66 Comments

You’ve got a lot of guts, Jess, doing what you are doing. It has to be difficult swimming against the red tide, day after day. But, the only way anything is ever going to change, is to fight. You set a great example for all of us, not just Missourians.

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Intimidation is a requent tactic when your only policy is "fuck everyone in this state who doesn't benefit me personally".

This is why I don't understand the far right. They call out every time Dems don't live up to campaign promises. Then they turn around and don't even pretend to fulfill theirs.

And people keep voting them in. Almost the entire elected body is Republican even though most of the populace seems like they wouldn't be. Even sidestepping that shadiness...

If you've had a supermajority for 22 years how do you convince people the other party is at fault?

THIS IS WHY THEY LOVE THE UNEDUCATED.

Same way a wolf loves a sheep.

For dinner.

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Required tactic*

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Apr 21Liked by Jess Piper

Jess, it’s so amazing that the GOP is the party of deregulation, yet they want to regulate what women can decide about their own bodies! I believe that’s called hypocrisy!

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It was abundantly clear to me in my 20s that women have been on the short end of the shoe after reading the police blotter in my local paper. Two men sentenced for criminal activity. One found guilty of rape who was given some kind of probation or very light sentence and one with a personal use drug charge who was sentenced to hard time. Light sentencing around sexual assault is designed to protect all men who might end up in that situation and puts women on in a place of compliance to all men at home or in public and on notice that they are not safe anywhere (this is a motivation for repealing rvw, don't forget the judge who's a known rapist and the other judge who's religious sect has cult-like patriarchal control of women behaviors), and the drug laws were designed to disenfranchise large swaths of voters by making them felons for personal use of illegal substances, and then private companies taking state and federal money to house them.

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Apr 21Liked by Jess Piper

The GOP would have no standards whatsoever if it were not for "double standards"!

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It seems like being a clown is a MAGA requirement for women politicians everywhere. Senator Coleman is in good company with MTG, Lauren Boebert, Katie Britt, and Judge Cannon (she’s diminishing herself for Trump). I cannot comprehend how these women garner respect from anybody, but especially other women. I have second hand embarrassment watching them play up to the very misogyny women must fight everyday in our society. They give women a bad name. Ew.

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Given women a bad name serves their purposes.

Why do you think Liz got the social boot after she stood up for women?

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The Dobbs decision may cause a blue tsunami, giving Democrats control of Congress as well as the White House. They could write legislation mandating Ranked Choice Voting in all federal elections, and that would give Liz Cheney a decent chance of returning to Congress as an Independent candidate.

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Liz Cheney is as anti-choice as any MAGA politician. Don’t fool yourself. Her principled stand and courage against Trump notwithstanding, she is no defender of reproductive freedom. She’s got a 93 percent approval rating by the National Right To Life Committee for her voting record. Unless she has recently had an epiphany.

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Liz committed career suicide, but I have to respect her for finally doing the right thing. These very misguided and mistaken women have fallen under misogyny’s spell. Even if they finally get a clue, they’re too far gone.

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Giving*

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You forgot Sen. Marsha Blackburn in TN. And we have a nasty old biddy named Virginia Foxx in a House seat here in NC.

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Let me add Governor Kay Ivey to the list too. Her black face comedy sketch she performed at our alma mater, Auburn University, should not be forgotten ever.

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I’m sorry! It’s sad that there is so many to list!

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This reminds me of what we went through here in Ohio last year. The RTL crowd tried everything to intimidate voters into not signing the petition to get a constitutional abortion amendment on the ballot. Lots of disinformation, distortion, and lies.

The “out of state special interests” argument was made as well. And maybe that might have been effective. Until it was learned that the anti-choice crowd was being funded by a billionaire in Illinois.

The proposed amendment did make it on the ballot and passed, by a huge margin.

But our gerrymandered state government Republican legislators, after the election and after the amendment became law, threatened to IGNORE the amendment that had passed arguing that THEY, the gerrymandered legislators knew better than the voters. The media jumped all over that. Soon, these fascists backed down.

