65 Comments

So “pro life” they’re wasting money on a memorial and have little to nothing to give the living children of their state.

Expand full comment

you must be very THICK-----the 2 things that the most of them fear is the TRUTH----YES I SAID "TRUTH" OK ?, and they think that MOST of the MONEY should be in their WALLETS--- and every one can live on Damn-- SHORT MONEY-- you have earned------if it's not stolen by the Greedy OLD Pricks, the are called Republicans G.O.P. party ( why not the MAGA party), contrld BY THE "ORANGE CREATURE" and we all know how much MONEY is loved--by the "ORANGE CREATURE" as I said. he always wanted to be a "DICTATER and this is it----If he gets back in office - that is . I think you have heard it all now, NUFF SAID ??? if you want more info - drop me an EMAIL @ floorgen007@duck.com

Expand full comment
founding

First sight we see: another grey haired white male with a hard-eyed expression. This denomination of "unborn children" is scientifically absurd. Do people realize that this could include every menstrual ovarian egg? This backward fundamentalist thinking could easily lead to rules against birth control (remember the extremism of Rick Santorum? except when it came to his wife's multi birth giving causing her danger!).

Thank you, women (Rebecca and Tesnim), for tracking the actions of Arkansans in power.

Expand full comment
Nov 30, 2023·edited Nov 30, 2023

I wanted to write some pithy, yet insightful and humorous comment but nothing comes to mind.

All I can say is, it's just sad and frightening that these folks are so bound and determined to make us all live by the terms and limits ordained by their tiny minds and their ever-narrowing worldviews.

I'll die fighting before I ever give in to these pretend-human'z!

Expand full comment
Nov 30, 2023·edited Nov 30, 2023

I'm right there with you, Adam.

I. too, will never back down to the nazi mindset of these people (who, incidentally, would not hesitate to terminate an unwanted pregnancy)

Expand full comment

"(who, incidentally, would not hesitate to terminate an unwanted pregnancy)"

Of course they would. It's the un-written law of the land for the lawless faction running loose in our nation. To wit: "Rules for thee and not for me!"

You my dear celest k. are an unsung hero to be sure. You and the crew who serve "The People" with you.

Expand full comment

how kind.

Expand full comment

I'm serious. I can't imagine how it must be to deal with the unhinged zealots who would act in such a manner to persons of whom they know nothing regarding the hand life dealt them, and would do well to tend to their own messy state of affairs.

Expand full comment

Adam, I am very grateful that you, and so many other citizens like you, empathize with me and my fellow abortion care providers. That especially includes the escorts who stand outside and assist every one of our patients in getting through the barrage of hate. They are on the front line in spite of the danger and the vile accusations thrown at them. Yet, they volunteer their time to help women to get the healthcare they need and deserve. They are the true, unsung heroes. Thank you for your support. Remember, the only way to assure that all women (and men) are able to continue to make intelligent decisions about their healthcare, and the care of their families, is to vote out those who would drag us back into the days of wire hangers and despair. Let's keep our country moving forward, and vote BLUE this Nov. 2024.

Again, thank you.

Expand full comment

You are most welcome celeste and I fully intend to do just as you suggest and vote BLUE! I prefer cerulean but no matter.

Expand full comment
founding

Maybe you can find an old NYT satirical opinion editorial that relayed the tragedy of menstruation and the loss of possible future life. It may have been from the late 70's or the 80's. I can't find it.

Expand full comment

I'm wondering why this concern is exclusively focused on women. If an egg is to be considered a child, should not also a sperm cell be? It is then only reasonable that-how can I express this delicately- the, er, discharge, of a sperm cell except for the purpose of procreation should be treated exactly the same as having an abortion. Let's see how men and boys react to that! /s

Expand full comment

That's why these laws are pure misogyny. It's like these women get pregnant all by themselves!

Expand full comment

My point, exactly.

Expand full comment

We can act like republicans here and enter bathrooms and bedrooms looking for spilled semen! Immediate arrests would have to be made of these baby murderers!

