. His flagrant abuse of power is stunning.
Diane--bravo! You have hit on a very important point: tax and economic boycotts. Big American businesses gave us this Republican majority by filling their troughs with dirty money. They will stop doing so only when it hurts their profits.
I had a discussion with an old acquaintance today. She lives in Pennsylvania and I live in Georgia. She was over the moon at this decision and spouted off that women should just learn to live with these “moral” rules! As narrow minded as she was, she went on and on about how great it is to be finally returning decisions to the states and if I didn’t like it to move to a state that “fit” my lifestyle! I did not remain silent but quickly learned she was not listening to my counterpoints. I can’t get that simple conversation out of my head because she is young and lives in her white, rural, and indoctrinated “Christian” bubble. and represents others like her.
If Texas wants to secede along with other states being little red and blue islands…how is this a United States? I’m already living within a gerrymandered district that drove Lucy McBath out to another district where she ousted Carolyn Bordeaux. Where is the win in that? I worked hard to get her there and then a giant pen drew her out. So what do I do? Move? No way! But I do feel silenced down here in the grassroots.
I don’t understand how a persons civil liberties can be overseen by individual states. And if we are taking the SCOTUS Federalist approach to interpretation of the founding fathers isn’t that the same as some taking a literal interpretation of the Bible? Why would a modern society (the supposedly greatest democracy in the world) permanently lock themselves into the rules of antiquity?
I am disgusted by the political pawns that now sit on the bench and I pray that Clarence & Ginny are outed for the dangerous game they are playing with this nation. And I wonder what Ketanji Brown Jackson is thinking about her upcoming first day on the job
**Thank you for letting me think outloud in this safe space **
As a SW Florida resident, I so agree with you about “how can states drive out individual liberties” in a United States? In our hugely Red area, we cannot even field a blue candidate so where is the future for my activism? I do seriously intend to return to my northern roots and tell everyone my reasons!
Have you thought about running for office? After all, if you wouldn't have a chance, then you can go at it with full force and not worry about making mistakes (the bane of so many politicians).
Unfortunately, I’m not in a position to run for office. But I do know many others who might be and I think I will give them a push!
Thank you. As someone who heard Carolyn Bourdeaux several times, and contributed to her campaigns, I resented that Lucy McBath would move into her district rather than running in her old one (I know that a small part of McBath's district was in the one that had been Bourdeaux's). Easy for me to say--it's not my job on the line. But we need Democrats to take on the challenges of gerrymandering. Instead of McBath putting up a struggle and trying to retrieve her district, she took the easy path and made sure that there would be one less Democrat from Georgia next year. If there is a barely-credible Democratic candidate in your (new) district, I hope you will work heart and soul for that person. (And let us know who it is, so that we can send some $$.) The forces of good need to stage some upsets this year.
Bob Christian is the Candidate https://christianforga6.com/
Jon I feel the same about McBath. She was proven and trusted and could have pulled the country and the party in to back her hold on Ga6. What she did played straight in to the GOPs plan.
So Democrats have a genuine Christian as their candidate. That ought to be a good start. For one thing, it means that those supporting his opponent are, by definition, anti-Christian.
Agreed.
Thanks for your insightful reply. I understand the argument about not moving and I also see where simply voting for who you want is not a viable solution in very red states for those of more liberal ideas. 22 states will abandon equal rights for women if they haven’t already. What will inspire the remaining 28 states NOT to follow suit is for a massive general strike by people in those 22 states who do not agree with the SCOTUS decision. If that doesn’t turn heads, then reducing a very red (and often poor) states tax base by moving to one of the remaining 28 states , starting a business, get a job, and VOTE there is another honest solution and will be felt by Republican donors. And/or stop purchasing goods from corporations that support oppressive candidates. This is very grass roots and effective. If your friend enjoys a more “moral” life, let her. Her kids might choose to move.
Ironically, I was born in Pennsylvania where I was raised on the best of American values; freedom, fairness, caring for others. What the hell happened? Unfortunately, I moved to the south as a child, but when I visited old family in PA, I was appalled to find so much racism, sexism and right-wing cussedness.
I too am disgusted at what they did to our District 6. I don't like Lucy chose to run for the District 7 seat, thus removing Carolyn Bordeaux.
Yes, but I must disagree with your advice that people should move. That would lock in Republican control of states. If people are to change their locations because of the most recent actions of reactionaries in legislatures and on the Supreme Court, let them go to places where the presence of more reasonable people (in both senses of “more”) will lead to better government. And , more immediately, get out the vote. If enough people vote this year, Greg Abbott becomes a former governor and Marco Rubio and Ron Johnson (to name just two) become ex-senators. And the nation will be better off.
