Republicans just about everywhere depend on lying and cheating--and extreme gerrymandering--to get what they want. It's an old story with them, and it's the main reason why voters should concentrate on electing Democrats to state offices. Democrats have been slow off the blocks to take over state legislatures. That needs to change. Stat.
Jess Piper--I live in a small rural (red) area west of Richmond, VA, and am here to confirm that yours is a voice that carries. I discovered you a couple of months ago and have been liberally (haha) sharing your posts since. You're a shining example of the intrinsic truth that the personal and the political are inexorably entwined. Thank you for all the positive, life-affirming contributions you make to this world, in word and in deed. Girl, you don't just walk the talk, you bend it to your will--that's a SuperPower in my book!!
I lived in Jeff City for a number of years. I'm envisioning an extended visit there in the not-too-distant future. I'll be in JC, Columbia, St. Louis, and down in the Bootheel. I sincerely intend to look you up and offer my appreciation in person!
In 1968 we got to hear Blackbird., and I cherish that Blackbird was Paul McCartneys response to the American civil rights movement. “He has said he wanted to write a song dedicated to those who had been affected by discrimination, especially women. In British slang, “bird” means “girl.”
Beyoncé’s new country album includes a beautiful rendition of Blackbird that I hope everyone takes the time to listen to.
There is once again an escalation in the terrible war on women in this Jane Crow country which is hurting all women but disproportionately hurting women of color. All women, and men who love them and love children, need to unite and fight for the equal rights of women, maybe this time we can get it right. Women should not have to feel worse than unprotected and unwelcome in this country, but hated by their country,
“ The good news? Missourians had just over 90 days to gather 180,000 signatures to put abortion on the ballot. Friends, we collected 380,000 signatures! Read that again…we gathered over 200k more signatures than we needed to put the measure on the ballot in November.”. Jess, thank you for all you do, keep up the “good fight”.
What I found truly frightening here in Ohio was that after the pro-choice amendment passed, some lawmakers discussed ignoring the law because “God’s law trumps man’s law and we (the Republican legislators) have a moral duty to do what is right regardless of the will of the voters.”
Had they followed through with that threat we would have truly become a lawless state.
They conveniently ignore Jesus's teaching to look after the least of these. They have a moral duty to feed and educate children, but they are not interested in doing that or treating others the way they want to be treated. Are there any moral Republicans? Harry Truman didn't think so.
We saw the same thing in Michigan! Unfortunately something like seven of the eight c@tholic dioc€se in Michigan were organizing real hard against our Reproductive Freedom For All ballot initiative (called Prop 3). We also got WELL over the required number of petitions signed, turned in and verified. What they achieved in my (sadly red) county was suppressing voter turnout and getting those they were just successful enough to make uncertain to at least leave it blank. I ran for state senate in Michigan in 2022 because of our ballot initiative (I had represented MI in 2018 on Planned Parenthood’s inaugural class of national storytellers). In two of the four counties in my district, in precincts with the highest voter turnout, Prop 3 passed. In my county, the opposite was true. I had worked hardest in the neighboring county because that was the incumbent’s home county and no one knew me there. And that was one of the counties where Prop 3 passed. So I was proud, at least, that we did good work there. My home county also had very organized M F L and W T P candidates/ groups going door-to-door leaving graphic disinformation packets against Prop 3. Their school board candidates mostly failed, thankfully. But that made it easy to identify why reproductive freedom and public education are ⚪️ nationalism’s main points of attack. Our ballot initiative in Michigan passed AND we elected a Democratic trifecta for the first time in four decades! So we even had the legislature and the Governor’s office in place to enact legislation to support our new constitutional rights in Michigan, not just to abortion care, but to prenatal & postnatal care, to infertility care, miscarriage management and CONTRACEPTION! None of which will matter if DT wins and a national abortion ban goes into effect. So! We absolutely must not let that happen! And this is part of it! So GO ARKANSAS!!
Thank you for your unbelievable hard work and courage to do what you do.
You said, "My home county also had very organized M F L and W T P candidates/ groups going door-to-door leaving graphic disinformation packets against Prop 3."
