In South Carolina,a young black girl had a miscarriage and they locked her up for murder. Then had her on house arrest with an ankle bracelet to monitor her. Where was the outrage? And this is why I struggle with the church, why wasn’t anyone there to help her. I remember the people in Jesus’ day that brought the woman to him to be stoned for adultery. Where was the man? She didn’t commit it by herself. In most of these cases, what happened to the man that impregnated her. Where is her support?
I struggle with the church too, and I struggle with the media for failing to cover these things. Then you talk to people who are ignorant that these atrocities are going on. We deserve fair coverage of what's happening in our country along with the consequences of awful decisions. Thanks for the comment Cynthia!
I moved to Spain from America last year and I can tell you, I am treated better here by men in general and by the health care system. During a regular gynecology exam here, you are given an ultrasound on your ovaries and breasts. Both of those are treatments you only get in the U.S. if you have symptoms of something wrong. They care about women enough here to do screenings BEFORE cancer symptoms show up.
I also don't face the open harrassment and hatred that I had to deal with any time I left my house in Los Angeles. I can walk down the street alone at night safely here. It's a whole other world, truly.
There is a lot more about your essay to say but I feel like that's where I can contribute the most.
Trump's latest rhetoric about protecting women is beyond disgusting. It's a slap in the face to the women of America.
When I see polls saying 38% of women plan to vote for Trump, I’m at a loss. Don’t ask me to understand, to compromise, to “be friends despite our political differences.” I’m sorry, I have no time for you if you have no empathy for others.
I just think that women who are for trump/Vance don't love themselves. I can't understand why else they would vote for these guys who treat women so badly. Then there's all the other reasons to not vote for them!
This Roevember shirt is perfect for election day 👇
"Without fail, the people I’ve met who have been responsible for the most pain and misery are those that insist they are always right."
No truer words have ever been said. This is the crux of the problem. People who are so self-righteous have no interest in listening to another point of view and they have zero empathy for people who are forced to suffer because of them. The maddening part of the abortion policies is that most of these decisions are being made by elderly men. They have no stake in the consequences. It is malpractice to force women to be subjected to the horrors of losing a pregnancy just to face going to jail because someone made a reckless law. I really don't understand how people can be so cruel.
I was knocked down when I was discussing this with my father and he said he supported it. Even more so because this is the person that insisted I have an abortion when I was 20. He doesn't believe in God either.
Excellent article. It hit my core being. I've noticed (for decades) that the people who claim "U.S. is best" are the ones who have never veen anywhere else.
Walter, thanks for continuing to write and support women's bodily autonomy. We want the same say over our bodies as men have. PERIOD.
Kamala Harris handled the question of a women's autonomy so well when Trump said overturning Roe v. Wade was what "they wanted."
Her words were so on point:
"I have talked with women around our country. You want to talk about this is what people wanted? Pregnant women who want to carry a pregnancy to term suffering from a miscarriage, being denied care in an emergency room because the health care providers are afraid they might go to jail and she's bleeding out in a car in the parking lot? She didn't want that. Her husband didn't want that. A 12 or 13-year-old survivor of incest being forced to carry a pregnancy to term? They don't want that."
Yes, I think we didn't fully appreciate the degree to which she nailed that debate. She's running clips from that debate as political ads. I've never seen that before.
I've just commented on another post on the same issue. Trump and Shady don't see the hypocrisy. Do not kill unborn children but do buy as many guns and assault weapons as you want.
Thank you for speaking about people who dismiss that such things as incest and rape even happen. That closed off inability to even admit there’s a problem to deal with is damaging. -Trust women and girls when they come forward with these experiences-
A mechanism is in place to take power from people who have to suffer from these abuses. We don't hold authority accountable enough. Thanks for the comment.
I think one thing was do as Americans has reinforced this superior attitude. And that is that, in general, regardless of political party or views, we have all been taught that America is the greatest country that ever was and is. I don't think anyone can be elected to the presidency without saying this out loud, whether it's Bernie Sanders or any of the vile GOP today. For whatever reason, Americans seem to need to believe this. And when you couple that with these idiot MAGA (mostly white) people, you get complete insanity.
