“We Have to Be a Nation That Trusts Women”

abortion, abuse of power, current events, health and wellness, Kamala Harris, Political wrongdoing 4 Minutes

While the Republicans continue to scramble and dig more deeply into the hole created since the radical Supreme Court majority decimated reproductive freedom, making red state legislators giddy with newfound opportunities to deprive women of their rights, some commentators (male) are contending that this issue really doesn’t have the power it did in 2022 and 2023.

I remain quite confident that what was true in 2022, when I quoted the head of Planned Parenthood in my post “Abortion Is Actually Going to Save Democracy,” is even more true today.

The issue has moved far beyond the caricature of guiltless, sinful, hyper-sexed women that the right wants to be the face of abortion. That caricature has been replaced by brave women telling their stories: they are moms who learn that the babies they desperately wanted are dying in their wombs, jeopardizing their own lives and health; or they are physicians being told they’ll be jailed for helping such patients; or they are people who won’t tolerate the requirement that a child give birth to the baby sired by her stepfather.

Add to that the all-in Republican determination to oppose IVF, mifepristone, and contraception per se, and you have a strengthened pool of voters who grow even more determined every day–with every outrage that surfaces.

We’ll soon have another test of that questionable argument about flagging fervor surrounding reproductive rights.

Today, my husband and I mailed the post cards we’d written in support of Marilyn Lands, a Democrat running for a seat in the Alabama–yes, you read that right, Alabama–state House. See (*Note) below.

The March 26 special election will fill the seat vacated by Republican David Coe, who defeated Lands in 2022 but was forced to resign after entering a plea deal for voter fraud. Lands will face a two-term local councilman named Teddy Powell.

As you can see from the video above, Lands is focusing her campaign on reproductive freedom–centrally, though not exclusively. The video features a young couple in Alabama who must leave the state to get the abortion needed because the fetus she’s carrying has trisomy 18, a genetic disorder that means most babies won’t live beyond the first two weeks of life.

Lands describes having received similar news about one of her own pregnancies twenty years ago, when she learned the fetus she was carrying had “organ devastation.” The video features several other women saying–defiantly and emphatically–that women will not go back to the pre-Roe days that some courts and Republican legislatures are inflicting upon women.

Alabama has a “no exceptions” abortion ban that Lands is running to help repeal. It’s also where the state Supreme Court knocked down the very popular in vitro fertilization, which has started a national brouhaha as well.

In an interview with the Alabama Daily News, Lands said:

“It just seemed unbelievable to me that 20 years ago I was able to get the care I needed right here, in my own hospital with my own doctor, and Alyssa and her family had to make a horrific journey.”

“To think that we’ve gone backward and not forward; it’s just unacceptable.”

The Biden/Harris administration certainly doesn’t think women have lost their fervor about this first-ever instance of the Supreme Court’s removing a constitutional right previously guaranteed.

You’ve probably heard that Vice President Harris, who is spearheading the Biden campaign efforts with appearances around the nation on her “Fight for Reproductive Freedoms” tour, visited a Planned Parenthood clinic in Minnesota last week.

Harris made the case that clinics like Planned Parenthood are essential for women’s health–and education. As she spoke, I recalled that her mother and inspiration, Shyamala Harris, was a cancer researcher who did pioneering work identifying the progesterone receptor gene–research that advanced the field of breast biology and cancer. I found the VP’s comfortable candor in discussing the female anatomy refreshing, and her calm demeanor compassionate and persuasive.

Please watch her as she speaks during this path-breaking visit to an abortion provider–though ironically, despite the fierce efforts to close what are often the only resources for women in need of healthcare for miles, Planned Parenthood devotes just three percent of its yearly budget to abortions.

Harris summed up her talk with these powerful and straightforward words.

“We have to be a nation that trusts women.”

A recent KFF poll found that two-thirds of the public (86% of Democrats, 67% of independents, and 43% of Republicans ) support a law guaranteeing a federal right to abortion.

Eugene Robinson of the Washington Post cited the poll in an opinion piece that appeared on March 14 titled “Harris’s dogged fight for abortion rights should scare Republicans.”

He muses:

“One wonders what it is about the concept of bodily autonomy that Republicans don’t understand. It turns out that what Americans want–or want to reclaim–is the legal framework we had for nearly fifty years, before Trump’s three far-right appointees tipped the balance on the Supreme Court; women should have the fundamental right to choose, and abridgment of that right can only go so far.”

While Biden and Harris have been consistent in their support, Robinson writes,

“Republicans have made no coherent effort to respond, which is understandable, because they have no idea what their response should be.” (emphases mine)

Meanwhile, Trump was angry that his comment in support of a 16-week federal ban became public. He’s reportedly trying to figure out what his position will be as he seeks some way to “make both sides happy.”

Writes Robinson:

“The GOP’s big problem is that what Trump ought to say is the one thing he never, ever says: I’m sorry.”

I think there will be plenty of issues that lead to a Biden/Harris win in November. But it’s so very gratifying to ponder that the dreadful man who has wronged so many may well be taken down by America’s women voters.