Don't you wish there was a team of Reproductive Rights Angels who could drive about 10 minutes behind these people switching out their lying pamphlets with REAL information?
YES!!! SO much!! And I have long wished that we our side had an equivalent “Sunday-go-to-meetin” type of weekly gathering in which to organize and share accurate information and truth! It’s all systemic, of course. Part of our struggle is the very way patriarchy extracts the resources of our humanity (caregiving in particular) and exhausts us. They may not have caused Covid, for instance, but they sure knew how to exploit it to further weaken women and our families. I encounter so many women whose partners prioritize anti-taxation and g*n culture and cancel out their votes. Because they’ve been socialized to disbelieve us, to unsee our contributions and to think that it makes them m@nly (like that’s the most important thing in the world). When in truth they are actually voting against themselves. ::sigh:: It’s infuriating. And deeply sad.
I’m in a blue state (California) and started reading your posts even before threads. I will like and repost everything you write…even more than once. Most of us in blue states have no idea how hard you’re fighting these anti abortion fanatics. I will contribute what I can (retired…not wealthy) and post.
Preach, sister!! I've been listening to all the 'decline to sign' hullabaloo being discussed on the many "prolife" podcasts I keep an ear on. Hell, at least they are ready to admit they have a real problem - this deeply seated desire to control the bodies of women they don't know and will never meet, to make the healthcare decisions of bodies that don't belong to them.......oof! This in a country whose blood and soil is "Live and let live!"
GOP to itself sometime back in the 2010s: "Damnit - the voters of this country seem to hate us. We haven't won the popular vote in decades. What should we do to make ourselves more attractive to our fellows, our beloved countrymen - each a precious and unrepeatable child of God."
Also the GOP to itself sometime in the 2010s: "I know - let's piss off all the women and medical doctors and install a terrifying and ignorant drag queen as our Dear Leader! Then, let's convince that closeted gay Senator to be the face of a national abortion ban!! Holy shit - we'll never lose again!!!!"
Sometimes, I really feel sorry for these nutters. But then I recall that they've turned half the U.S. population into broodmares and I snap out of it!
Speaker of the House MAGA Mike Johnson has identified "7 Core Principles of Conservatism”, the first two of which are: 1. Individual freedom, and 2. Limited Government. Sure, Mike, sure. Apparently those principles do not apply to the 51.1% of the US population born with a uterus. Thanks for fighting against the regressive bullshit, Jess.
Fellow Substack author and Missourian here. A few weeks ago I was set to listen to an episode of Pod Save America, but before it began, a strange ad began to play that I soon figured out was from one of these extreme Don’t Sign groups. I’m not sure how they did it, but I definitely know it isn’t one of Pod Save America’s advertisers! It hasn’t happened again, but it gave me the creeps. Both my husband and I signed the petition a few weeks ago. I’m elated we have the signatures! Now onto the next fight. I love your writing and your work. Thank you.
Great post Jess, and thank you for sharing the stepford-esk ‘decline to sign’ videos. They are disturbing to say the least.
Our right to vote is next if we don’t down this oppression on female body autonomy. If the bowels of crusty hard right can pull out rulings from 1864 for their most recent abortion ban attempt, as was the case in AZ, or Alito’s citing cited Sir Matthew Hale from the 17th century as part of over turning RvW, it is not beyond imagination that the 19th amendment only ratified in 1920 is not up for grabs.
And remember even as we ratify state constitutions and laws around abortion, there is still the Comstock Act that needs dealing with. It still has the possibility to be used as a bludgeon on women’s rights to access medication abortions.
Keep up the valuable work Jess and all of you out there being active in protecting our right to body autonomy and personal choice.
Republicans just about everywhere depend on lying and cheating--and extreme gerrymandering--to get what they want. It's an old story with them, and it's the main reason why voters should concentrate on electing Democrats to state offices. Democrats have been slow off the blocks to take over state legislatures. That needs to change. Stat.