I live in Sweden now (and we definitely protect women better) and I am sure that most Swedes do love their country and in some way believe it is the greatest country. But there is no need to repeatedly say so.
Yes, I've questioned the idea of American Exceptionalism on a variety of platforms and I often encounter terrible resistance, even from people who have enough education to know better. Thanks for your comment!
The U.S. is not alone in thinking that it’s exceptional - some Brits have exactly same mindset and will give the same sorts of responses in response to eg criticism of the anti migrant and repressive laws they favour. So those who want a fairer distribution of wealth are told to move to Russia (though it ceased to be socialist decades ago, if it ever was) and we who opposed Brexit are told to move to the EU even though leaving it made that a lot harder.
But however long on “patriotism” they are, it is rarely exceeded by their intelligence.
I have read enough to know that we are no longer exceptional. We rank pretty low on a lot of things, including education, maternal health, infant health, and many more. We use to be among the best. I've never been out of this country, except for a day trip to Mexico when I was a child. But I have read about Healthcare in other countries. We rank poorly on Healthcare among other rich countries.
I fought, when I was younger, for Roe to become law. I joined sit-ins and wrote letters. I'll be 70 on my next birthday, and I am fighting again. This time for my daughter and grand daughters and great grand daughters.
This time, let's make it permanent, so it can NEVER be taken away again!
I want to thank you for writing this and what an amazing job you have of laying it out. The last four years have made me very sad. I thought I had a well rounded idea of the human condition. For some reason, it is easier acknowledge just how truly evil a person is capable of being. I have been blessed to have lived long enough to know amazing genuine authentic care & empathy and in places you never planned to find them. It sees so much easier for me to accept these two extremes from in this world. I am struggling to find the words to express this overwhelming feeling of disgust and anger I feel towards the people that refuse to acknowledge their own experience and pain to ensure it doesn't happen to their children and nieces/nephews. The words "Violence against women" is so widely accepted that it is the norm. Until a few years ago, I was able to rationalize how the "family secret" was ignored and suppressed in order to survive two generations ago. Obviously, I have very intense feelings. I want to send this to everyone but even more so to my family that failed to protect me. I can deal with how they failed me but what I cannot forgive is failing to protect any future victims. Of course, they don't support pro-life or don't care bc it doesn't affect their life. Your explanation couldn't be anymore perfect. I don't think Americans understand the impact violence against women has on society across the board. The rate addiction and OD deaths would significantly decrease. Incarceration of both women and men would would significantly decrease. I realize I am all over the place. I apologize. I wanted to thank you. I hope you continue to write on this topic. Thank you.
As many people have said, the cruelty is the point. When you recognize that conservative policies are deliberately designed to cause pain, it all makes sense.
I would add, not as contradiction, but as counterbalance: When you travel or live outside the USA, the first reaction is one of disgust at American politics. When you hear or read or view “the other side” of the news, initial reaction is one of anger. You feel you’ve been lied to all your life.
After a while, seeing the flaws of your new adopted country, you begin to see its flaws, its shortcomings. And the USA starts to look good again.
This cycle will continue, but the circles flatten.
That’s been my experience over the past fifty years, as I’ve lived with one foot in Germany, the other here.
In South Carolina,a young black girl had a miscarriage and they locked her up for murder. Then had her on house arrest with an ankle bracelet to monitor her. Where was the outrage? And this is why I struggle with the church, why wasn’t anyone there to help her. I remember the people in Jesus’ day that brought the woman to him to be stoned for adultery. Where was the man? She didn’t commit it by herself. In most of these cases, what happened to the man that impregnated her. Where is her support?
I struggle with the church too, and I struggle with the media for failing to cover these things. Then you talk to people who are ignorant that these atrocities are going on. We deserve fair coverage of what's happening in our country along with the consequences of awful decisions. Thanks for the comment Cynthia!