On a serious note- we must remove and punish these Nazi-loving lunatics. It seems like we’re waiting and waiting for Republicans to start taking down their own. We’re about out of time and this is a dangerous technique as the MAGA set grows bolder. This endangers us!

Expand full comment

Do you recall a very interesting controversy about cryogenics? In case of a divorce should the mother or the father have access to the frozen donated sperms? eggs? Could the entity guarding these specimens ever throw them away if it became too expensive or one parent would refuse to pay their fair share to keep it frozen?

That was the first time that I can remember when they tried to blur the notion of "living child outside of the womb" and consider things in a state of suspended animation as having "born humans' rights".

On the face of it, it was preposterous and farcical that the unborn should have a prerogative over the born, [like the right to an inheritance] but that's when it originated, and it hasn't stopped growing ever since.

This "Life is Holy, Life is Sacred" mantra also forces some unfortunate humans to keep occupying hospital beds [and their family paying through the nose for the privilege of that slow and lengthy torture to their loved ones] even though they would have wanted dignity in death rather than this suspended 'animation'.

If a dog or a cat, a horse is not in a position to recover and have a more normal life, we put them out of their misery. Why is it such a controversy for humans and only humans?

Expand full comment

Cécile- Yes, I remember this but haven’t heard about it for a long time. I totally agree with your comments on the entire business of prolonging an unlivable life. The religionists always proclaim the dead to be “in a better place”, but never seem to want to go there!

Dignity requires recognition of reality. Religion is another very big topic among climate change & weapons of war ownership that must be addressed! We are the ONLY developed-1st world nation with religious notions rivaling the poorest uneducated 3rd world ones. 26% of the US adult population do not hold religious beliefs. This outnumbers Catholics listed at 20%!

Allowing our laws to be infected with the cancer of christian religion is appalling. Text written by ignorant men (pre-science) is nothing I would base my life on. Certainly not any laws either.

Fortunately, the republican fascist christian right have turned off an entire generation. And that will continue to grow.

Expand full comment
founding

How about a precise and well-thought out argument on your premise to send to Mike Johnson: "Mike Johnson, has said he uses porn monitoring app Covenant Eyes with his son."

Expand full comment

Hey Val! How do? Working right now but I'll see what I can find.

Expand full comment

So the Attorney General for the state of Arkansas admits he doesn’t understand the meanings of words and is either unaware of the existence of dictionaries or unable to use one. This would seem to be a rather serious deficiency on his part and grounds for a review of his general qualifications for the office he holds. He would seem to be a bit underpowered for the job.

Expand full comment

It also calls into question his qualifications to hold a law license.

Expand full comment

A bit underpowered? He's like a lawnmower motor in a Jaguar!

Expand full comment

The clearest message here is that democracy is not wanted by the republican authoritarians. The best thing we can hope for is a landslide Democratic party win to not only get these people out of office, but to make their goal ours! Constitutional convention!

Expand full comment

I am a pro-choice retired maternal-child nurse. I could write far more words than Judd would want and any of you to read about abortion. Using the date of the last menstrual period to determine when a woman got pregnant only works if she has a regular menstrual cycle, or the cycle has not been screwed up by any number of things like illness, age (peri-menopause,) or travel.

To me part of the problem with the issue of pro versus no choice is language. Abortion is not aborting a life it is terminating a pregnancy. The language difference is subtle, but to me it makes sense, especially when the mother's life is endangered or the fetus has developed in a way that is incompatible with life.

And don't get me started on the heartbeat thing. At 8 weeks of gestation it is not a heart. And trust me when I say as a prochoice woman and nurse I've supported mothers who've made difficult decisions that have gone both ways.

Expand full comment

A little electrical signal that they call "a heartbeat" just to have a line in the sand to point to. There isn't even a HEART to beat yet!?

Expand full comment

Another example: Republicans just not all that keen on that democracy idea.

Expand full comment

Never let it be said that any fat, old white man neglected to try his damndest to take away the rights of women.

Expand full comment

Please remember that many of those fat, old, white men are fighting right along side you to try to preserve the rights of women, and the rights of children to have their needs met in loving ways after they're born (and some very hot young men are fighting against you).