Jess Piper--I live in a small rural (red) area west of Richmond, VA, and am here to confirm that yours is a voice that carries. I discovered you a couple of months ago and have been liberally (haha) sharing your posts since. You're a shining example of the intrinsic truth that the personal and the political are inexorably entwined. Thank you for all the positive, life-affirming contributions you make to this world, in word and in deed. Girl, you don't just walk the talk, you bend it to your will--that's a SuperPower in my book!!
Thank you, friend!
I lived in Jeff City for a number of years. I'm envisioning an extended visit there in the not-too-distant future. I'll be in JC, Columbia, St. Louis, and down in the Bootheel. I sincerely intend to look you up and offer my appreciation in person!
In 1968 we got to hear Blackbird., and I cherish that Blackbird was Paul McCartneys response to the American civil rights movement. “He has said he wanted to write a song dedicated to those who had been affected by discrimination, especially women. In British slang, “bird” means “girl.”
Beyoncé’s new country album includes a beautiful rendition of Blackbird that I hope everyone takes the time to listen to.
There is once again an escalation in the terrible war on women in this Jane Crow country which is hurting all women but disproportionately hurting women of color. All women, and men who love them and love children, need to unite and fight for the equal rights of women, maybe this time we can get it right. Women should not have to feel worse than unprotected and unwelcome in this country, but hated by their country,
“ The good news? Missourians had just over 90 days to gather 180,000 signatures to put abortion on the ballot. Friends, we collected 380,000 signatures! Read that again…we gathered over 200k more signatures than we needed to put the measure on the ballot in November.”. Jess, thank you for all you do, keep up the “good fight”.
They tried the exact same thing in Ohio. Even though we fought back and won, they’re still trying to undermine the will of the voters.
What I found truly frightening here in Ohio was that after the pro-choice amendment passed, some lawmakers discussed ignoring the law because “God’s law trumps man’s law and we (the Republican legislators) have a moral duty to do what is right regardless of the will of the voters.”
Had they followed through with that threat we would have truly become a lawless state.
They conveniently ignore Jesus's teaching to look after the least of these. They have a moral duty to feed and educate children, but they are not interested in doing that or treating others the way they want to be treated. Are there any moral Republicans? Harry Truman didn't think so.
The Missouri legislature is really good at that. What an unAmerican bunch.
We saw the same thing in Michigan! Unfortunately something like seven of the eight c@tholic dioc€se in Michigan were organizing real hard against our Reproductive Freedom For All ballot initiative (called Prop 3). We also got WELL over the required number of petitions signed, turned in and verified. What they achieved in my (sadly red) county was suppressing voter turnout and getting those they were just successful enough to make uncertain to at least leave it blank. I ran for state senate in Michigan in 2022 because of our ballot initiative (I had represented MI in 2018 on Planned Parenthood’s inaugural class of national storytellers). In two of the four counties in my district, in precincts with the highest voter turnout, Prop 3 passed. In my county, the opposite was true. I had worked hardest in the neighboring county because that was the incumbent’s home county and no one knew me there. And that was one of the counties where Prop 3 passed. So I was proud, at least, that we did good work there. My home county also had very organized M F L and W T P candidates/ groups going door-to-door leaving graphic disinformation packets against Prop 3. Their school board candidates mostly failed, thankfully. But that made it easy to identify why reproductive freedom and public education are ⚪️ nationalism’s main points of attack. Our ballot initiative in Michigan passed AND we elected a Democratic trifecta for the first time in four decades! So we even had the legislature and the Governor’s office in place to enact legislation to support our new constitutional rights in Michigan, not just to abortion care, but to prenatal & postnatal care, to infertility care, miscarriage management and CONTRACEPTION! None of which will matter if DT wins and a national abortion ban goes into effect. So! We absolutely must not let that happen! And this is part of it! So GO ARKANSAS!!
Thank you for your unbelievable hard work and courage to do what you do.
You said, "My home county also had very organized M F L and W T P candidates/ groups going door-to-door leaving graphic disinformation packets against Prop 3."
Don't you wish there was a team of Reproductive Rights Angels who could drive about 10 minutes behind these people switching out their lying pamphlets with REAL information?