I’m in a deep red district in S.C. I post everyday about the rapist felons criminality and desire for dictatorship
Thank you. I wish we were allowed to go into churches and give sermons about the evil he represents every Sunday.
I’m thinking about going just to see what kind of crazy shit they actually say.
None of the “Christians” seem to be familiar with the New Testament. It doesn’t do punishment enough to suit them.
They take away bodily autonomy and then assume a woman has complete control of whatever her body does.
I think a fitting response would be to jail men who masturbate for genocide, even for nocturnal emissions.
Didn’t Monty Python cover this in The Meaning of Life?
The seem to not read the words printed red in the New Testament. Prefer the Old Testament with its misogyny and authoritarian.
I moved to Spain from America last year and I can tell you, I am treated better here by men in general and by the health care system. During a regular gynecology exam here, you are given an ultrasound on your ovaries and breasts. Both of those are treatments you only get in the U.S. if you have symptoms of something wrong. They care about women enough here to do screenings BEFORE cancer symptoms show up.
I also don't face the open harrassment and hatred that I had to deal with any time I left my house in Los Angeles. I can walk down the street alone at night safely here. It's a whole other world, truly.
There is a lot more about your essay to say but I feel like that's where I can contribute the most.
Thank you for sharing that Elizabeth!
you’re welcome :)
Trump's latest rhetoric about protecting women is beyond disgusting. It's a slap in the face to the women of America.
When I see polls saying 38% of women plan to vote for Trump, I’m at a loss. Don’t ask me to understand, to compromise, to “be friends despite our political differences.” I’m sorry, I have no time for you if you have no empathy for others.
I just think that women who are for trump/Vance don't love themselves. I can't understand why else they would vote for these guys who treat women so badly. Then there's all the other reasons to not vote for them!
This Roevember shirt is perfect for election day 👇
https://libtees-2.creator-spring.com/listing/roev
Remember: Trump is a misogynist and treats women like second class citizens.
That's a fact!
I saw the clip of that speech. Can it get any creepier?
"Without fail, the people I’ve met who have been responsible for the most pain and misery are those that insist they are always right."
No truer words have ever been said. This is the crux of the problem. People who are so self-righteous have no interest in listening to another point of view and they have zero empathy for people who are forced to suffer because of them. The maddening part of the abortion policies is that most of these decisions are being made by elderly men. They have no stake in the consequences. It is malpractice to force women to be subjected to the horrors of losing a pregnancy just to face going to jail because someone made a reckless law. I really don't understand how people can be so cruel.
exactly! no Male has any Right to an opinion on abortion.
period.
I was knocked down when I was discussing this with my father and he said he supported it. Even more so because this is the person that insisted I have an abortion when I was 20. He doesn't believe in God either.
Thank you Sarah!
Excellent article. It hit my core being. I've noticed (for decades) that the people who claim "U.S. is best" are the ones who have never veen anywhere else.
Thank you Sheila!
Walter, thanks for continuing to write and support women's bodily autonomy. We want the same say over our bodies as men have. PERIOD.
Kamala Harris handled the question of a women's autonomy so well when Trump said overturning Roe v. Wade was what "they wanted."
Her words were so on point:
"I have talked with women around our country. You want to talk about this is what people wanted? Pregnant women who want to carry a pregnancy to term suffering from a miscarriage, being denied care in an emergency room because the health care providers are afraid they might go to jail and she's bleeding out in a car in the parking lot? She didn't want that. Her husband didn't want that. A 12 or 13-year-old survivor of incest being forced to carry a pregnancy to term? They don't want that."
Yes, I think we didn't fully appreciate the degree to which she nailed that debate. She's running clips from that debate as political ads. I've never seen that before.
I've just commented on another post on the same issue. Trump and Shady don't see the hypocrisy. Do not kill unborn children but do buy as many guns and assault weapons as you want.
Life is literally theoretical to them.
So true! So very sad!