His resounding defeat will be the fitting national bookend to the Access Hollywood tape that should have sunk his campaign in October, 2016.

Annie

(*Note: Some of you may wonder why my husband and I are spending our time writing post cards to Alabama voters. It’s become clear that the far-right Republicans who are suppressing votes, supporting the Big Lie, gerrymandering, and otherwise taking positions that don’t always correlate with many of their voters’ viewpoints have had free rein in the absence of attention from Democrats.

We know that reproductive freedom galvanizes women and their allies in red states as well as blue. Thus, supporting candidates who have a realistic chance of claiming seats in these state legislatures–and on local councils, school boards, etc.–is essential to a national campaign to ensure the continuation of our functioning democracy.)

Published by annieasksyou

I've been a nonfiction writer for many years, exploring diverse topics that pique my curiosity, as noted in my first blog posting (Greetings!). I'm seeking dialogue with others committed to joining me in this exploration, sharing my conviction that different views can be exchanged in a respectful, civil discourse where we can learn from one another and be agreeable, even when we disagree. These postings depend for their enrichment on your participation: your ideas, insights, knowledge, opinions, and personal stories.

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44 thoughts on ““We Have to Be a Nation That Trusts Women””

    1. Thank you, Anita! I am inspired by Simon Rosenberg of Hopium Chronicles, whose mantra is “Do more; worry less.”

      This is such an important election, as we all know. Every small action, donation, etc, we make—in addition to making sure we’re registered and voting in each election for candidates who (while not perfect) best represent our views—is to me a win for the future.

      And of course, we must make sure we engage others who may be less committed/enthusiastic than we are!

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  3. Totally agree. There’s no reason why this issue would have diminished in importance for voters in the two years since the Dobbs decision. If anything, it has probably become even more of a concern as one horror story after another in the news drives home what a huge threat to individual freedom we’re facing here, and how much pointless suffering and degradation the Republicans’ forced-birth obsession is inflicting.

    Personal cases like those of the couple in the Marilyn Lands ad will be a powerful weapon. To force a woman to deliver a baby with no hope of any existence beyond a week or two of grotesque and pointless suffering is beyond sadism — it’s forcing women backward toward the pre-technological world where they were helpless victims of any random misfire of their own reproductive biology, like cattle. It belongs in some twisted David Cronenberg body-horror movie, not in reality. The first bolded quote from Robinson has it right — the forced-birthers are not providing any coherent defense of their position, because they cannot, because none is possible. It’s a monstrous, primordial evil. That becomes obvious as soon as it’s dragged out from the world of abstract clichés into the world of concrete examples.

    If the Republicans launch a serious attack on the right to contraception too, they’ll really be sabotaging themselves. The right to contraception is supported by even more massive majorities than abortion, even a majority of Republican voters.

    If the Democrats really focus on this issue — and Harris’s unprecedented visit to an abortion facility suggests that they’re willing to do so — I think it’s possible this year’s election could even end up being a landslide. We’ve seen abortion rights win by large margins even in red states, since Dobbs. A lot of Republicans will express their long-held support for state enforcement of religious taboo to pollsters and even to themselves, but when they’re in the privacy of the voting booth and they start thinking about the real-world implications of this, some — especially women — will make a different decision.

    Is the postcard campaign targeting Republican voters in Alabama? To be effective, the message needs to get out well beyond the Democratic base, especially to Republican women who need to hear about the real-world harm being done, to set against the entrenched religious taboos they were raised with.

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  4. Thank you for writing, Annie. I do that, too, though I haven’t written to AL this time. I also really enjoy phone banking for candidates I like (well, I would like them if I met them, as most are not in my own state.) It’s good to help, IMO, especially if one’s state is either mostly lost, like mine, or is fairly level-headed. There are good candidates running all over the US who can use the help. Some of the very best minutes of my life have been on the phone with fellow voters, talking about a good person who wants to represent them. And the postcards can be fun, as well, with gel pens. 😉 (Not odd colored ink, but the gel pens make writing fun, a kiddo taught me.)

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    1. off topic but Ohio caring nothing for my independent views had me choose a Democrat ballot. My Greene Co ballot had at least 12 positions without a candidate. It’s one thing to say you have to play to win but even with the greatest backfield what are the expectations if you can’t even put a JV squad on the line?

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      3. It’s how it happens, here, too. The state and county parties have to raise and save up money to recruit and support candidates; while we have candidates in some areas (Rep. Sharice Davids as an example,) it takes a term or two to fill slates.
        It’s discouraging. Many times, I write in names of local people I admire when we have empty slots. It’s not worth much as to the election, but I feel better, like I put something positive into the universe.

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      4. This is an important topic that several organizations are addressing, Richard. “Run for Something” is one of them. We need many more qualified candidates to step in–even knowing they’re unlikely to win the first or even second time.

        Liked by 3 people

      5. -I wonder how many would win if there was just a name to vote for.-

        Likely more than would expect to win!