Even in a red leaning state like Ohio, female voters made clear they want choice. It was a fight and remains a fight. But pro-choice prevailed.

Next up: an amendment to fix the gerrymandering of our districts. Another fight against the Republicans and evangelicals. I am hopeful we will win this round too.

Keep getting the word out about the disinformation and intimidation. Our experience here showed that most voters won’t support that.

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Apr 21Liked by Jess Piper

It wasn't just women in OH who fought to get the first ballot amendment in August defeated and the one in November passed. I'm in NC and I lost track of the number of postcards I wrote into OH last year...

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Thanks for your help. Much appreciated.

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Thank you so much. I sent postcards for candidates out of Ohio as well.. it is imperative we stick together and do what we can for each of our states.

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That happens here in MO also. See Clean Missouri and the Marijuana Laws.

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Apr 21Liked by Jess Piper

Bully tactics is all they have. We can’t let the bullies win. Thank you to all the volunteers who held their ground.

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Apr 21Liked by Jess Piper

Is there a women's rights organization in Mo who could help out? I am wondering if what these volunteers need is protection when they step out to do these events? I know a Dr. who has a group of friends who will ride a a group to a situation to witness. They don't bring guns, they don't put their hands on people or threaten them, but they will stand with people who are in challenging situations and it does work. This kind of intimidation only works when one side feels comfortable doing this, and sometimes witnesses are enough. Would it help to let the police know prior to events? Or contact the local news when what's her name shows up or sends people to harass volunteers? Nothing like a good channel 4 @ 6pm interview of some local Mom trying to get signatures and being harassed to get negative publicity.

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Planned parenthood is great

Also abortion action MO

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Planned parenthood is great. They help with birth control, child care etc along with abortions. In Ohio, while we voted 57%-43% in favor of an abortion amendment in our constitution last November, and we worked hard getting the signatures, combating the misinformation and outright lies from the governor, DeWine, the AG- Yost, SS LaRose, and Vance senate… they continue to hold onto old bans and city sanctuary status … complaining the amendment goes to far… it does not… up to viability determined by a real physician, not the crazy politicians. Anyway, we are still fighting for our reproductive rights rights in Ohio, although one never hears about it on TV

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Apr 21Liked by Jess Piper

The reason for her heightened interest is she knows what the GOP knows. Ballot initiatives for choice almost always pass. The most basic of Democratic principles is abhorrent to them.

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Isn’t a library community/public space? If so, why couldn’t petitioners gather there? If not, then the sidewalk space is fair game. What galls me is the elementary-age behavior response of the anti-choice folks.

Look, citizens and legislators don’t have to agree on this issue; however, demanding your constituents step in line behind you (“Don’t sign!) or standing in close proximity to others, inside their bubble, and disrupting a private conversation between parties is ridiculous at best.

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I thought librarians were the bastion of guarding our liberties. Not true in MO? Harry Truman must be rolling in his grave at what these RWNJ’s have done in MO.

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It was Harry Truman who said, "The only good Republicans are pushing up daisies." They prove it everyday.

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Apr 21Liked by Jess Piper

This makes me sad and furious at the same time. I can't believe these people.

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Apr 21Liked by Jess Piper

Sending you prayers for strength in your ongoing fight for rights for your state!! Keep up the good work, Jess💙🇺🇸

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When you are an absolutist who thinks he/she is right, especially if they are citing the Bible, this is what you get. There is nothing horrible, dishonest, and intimidating they will do that they cannot rationalize. Hard as it may be for you, Jess, I'm glad you live in Missouri and are actively working for much-needed change.

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Apr 21Liked by Jess Piper

This is appalling! Hats off to the brave volunteers who defiantly stood (and continue standing) their ground. We WILL get this done.

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She's such a vile creature.

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Apr 21Liked by Jess Piper

A Blue Wave across the US from the top of the ballot to the very bottom is the only cure!

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Apr 21Liked by Jess Piper

Out of state interests... she's talking about Hawley, right? No?? Interesting...

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