Thank you for speaking about people who dismiss that such things as incest and rape even happen. That closed off inability to even admit there’s a problem to deal with is damaging. -Trust women and girls when they come forward with these experiences-
A mechanism is in place to take power from people who have to suffer from these abuses. We don't hold authority accountable enough. Thanks for the comment.
I think one thing was do as Americans has reinforced this superior attitude. And that is that, in general, regardless of political party or views, we have all been taught that America is the greatest country that ever was and is. I don't think anyone can be elected to the presidency without saying this out loud, whether it's Bernie Sanders or any of the vile GOP today. For whatever reason, Americans seem to need to believe this. And when you couple that with these idiot MAGA (mostly white) people, you get complete insanity.
I live in Sweden now (and we definitely protect women better) and I am sure that most Swedes do love their country and in some way believe it is the greatest country. But there is no need to repeatedly say so.
Yes, I've questioned the idea of American Exceptionalism on a variety of platforms and I often encounter terrible resistance, even from people who have enough education to know better. Thanks for your comment!
The U.S. is not alone in thinking that it’s exceptional - some Brits have exactly same mindset and will give the same sorts of responses in response to eg criticism of the anti migrant and repressive laws they favour. So those who want a fairer distribution of wealth are told to move to Russia (though it ceased to be socialist decades ago, if it ever was) and we who opposed Brexit are told to move to the EU even though leaving it made that a lot harder.
But however long on “patriotism” they are, it is rarely exceeded by their intelligence.
I have read enough to know that we are no longer exceptional. We rank pretty low on a lot of things, including education, maternal health, infant health, and many more. We use to be among the best. I've never been out of this country, except for a day trip to Mexico when I was a child. But I have read about Healthcare in other countries. We rank poorly on Healthcare among other rich countries.
I fought, when I was younger, for Roe to become law. I joined sit-ins and wrote letters. I'll be 70 on my next birthday, and I am fighting again. This time for my daughter and grand daughters and great grand daughters.
This time, let's make it permanent, so it can NEVER be taken away again!
Blue tsunami!
Thank you for keeping up the fight!
An important article. I wish more Americans understood this. Thank you.
I want to thank you for writing this and what an amazing job you have of laying it out. The last four years have made me very sad. I thought I had a well rounded idea of the human condition. For some reason, it is easier acknowledge just how truly evil a person is capable of being. I have been blessed to have lived long enough to know amazing genuine authentic care & empathy and in places you never planned to find them. It sees so much easier for me to accept these two extremes from in this world. I am struggling to find the words to express this overwhelming feeling of disgust and anger I feel towards the people that refuse to acknowledge their own experience and pain to ensure it doesn't happen to their children and nieces/nephews. The words "Violence against women" is so widely accepted that it is the norm. Until a few years ago, I was able to rationalize how the "family secret" was ignored and suppressed in order to survive two generations ago. Obviously, I have very intense feelings. I want to send this to everyone but even more so to my family that failed to protect me. I can deal with how they failed me but what I cannot forgive is failing to protect any future victims. Of course, they don't support pro-life or don't care bc it doesn't affect their life. Your explanation couldn't be anymore perfect. I don't think Americans understand the impact violence against women has on society across the board. The rate addiction and OD deaths would significantly decrease. Incarceration of both women and men would would significantly decrease. I realize I am all over the place. I apologize. I wanted to thank you. I hope you continue to write on this topic. Thank you.
As many people have said, the cruelty is the point. When you recognize that conservative policies are deliberately designed to cause pain, it all makes sense.
I would add, not as contradiction, but as counterbalance: When you travel or live outside the USA, the first reaction is one of disgust at American politics. When you hear or read or view “the other side” of the news, initial reaction is one of anger. You feel you’ve been lied to all your life.
After a while, seeing the flaws of your new adopted country, you begin to see its flaws, its shortcomings. And the USA starts to look good again.
This cycle will continue, but the circles flatten.
That’s been my experience over the past fifty years, as I’ve lived with one foot in Germany, the other here.
💯% Agree! Great article!
Thank you John!