I have a transgender daughter. I’m exploring becoming an expat. I constantly do volunteer work, donate, and will continue to. But it looks like it could soon be too dangerous for us here. I wish that weren’t true.
I hope that you find a way to stay here, and that it turns out to be the right decision. People like you and your daughter will make this nation a better place. But that's easy for me to say.
Thomas is totalitarian.
I've heard a few pundits today talking about Democrats using the Supreme Court abortion and gun decisions to motivate voters. I think we all agree. But they must urge voters to keep our fight against a Republican dictatorship front and center too! If America loses it's democracy, all of our rights and freedoms will be at risk.
I think the issues are perfectly overlapping circles. The Republican dictators who seek to undermine democracy also want to impose their warped and unrecognizable version of Christianity on all Americans. but you are right; without democracy, we lose the path to resist.
As I have suggested before, I think “Democracy Is On The Ballot This Year” should be our slogan. But while I am worried that multiple issues can dilute the message , democracy, individual rights and gun safety make a fine trio that, properly presented, should be unstoppable.
Hello Jon, I'm sure someone else can come up with a better symbol for your message "Democracy Is On The Ballot This Year." But as a starting point, I see an open umbrella (bearing the colors of our flag) labelled "American Democracy" with symbols underneath (protected by the umbrella) representing gun safety protections and a woman's right to make decisions about her own body. They have to be unambiguous and I haven't had time to think about it. But there are lots of intelligent people on this comment section. I welcome ideas! Alternative message ideas "Save Our Democracy - VOTE" or "Protect Our Democracy - VOTE."
Sitting here fighting the roll into despair that has been threatening since the inevitable decision came down. Some combination of the vile misogyny of Alito, the cowardice of Roberts, and the smug arrogance of Kavanaugh, has been temporarily too much for me. But even an old woman who can barely breathe can be revived by the call for a slogan. Especially if she's an English teacher!!
First take is that "democracy" is too abstract. Most of us would agree it's a valuable thing, something we want to keep, but I don't think it rouses many voters to the llevel of real anger, fear and determination that will get them to the polls. In this climate, the opposition isn't preaching an alternative philosophy. They're just taking away rights, unleashing guns, and using every scare tactic they've got.
Do the Republicans even have any slogans? What they have is specifics. Mr. Hubbell and HCR are magnificent about cataloguing the Biden Administration's accomplishments, but for whatever reasons, nobody's buying it.
If we're talking billboards, posters, tv spots:
Every week, say, two concrete achievements, or even just one, a one-sentence testimonial from a citizen, then followed by. This is what democracy looks like. It's worth a fight. VOTE. Then maybe the slogan itself would be just "It's worth a fight. Vote."
Give me a day. I'm thinking about it
Thank you for your thoughts on slogans. : ) I don't know that these slogans will ever be used, but if we come up with something good, who knows! Please remember that on any given day, some of us are right there with you and your response to the evil and deliberate cruelty we see from fascist Republicans wearing a thin veneer of respectability over their seething hatred, greed and fear. They are dangerous, but they are also pathetic. If they keep it up, I wouldn't be surprised if some of them cook their livers in all that rage.
👍👍👍👍
Thank you so much for your insight, accuracy and most of all, your kindness toward us women who are suffering mightily. It isn't just the SCOTUS' decision, but the perceptible pounding of judgements against women by men in power, and unfortunately by other women who gloat about their belief in the sanctity of a conception. At the very least, their ignorance is shocking and deliberate. I can't help but see the irony of SCOTUS' decisions which on one day declares the ever- burgeoning right of Americans to arm themselves with more guns in more places vs. the proclamation of all prenatal life as sacred. We have been reduced to vessels. I am not certain about all mass shootings, but the most recent episodes have marked women and girls as most victims. And now this.
The hypocrisy is mind boggling.
Another thing we should push for: The Equal Rights Amendment has been ratified and should be made an amendment asap/ A joint resolution was introduced in Congress currently to do just that. On 21 January 2021, U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-Calif.), and Congressman Tom Reed (R-N.Y.) announced the bipartisan legislation, which reads simply:
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That notwithstanding any time limit contained in House Joint Resolution 208, 92nd Congress, as agreed to in the Senate on March 22, 1972, the article of amendment proposed to the States in that joint resolution shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution whenever ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States.
This legislation, when passed, will eliminate one of the procedural barriers standing in the way of enshrining gender equality in the U.S. Constitution. You can take action to urge Congress to eliminate the deadline.