Expand full comment

Apologies to those men who fight with us, Greg. It's just that women are quite frustrated at the state of affairs. Crystal is correct that in the legislatures, those old white guys who are happy with the status quo are over represented.

Expand full comment

I work with some. They seem to conveniently lack any semblence of self awareness. That's some kind of inappropriate super-power to be sure and we can all do without their undue influence in our affairs, be it direct or indirect.

Expand full comment

It's interesting, isn't it, how our Republican friends have this whole abortion issue completely backwards from the way the Bible depicts the relationship between God and humans. The story of the creation of Adam makes it clear that, in God's eyes, Adam didn't become a living being until God breathed God's Spirit into him with his first breath. Before that, although he was a fully formed human, he was not alive in God's eyes.

After he was alive, God created the Garden of Eden (again in the context of the Biblical story) and tenderly cared for Adam's needs.

But our "conservative" brothers and sisters, prove, time and time again, than they only care about that developing fetus from the time the sperm and egg come together until it leaves it's mother's body, draws its first breath and draws in its share of the Spirit of God with that breath. After that, they don't care if it has any of the necessities of life (unless they can blame a woman for the lack of those necessities). It's as if God, after giving Adam life, cast him lose in the wilderness to find for himself and was completely unconcerned at what might befall him.

I don't know how "Conservatives" can believe that they are in tune with God when their approach to pregnancy and childbirth and child rearing is exactly the OPPOSITE of God's approach. It's almost as if they have been seduced by some evil force which has warped their minds and led them as far from God as possible.

Expand full comment

That's why I think of them as Cristo-fascists and Heretics.

They call themselves Christians, yet they do not abide by the teaching of Christ.

Expand full comment

Griffin's strategy is clear. He will slow walk each version of the amendment, then reject it, no matter what the wording. He will make sure that the July 5 deadline cannot possibly be met. Then he will declare that this is proof that Arkansans are pro-life and like the current ban. And it will cost him, and Sarah Huckleberry Sanders, his job at his next election.

Expand full comment

Re-word the name of the proposed amendment: The Anti-Abortion After Eighteen Weeks Since A Menstruating Self-Person’s Last Menstruation Amendment.

Expand full comment

My mom & I never had very regular cycles. Mom was convinced she kept my sister and I in her womb for 10 months. I also kept my 2 boys in my womb for what appeared to be 10 months. My male obstetrician said: "You must be mistaken: women cannot possibly carry for 10 months".

Also, some periods last 3 days, others last a week and a half, in the same woman.

He also decided to induce the birth of my second one because: "You are getting close and I have a golf outing this weekend".

Yeah. Hard to believe that I was the center of his concern...

Expand full comment

From your lips to God's ears, Peter!

Expand full comment

Vote far-right christians out of government altogether. They are the true indoctrinators and they are evil at their core. Banning access to healthcare because you think your religion tells you to disagree is so wrong on so many levels. Get these whacky religious freaks out of government.

Expand full comment

That is the whole and unadorened truth Jake G. "They are the true indoctrinators" cannot be shouted from the rooftop loudly enough. They are the ones who should be shunned, kept from restrooms, monitored, prevented from marryiong or adopting and kept separate from polite society for all of our good.

Expand full comment

The GOP is afraid of voters. No surprise, given how unpopular their positions are

Expand full comment

"Sanders signed a bill to build a “monument to unborn children” at the State Capitol."

Will the monument be a 6 wk fetus? Here's what that would look like.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/oct/18/pregnancy-weeks-abortion-tissue

Expand full comment

I usually like word games. This one? Not so much.

Expand full comment

Goebbels would have been proud of this dude. And this is yet another example of wingnut Republicans seeking to overturn the will of the majority without a constitutional basis for doing so.

Expand full comment

Well, we don't LIKE the constitution when it doesn't mean what we say it does. Same thing for our beloved bible.

Expand full comment

The minority party seeks so many ways to maintain control over the majority. Reminds me of the many rules and laws allowing apartheid to maintain minority control in South Africa for so so long.

Ultimately we have to learn to simply reject this party at the ballot box, because of the motive behind their unsound proposals.

Expand full comment