I cannot, with all the creativity I can muster, imagine having an nth of bravery these women exhibit. They regularly risk everything for a glimpse of freedom.
In the past few years I have subscribed to several new Substack newsletters, all reporting on current political conditions. Over time I allowed most of them to lapse because while they did a very good job on keeping current on worrying (an understatement) trends they did not offer hope and encouragement.
We must keep up with all that is going wrong so that we can add our voices and actions to opposing such awful, once almost unthinkable, actions by those holding power in our government. Without hope (especially connected to a plan) and encouragement it is inevitable (for me anyway) one will sink under the weight of all the awful and end up in despair. I found myself very close to that on multiple occasions since 2015. I decided that it was essential to critically examine the news I was taking and figure out how it was affecting me and thus, my life. After doing so, I made the decision that no matter how excellent the work, if the writer/author/journalist/blogger did not add in encouragement, hope and ideas of what to do I had to stop reading their work. Doing this has made a significant positive difference in my life. (I do miss some of the work but not enough to be dragged under again.)
Thank you to Mr Rather and Elliot for your excellent reporting on the awful that we must know about and for the encouragement and hope that you offer as a counterbalance.
Also, as someone else said (maybe more, I did not read all 388 comments), I was glad to see Ms Dahlia Lithwick mentioned. Her work is superb.
I am proud of the Iranian women from Iran and the support their receiving here by the women protesting on their behalf. Even now women are treated like second class citizens, in this country.
We still have our work cut out for us until were accepted as equals with equal pay. Hopefully more women will show up in droves to VOTE for the midterms.
On another note, I am glad you mentioned Dahlia
Lithwick. She's a great writer, and her recent book called Lady Justice is outstanding.
I am so very proud of these women. I am proud of our women in this country. We raise our voices knowing, at least in the past, there was some measure of protection against tyranny; however, it becomes more likely every day. The separation of church and state is becoming a far-reaching goal to reach instead of a tenet of our republic.
I am a follower of Jesus' teachings, made now to claim back the term Christian from those that would seek to destroy the term with hate and oppression., and I am also a proponent of the separation of the two. Saying you will pray for someone or stating the phrase, God Bless the USA, is a far cry from banning books that teach great lessons to students and keeping needed curriculum out of lesson plans because "it goes against what God wants". This view is so short sighted and arrogant of us. Who are "we" to know what God wants? I am pro-choices...all choices!!! Men do not know the fear of being raped and having a baby of the rapist!!!! or being stoned because of it! (Iran, Saudi, Iraq, Afghanistan--Veteran of the Army here)
We are no one in the scheme of God's plan and will for the world, for the Kosmos--but his child--still learning---.
For God SO loved the world (Kosmos) that he gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Life!! here AND there!
John 3:16 does not only mean life eternal but LIFE in the world too. The Kosmos. Every life has worth and value, not just Christians, not just evangelicals, not just republicans, not just the rich. Jesus came and then died to teach us how to live and bring a healing to us all in the form of salvation for now too.
So many people think they know what God wants. But he tells us in the Bible. The most important commandment is Love your God with all your Heart, Soul, Mind, and strength. The second is to love your neighbor as yourself. There is no greater commandment than these. Mark 1:30-31. Your neighbor is everyone that is not you...and that my friends is even the T word.....sorry.
It sounds like the anti-abortion legislation in primitive red state legalizing neighbor reporting neighbor for pregnant women who could possibly seek abortions.
Thank you for your words here. I am happy and relieved to see concern raise and attention call to the steady decline of women's right in the US. For many years there has been some assumption that women in the US have equality. That is not the case that is revealed in the annual World Economic Forum Gender Gap Report. Women in the US are not equal. This is not something that is only an issue in just in far away under developed countries it is right here in your neighborhood. It is far past time for all American’s mane and women to realize this and work together, regardless of your political or religious belief to lift women as equal humans.