Should the proposed resolution be updated to recognize that Virginia’s ratification of the ERA constituted the 3/4 requirement?
Right wing extremists packed the court. It is time to #unpackthecourt by expanding it and fight for every statehouse to protect our democracy.. The right's goal is an authoritarian state
I grew up on a farm. We raised beef cattle. Today I feel that women are being treated like cattle. Breed, have babies and shut up. 😢
You capture the sentiments of the white, Christian, evangelical movement about women exactly.
Yes. The right wing fascists on the Supreme Court clearly want to dominate and diminish the status of women. I think they are afraid of women's power, intelligence and ability to compete with men in the work place. They have an especially severe case of TDS. It's particularly pathetic to see women like Barrett using their intelligence to help men handicap and abuse America's female population. They are giddy and vicious wielding this new power. But their cruelty and mean spirited behavior will come back to bite them in time.
House Republicans cheered on Friday when Jim Jordan announced the ruling. They are a cruel and insensitive bunch. Given Jordan's questionable history of protecting young athletes from sexual abuse, he is the last person to lecture women about children.
Difficult day for so many including those who struggled so hard when they were the age of our grandchildren to get this critical right for women and their daughters and grandaughters.
We are all justifiably upset and outraged at the SCOTUS revocation of a Constitutional Right of women to make reproductive healthcare decisions affecting themselves and their families. And, I agree with all of Robert's suggested actions and wise advice. I would also like to point out that these are all intermediate to longer-term approaches that are unlikely to address the immediate crises many will experience in the wake of this decision. I would like to suggest to all that we also consider how to best address that immediate crisis.
First I ask all to recognize a fact long ignored by anti-abortion activists. The most effective ways to reduce the number of abortions are comprehensive sex and reproductive health education and easy, affordable, and convenient access to all forms of birth control and contraception. Yes, I know these are all areas that have been attacked by conservatives, but they remain the most effective answers to avoid unwanted pregnancies and therefore reduce the need for abortions. Among the most effective organizations advocating for these answers and programs supporting them has always been and continues to be Planned Parenthood. Learn about these programs and support them by supporting Planned Parenthood both nationally and locally however you are able. If you have other organizations advocating for and helping in this effort, please support their efforts as well. This is critically important.
Next, remember this decision returns the control of reproductive healthcare to the states. While we may continue to advocate for and support federal legislation to address the need for and availability of reproductive healthcare, the near-term battles to both preserve and expand the availability of reproductive healthcare will be fought at the state level. Understand that regardless of the status and availability of reproductive healthcare in the state in which you reside, anti-abortion activists are determined to fight this battle everywhere. No state is safe from engaging in this battle, both for their own residents and those who may travel to their state from locations where the right to reproductive healthcare has already been or will soon be rescinded. Be informed and be engaged to defend and preserve the right to reproductive healthcare everywhere.
Also, an increasing number of abortions will be non-surgical abortions supported by medication. These are far less expensive than surgical abortions and, in most cases, do not require expensive travel that is so difficult for vulnerable women. While there are and will continue to be efforts to effectively regulate this type of abortion, they are far more difficult for the anti-abortion movement to control or regulate. An Increasing focus needs to be on providing information and access paths for those where this approach is an appropriate option. Often these can be supported safely for many by telehealth services.
Lastly, we need to let Republican politicians know that we are coming for them. Remember, this decision returns the decisions of regulating abortion to the states and their elected representatives. So, everyone should understand what that means. Many of the states restricting access to reproductive healthcare are overwhelmingly governed at present by Republicans. But the Republican majorities amongst all voters in many of those states are thinner than Republicans will admit. Values and issues are on the side of Democrats. We need to use those values and issues to take the control of state levers of power Democrats deserve to hold. That happens by recruiting strong candidates for every race, building support networks for those candidates, registering every citizen legally entitled to vote, and getting all of them to vote for their values. We know what needs to be done. Let's get to work!
I would like to see a show of hands from the anti-abortionists who would pledge, in the name of their god, to personally adopt one of these unwanted babies.
Yes, or who would pledge to even provide substantial funds to help care for the baby. I think the anti-abortion slogan is "Once the newborn cries, our interest dies."
Susan, your comment illustrates why the “pro-life” party should stop promoting adoption as “the answer”.
As I have said so often, Robert, thank you.
I hope we shall not define ourselves by our opponents, but I must note that in the past month in particular it has become clear that those opponents are led by people who believe that fetuses in the womb deserve more protection than children in the classroom.
What is and is not on the ballot in this fall’s elections -
While I published these comments for my fellow Texans, you can easily adapt it for your own state as appropriate.