        The thing is, each state has different rules, ensconced in law, for candidates to make ballot access. There’s the rub, and most rules involve money, in one fashion or another: either a fee to file, or money for the expenses of gathering signatures on a petition. These rules and laws, btw, are a top reason for paying attention to elections at all levels-elected people make these rules and laws.
        Running for a party’s precinct committee chair is free, though, and the positions allow access into party workings, especially decision making. Just tossin’ that out there! 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

    2. Hi, ali. Thank YOU for all you do. In the hierarchy of effectiveness, phone banking is way up there, so I’m very glad you’re doing it–and finding it so gratifying. There are, indeed, good candidates in every state who can benefit from a boost of support.

      And thanks for the gel pen suggestion–we must try that! Cheers!

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  5. Great post, Annie!!! Abortion, the Dobbs decision and all the states that are banning abortion and even putting in draconian laws that criminalize a pregnant woman’s travel out of state, is only the beginning. As you mention, next they will be ruling on birth control, and I firmly believe that ultimately women’s voting rights could be on the chopping block if the Republicans have their way. They truly see women as inferior beings. In my view, any woman who would vote for Trump is a traitor to her gender.

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    2. Thanks, Jill. I find it especially difficult to watch the contortions of women Republican legislators as they try to explain these increasingly biased moves they feel compelled to support. They didn’t reach their positions without considerable ambition, and now they’re in a party that wants them to–literally–stay in the kitchen.

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      1. Agreed. But then, I look at some of these women Republican legislators and also state elected officials such as Kari Lake and Sarah Huckabee Sanders and I think they really aren’t women in the sense of today’s woman. They still see themselves differently, perhaps as still needing to be dominated by males, or their thinking comes from a male’s perspective. Or perhaps I’m just rambling because it’s late and I’m tired. Anyway, it was a great post and one which I will likely reblog, if not today then tomorrow.

        Liked by 2 people

  6. How about I trust women the same as I trust men? The first point of the Law is “a scout is trustworthy”. It is a burden I choose to pick up not some gift I give to you.😉
    I have a question? Watching all the brouhaha over the Stephanopoulos Mace interview, reminiscent of the Al Franken pillory, is the criticism that he will never know the shame of being raped. Mostly women. Is it not common knowledge that men can too know and understand the shame of being raped? Also is there a “degree” to rape?

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    1. I think the issue here, Richard, is that no laws or restrictions are being drafted and applied to most men. The perfect example is mifepristone, an abortifacient that’s been found safer than Cialis, among other meds. But there’s a huge effort under way to outlaw mifepristone that the radical Supreme Court majority, in its infinite lack of wisdom, may agree with. No one anywhere is calling for a ban on Cialis.

      Rape is horrific and should be condemned, but I’ve seen Nancy Mace’s weird performance appearances before.

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  8. In my opinion the liberals are making a mistake about defining the issue as “abortion rights” for women. Once again they (we) have failed to outline the issue in broader terms.
    The Dobbs decision was not about women. It was about families and should be addressed in that way. It is not a “women” issue, it is a family issue.
    I would state it simply. “Should the government decide how many children a family will have or does the husband and wife or significant others make that decision?”
    In other words,we need to change the premise of the argument. It is not ONLY about a woman’s right to terminate a pregnancy. It is ALSO about a family’s right to decide family size. The Dobb’s decision is about the rights and responsibilities of men as well as women.
    The decision is also about economics. MIddle class and wealthy families will always have access to safe abortions. Even before Roe v Wade that was the case. So for many middle class families the Dobb’s decision is a minor inconvenience. For poor families it is devastating, but middle class women and their daughters will continue to have access.
    Focus on families and economics, not strictly individual rights.

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    1. VP Harris often speaks of the economics as well, Joseph—and of the special burdens poor women face—including much higher maternal mortality rates, especially among women of color. But your points are well taken.

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  9. Thanks, rawgod. How about if you send us 11,780 votes? (A little attempt at humor—that was Trump’s appeal to Georgia’s Secretary of State after his 2020 loss.)

    Seriously, your encouragement is greatly appreciated!

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  10. I’m grateful for your passionate response, Infidel—though not surprised, because I know from your writing that you risked your personal safety to serve as an escort for women seeking abortions when these necessary procedures were still legal but under fire from zealots.

    Women will not be denied this most fundamental right to bodily autonomy. And yes: the reactionaries are already going after contraception—and they won’t stop there.

    This post card campaign is focused on getting out the vote among Democrats in an area that already had one special election not long ago. But its existence frees candidate Lands to use her campaign funding to broaden her appeal. The Republican who held the seat before the disgraced Coe won in 2022 has endorsed her; I think that’s a promising sign.

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  11. I know 90 year old women who escorted young women across a parking lot into a safe zone for abortion. Or at least that used to be possible. Trust women– what a fabulous shorthand for a call to action. As always, an intelligent discussion here on critical issues looked squarely in the face. And hope — a glimmer of hope in the idea that battling this horror could save democracy. I appreciate hope. Thanks for all your work, here and in postcards.

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  12. Annie,

    Maybe female legislators should propose that all men must have vasectomies if they do not plan on procreating anymore or at all. Something intrusive like that would not sit well with men now would it? How dare you tell me what to do with my body they might retort?

    Keith

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