YES!!! SO much!! And I have long wished that we our side had an equivalent “Sunday-go-to-meetin” type of weekly gathering in which to organize and share accurate information and truth! It’s all systemic, of course. Part of our struggle is the very way patriarchy extracts the resources of our humanity (caregiving in particular) and exhausts us. They may not have caused Covid, for instance, but they sure knew how to exploit it to further weaken women and our families. I encounter so many women whose partners prioritize anti-taxation and g*n culture and cancel out their votes. Because they’ve been socialized to disbelieve us, to unsee our contributions and to think that it makes them m@nly (like that’s the most important thing in the world). When in truth they are actually voting against themselves. ::sigh:: It’s infuriating. And deeply sad.
Thank you!
This whole thing reminds me of what one of the Marx brothers said. “Well, who you gonna believe? Me or your own eyes?”
That part!
That’s really good :)
I’m in a blue state (California) and started reading your posts even before threads. I will like and repost everything you write…even more than once. Most of us in blue states have no idea how hard you’re fighting these anti abortion fanatics. I will contribute what I can (retired…not wealthy) and post.
Thank you, Dixie!
Ditto
I wish I could give you 100 hearts for this amazing post. Thank you.
Preach, sister!! I've been listening to all the 'decline to sign' hullabaloo being discussed on the many "prolife" podcasts I keep an ear on. Hell, at least they are ready to admit they have a real problem - this deeply seated desire to control the bodies of women they don't know and will never meet, to make the healthcare decisions of bodies that don't belong to them.......oof! This in a country whose blood and soil is "Live and let live!"
GOP to itself sometime back in the 2010s: "Damnit - the voters of this country seem to hate us. We haven't won the popular vote in decades. What should we do to make ourselves more attractive to our fellows, our beloved countrymen - each a precious and unrepeatable child of God."
Also the GOP to itself sometime in the 2010s: "I know - let's piss off all the women and medical doctors and install a terrifying and ignorant drag queen as our Dear Leader! Then, let's convince that closeted gay Senator to be the face of a national abortion ban!! Holy shit - we'll never lose again!!!!"
Sometimes, I really feel sorry for these nutters. But then I recall that they've turned half the U.S. population into broodmares and I snap out of it!
Thanks for never giving up, and getting to the bottom of misinformation.
Excellent information thank you for sharing.
Speaker of the House MAGA Mike Johnson has identified "7 Core Principles of Conservatism”, the first two of which are: 1. Individual freedom, and 2. Limited Government. Sure, Mike, sure. Apparently those principles do not apply to the 51.1% of the US population born with a uterus. Thanks for fighting against the regressive bullshit, Jess.
You give me hope Jess! Thank you for your never ending fight to save democracy. Together we really can make a difference!!
Fellow Substack author and Missourian here. A few weeks ago I was set to listen to an episode of Pod Save America, but before it began, a strange ad began to play that I soon figured out was from one of these extreme Don’t Sign groups. I’m not sure how they did it, but I definitely know it isn’t one of Pod Save America’s advertisers! It hasn’t happened again, but it gave me the creeps. Both my husband and I signed the petition a few weeks ago. I’m elated we have the signatures! Now onto the next fight. I love your writing and your work. Thank you.
OMG! I have also heard that they were on YouTube.
Great post Jess, and thank you for sharing the stepford-esk ‘decline to sign’ videos. They are disturbing to say the least.
Our right to vote is next if we don’t down this oppression on female body autonomy. If the bowels of crusty hard right can pull out rulings from 1864 for their most recent abortion ban attempt, as was the case in AZ, or Alito’s citing cited Sir Matthew Hale from the 17th century as part of over turning RvW, it is not beyond imagination that the 19th amendment only ratified in 1920 is not up for grabs.
And remember even as we ratify state constitutions and laws around abortion, there is still the Comstock Act that needs dealing with. It still has the possibility to be used as a bludgeon on women’s rights to access medication abortions.
Keep up the valuable work Jess and all of you out there being active in protecting our right to body autonomy and personal choice.
Thank you. I appreciate hearing your voice and knowing all is not lost because of good people like you.
Keep up the good fight!
Solidarity.
Exactly!