As you begin to consider your support for candidates in this fall’s elections, it is important to give careful thought to what is and is not on this year’s ballot. Here are just a few of the most important of those issues. I invite others to add to this list their own thoughts about the most important issues that should help determine who you will support with your vote.
First, lets talk about a couple of things on everyone’s mind but are not on the ballot. Regardless of how you feel about Joe Biden personally or the job he is doing as President, Biden is not on this year’s ballot. For that matter, neither is Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, or John Cornyn. But there are plenty of Republican scoundrels that could be targets of your feelings about the positions, policies, and values of the Republican Party. For those who may be unclear about those positions, policies, and values the Texas Republican Party has clearly documented and published them here:
https://texasgop.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/6-Permanent-Platform-Committee-FINAL-REPORT-6-16-2022.pdf
If the values clearly demonstrated by this party platform are inconsistent with your own values it is easy to identify those candidates undeserving of your support and your vote. The undeserving candidates are all branded on your ballot with an (R), henceforth to be recognized as the new Scarlet Letter. Candidates who hold opposing positions to those in the Republican Party platform will be easy to identify by their brand, (D).
A couple of issues not on the ballot but everyone in the Republican party is talking about are gas and food prices, and inflation. But you will hear Republican candidates talking a lot about them as if your vote this fall could have someting to say about them. Let’s remember who and what has the most influence on those issues. The primary influencers on those issues are the Federal Reserve chaired by Jerome Powell, broken supply chains, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine sharply driving up energy and food prices. None of those are on this fall’s ballot. However, let’s look at them closely for a moment. Who elevated Jerome Powell to the position of Chair of the Federal Reserve? Why it was Donald Trump. So if you think the Fed screwed the pooch on managing the economy by acting too slowly to control inflation, you know who to blame - Trump, and yes also Biden as Powell has just been nominated for a second four year term by Biden. So he will continue to serve in that role until 2026. OK, who broke supply chains? Well, there are several factors for that - the Pandemic, labor supply disruptions, silly dysfunctional tariff policies, and oh yes, the Pandemic. Well, none of those are really on this fall’s ballot, although Trump and his foolish trade advisor, Peter Navarro, did have a lot to do with those silly tariffs. And how about the Russian invasion of Ukraine and that whole mess. Well, the one person who owns that fiasco is Vladimir Putin, unless you think Putin’s friends had any role to play in that.. But really Vlad pretty much owns that one and he is not on this fall’s ballot.
So what is on the ballot? Well here are a just a few of those issues:
- democracy, support for our Constitution over personal power, and the Rule of Law
- free and fair elections administered by non-partisan election officials
- orderly and peaceful transitions of power
- recognition of and respect for election outcomes
- the right of all American citizens of legal age to easily, conveniently, and fairly cast a vote in every election regardless of where they live
- truth versus lies and respect for truth
- women’s rights and equality of opportunity
- reproductive healthcare
- affordable healthcare
- equal access to quality education for all
- dignity for and fair treatment of refugees and immigrants
- support for childcare for all regardless of where they live or their economic circumstances
- affordable housing and efforts to better address homelessness
- needed criminal justice and policing reforms
- serious efforts to reduce gun violence
- efforts to address the existential threats of climate change
- protection and preservation of our environment
- an economy that provides equal opportunities for all and provides reasonable assistance to the most vulnerable amongst us
- respect for the dignity and choices of each individual to define themselves in whatever manner they wish, to be who they truly are, and to love and worship whoever they wish in whatever manner they feel appropriate
These are just a few of the important issues that are on the ballot this fall. I urge all to think carefully about your own values and carefully compare them to the demonstrated values of the candidates you choose to support and vote for. We always hear people telling us that “this year’s election is the most important one ever.” Here is the real message we need to be delivering - “Every election is important!” Voting is both a right and a civic responsibility. There are so many reasons to vote and no acceptable excuse for not voting. So as the Grail Knight advised Indiana Jones, “But choose wisely, for while the true Grail will bring you life, the false Grail will take it from you.” The same is true of your vote in every election.
The conservative S.C. justices were quite deceptive in their confirmation hearings and never used the exact words "I wouldn't vote to overturn Roe." Instead, they said, "it is settled law," knowing everyone would think they meant that the door was closed, including Senator Susan Collins. Now they have cover. Sneaky and dishonest, not very Christian, but coached by some clever lawyers for sure.
I believe they all intended to overrule Roe when they were confirmed. If so, they all lied, regardless of what words they used. We have no reason to believe a word that Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, or Barrett utters in the future. They are liars who did so to impose their reactionary religious views on all Americans.