What Biden and the democratic leadership need to address before it is too late, besides the antiquated filibuster and Freedom to Vote Act, is the lack of unity in the Democratic Party (e.g. centrists Manchin and Sinema); Republican propagation of lies; the ongoing Republican subversion of the next elections; the Republican attempt to rigged the voting system in their favor; the Republican focus on voting in partisan supervisors for elections; Republican gerrymandering; Republican legislator purges; Republican sabotage of the U.S. mail system; Republican attacks on Medicare and Social Security; Republican obstruction of serious gun control legislation; Republican (or theocratic) takeover of the U.S. Supreme Court; rising American religious fundamentalism; the pandemic and its effects on healthcare; the unvaccinated and their effects on hospitals and the economy; the global demand for thermal energy; the climate crisis; the education and teacher crisis; cyber security; immigration reform; corporate corruption; pharmaceutical greed; wage stagnation, inflation and reflation; Russia, China, North Korea...
I am energized by the March of freedom I see in women in other countries, and in peoples in other countries. It takes far more courage in lands where it could cost your life instead of just your time in showing up with your sisters. What angers me, at 68, is the question, “Why are we having to do this all over again?” I watched my mother nearly die from a back alley abortion, all the whole knowing that my more wealthy friends families, their moms could go get a nice D&C and be done with it.
I’ve spent a lifetime working for peoples’ rights and for justice. This was one fight I didn’t think we’d have to have a do-over on. Enough with the stupidity already. Do we really think a child who can’t even sit in the front seat of a car should be forced to carry a child through a pregnancy that has an 80% chance of killing her? Good God Almighty! I will not ever recognize some overbearing old Congress Critter as having better medical advice for me than my doctor, or a better understanding of my circumstances than I or anyone I might choose to share that information with to talk with me about it all. I will never, ever give up my autonomy to another person, bodily or otherwise if forced to do so. One the word forced. This whole thing just angers me so. I don’t want to do this again, but I will.
Your inspiring essay reinforces my ever-abiding hope. Thank you, Dan.
I cannot, with all the creativity I can muster, imagine having an nth of bravery these women exhibit. They regularly risk everything for a glimpse of freedom.
In the past few years I have subscribed to several new Substack newsletters, all reporting on current political conditions. Over time I allowed most of them to lapse because while they did a very good job on keeping current on worrying (an understatement) trends they did not offer hope and encouragement.
We must keep up with all that is going wrong so that we can add our voices and actions to opposing such awful, once almost unthinkable, actions by those holding power in our government. Without hope (especially connected to a plan) and encouragement it is inevitable (for me anyway) one will sink under the weight of all the awful and end up in despair. I found myself very close to that on multiple occasions since 2015. I decided that it was essential to critically examine the news I was taking and figure out how it was affecting me and thus, my life. After doing so, I made the decision that no matter how excellent the work, if the writer/author/journalist/blogger did not add in encouragement, hope and ideas of what to do I had to stop reading their work. Doing this has made a significant positive difference in my life. (I do miss some of the work but not enough to be dragged under again.)
Thank you to Mr Rather and Elliot for your excellent reporting on the awful that we must know about and for the encouragement and hope that you offer as a counterbalance.
Also, as someone else said (maybe more, I did not read all 388 comments), I was glad to see Ms Dahlia Lithwick mentioned. Her work is superb.
I am proud of the Iranian women from Iran and the support their receiving here by the women protesting on their behalf. Even now women are treated like second class citizens, in this country.
We still have our work cut out for us until were accepted as equals with equal pay. Hopefully more women will show up in droves to VOTE for the midterms.
On another note, I am glad you mentioned Dahlia
Lithwick. She's a great writer, and her recent book called Lady Justice is outstanding.
Well done Dan. Nothing to add.
Thanks Dan; needed that.
I am so very proud of these women. I am proud of our women in this country. We raise our voices knowing, at least in the past, there was some measure of protection against tyranny; however, it becomes more likely every day. The separation of church and state is becoming a far-reaching goal to reach instead of a tenet of our republic.
I am a follower of Jesus' teachings, made now to claim back the term Christian from those that would seek to destroy the term with hate and oppression., and I am also a proponent of the separation of the two. Saying you will pray for someone or stating the phrase, God Bless the USA, is a far cry from banning books that teach great lessons to students and keeping needed curriculum out of lesson plans because "it goes against what God wants". This view is so short sighted and arrogant of us. Who are "we" to know what God wants? I am pro-choices...all choices!!! Men do not know the fear of being raped and having a baby of the rapist!!!! or being stoned because of it! (Iran, Saudi, Iraq, Afghanistan--Veteran of the Army here)
We are no one in the scheme of God's plan and will for the world, for the Kosmos--but his child--still learning---.
For God SO loved the world (Kosmos) that he gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Life!! here AND there!
John 3:16 does not only mean life eternal but LIFE in the world too. The Kosmos. Every life has worth and value, not just Christians, not just evangelicals, not just republicans, not just the rich. Jesus came and then died to teach us how to live and bring a healing to us all in the form of salvation for now too.
So many people think they know what God wants. But he tells us in the Bible. The most important commandment is Love your God with all your Heart, Soul, Mind, and strength. The second is to love your neighbor as yourself. There is no greater commandment than these. Mark 1:30-31. Your neighbor is everyone that is not you...and that my friends is even the T word.....sorry.
Amen
Raven
Morality police? What garbage.
It sounds like the anti-abortion legislation in primitive red state legalizing neighbor reporting neighbor for pregnant women who could possibly seek abortions.
Thank you for your words here. I am happy and relieved to see concern raise and attention call to the steady decline of women's right in the US. For many years there has been some assumption that women in the US have equality. That is not the case that is revealed in the annual World Economic Forum Gender Gap Report. Women in the US are not equal. This is not something that is only an issue in just in far away under developed countries it is right here in your neighborhood. It is far past time for all American’s mane and women to realize this and work together, regardless of your political or religious belief to lift women as equal humans.
You go girl!!!
What Biden and the democratic leadership need to address before it is too late, besides the antiquated filibuster and Freedom to Vote Act, is the lack of unity in the Democratic Party (e.g. centrists Manchin and Sinema); Republican propagation of lies; the ongoing Republican subversion of the next elections; the Republican attempt to rigged the voting system in their favor; the Republican focus on voting in partisan supervisors for elections; Republican gerrymandering; Republican legislator purges; Republican sabotage of the U.S. mail system; Republican attacks on Medicare and Social Security; Republican obstruction of serious gun control legislation; Republican (or theocratic) takeover of the U.S. Supreme Court; rising American religious fundamentalism; the pandemic and its effects on healthcare; the unvaccinated and their effects on hospitals and the economy; the global demand for thermal energy; the climate crisis; the education and teacher crisis; cyber security; immigration reform; corporate corruption; pharmaceutical greed; wage stagnation, inflation and reflation; Russia, China, North Korea...
I Would like to be a subscriber but need to pay some other way than Apple Pay
I am ordering a custom T-shirt that says VOTE to save our democracy. Walking through the park every day, I’m hoping it will help!
Thank you so much for this, Dan. It was just what I needed!
Thank you!
I am energized by the March of freedom I see in women in other countries, and in peoples in other countries. It takes far more courage in lands where it could cost your life instead of just your time in showing up with your sisters. What angers me, at 68, is the question, “Why are we having to do this all over again?” I watched my mother nearly die from a back alley abortion, all the whole knowing that my more wealthy friends families, their moms could go get a nice D&C and be done with it.
I’ve spent a lifetime working for peoples’ rights and for justice. This was one fight I didn’t think we’d have to have a do-over on. Enough with the stupidity already. Do we really think a child who can’t even sit in the front seat of a car should be forced to carry a child through a pregnancy that has an 80% chance of killing her? Good God Almighty! I will not ever recognize some overbearing old Congress Critter as having better medical advice for me than my doctor, or a better understanding of my circumstances than I or anyone I might choose to share that information with to talk with me about it all. I will never, ever give up my autonomy to another person, bodily or otherwise if forced to do so. One the word forced. This whole thing just angers me so. I don’t want to do this again, but I will.
good thoughts, as always. i will now think of you as an honorary woman.