In my humble opinion, Judge Robert McBurney's ruling is the perfect answer to explain abortion rights:
“Women are not some piece of collectively owned community property the disposition of which is decided by majority vote. Forcing a woman to carry an unwanted, not-yet-viable fetus to term violates her constitutional rights to liberty and privacy, even taking into consideration whatever bundle of rights the not-yet-viable fetus may have."
So so so true—about woman interruptus AND ESPECIALLY about the perception that barring serious problems, pregnancy/childbirth is a walk in the park. Am I selfish for thinking that Mother’s Day shouldn’t be an offhand Hallmark card, but an appreciation from my husband of all I went through to share 3 children with him (+ 2 severely depressing miscarriages & 1 abortion)? My poor brain & body! Men badly need education in empathy!
💙💙 All of this! And you know … Our empathy lessons have to start with us being more open and honest about the physicality of pregnancy. Any woman who has been pregnant is horrified by the idea of an 11-year old being pregnant - because we know what it’s like for an adult woman.
Even some of us (like me, an infertile het menopausal woman) who haven’t been pregnant are horrified to think of where we were in life at 11 years old, and how we were permitted to reach our teenage years (and beyond) without having a child in tow.
Thank you! Im shocked but not surprised to learn that even appellants in oral argument have felt comfortable interrupting female justices. Just wow.
I worked in almost exclusively male-dominated environments for much of my life—first in manufacturing, then in the software industry. My role was consultant, change agent, quality advocate, representing ideas, painful truths, and strategies for collaborative improvement that were typically embraced by people who did the productive work and often resisted by a significant segment of managers/engineers. It was challenging, because I was not trained as an engineer but as a lawyer, so I had been trained to advocate—to gather facts, to explain clearly, to make a case persuasively. In the last years in software before I retired I just stopped letting men interrupt me. I no longer waited patiently, holding my thought, and reinserting myself in the conversation to continue it. I simply did not. pause. react. change tone. or stop. talking. The results were instructive. For 2-3 seconds we would both be talking at the same time, and then they would slow and stop and I would continue to complete my sentence/point and then politely yield the floor when I was done. I had stumbled into the state of « having no more f*cks to give ». I am grateful that I was sufficiently respected for my work to be allowed to do this (and sometimes celebrated for it). And this capacity to just carry on is one of many reasons I admire Kamala Harris and trust she will make a good president. She has learned from experience to trust herself—unlike men who interrupt and carry on out merely out of a sense of privilege. When their perceived privilege is ignored, they often fold. She mostly does not. How wonderful!
I agree that women are most often interrupted. However, in my experience we live in culture where listening is becoming a lost art for the population in general.
Judge McBurney does a wonderful job explaining the involuntary servitude component of pre-viability restrictions and equal protection rights. The lack of bodily autonomy while pregnant is truly enraging. As a TX attorney, our Directive to Physicians becomes void if the woman is pregnant when it is activated. Even if she signed it knowing she is pregnant and even if her medical power of attorney (if she can no longer speak for herself) consents to the removal of life sustaining treatment (or chooses to not seek life sustaining treatment). The decision about medical treatment is made by a judge. Heartbreaking and beyond infuriating.
Phrased differently, Texas can prohibit a woman from obtaining an abortion and force the woman to carry the fetus to term. However, as soon as the infant is delivered, she cannot be forced to give the infant so much as a vial of her blood to keep the infant from dying, even if the mother’s blood is the only thing that will keep the infant alive. Because apparently once you’re not pregnant, you regain all of your bodily autonomy and you cannot legally be forced to donate any part of your body for someone else.
Pregnant women in Texas have less bodily autonomy than a corpse. Period.
I cannot “like”this - it is abhorrent. It shocks me that the legislators have not a scintilla of respect for the women in their lives, especially the women who bore them.
And my former TX State Senator is a woman who has co-sponsored many of these restrictions. Misogyny knows no gender. It is stunning how many Texas women consistently vote against their own civil rights, regardless of the consequence to other women & girls.
In my humble opinion, Judge Robert McBurney's ruling is the perfect answer to explain abortion rights:
“Women are not some piece of collectively owned community property the disposition of which is decided by majority vote. Forcing a woman to carry an unwanted, not-yet-viable fetus to term violates her constitutional rights to liberty and privacy, even taking into consideration whatever bundle of rights the not-yet-viable fetus may have."
Excellent as always, especially the opening essay. Thank you.
Thank you, friend! 💙
So so so true—about woman interruptus AND ESPECIALLY about the perception that barring serious problems, pregnancy/childbirth is a walk in the park. Am I selfish for thinking that Mother’s Day shouldn’t be an offhand Hallmark card, but an appreciation from my husband of all I went through to share 3 children with him (+ 2 severely depressing miscarriages & 1 abortion)? My poor brain & body! Men badly need education in empathy!
💙💙 All of this! And you know … Our empathy lessons have to start with us being more open and honest about the physicality of pregnancy. Any woman who has been pregnant is horrified by the idea of an 11-year old being pregnant - because we know what it’s like for an adult woman.
Absolutely. In retrospect, I really don’t know how I managed (overseas) & can’t imagine a kid alone being mandated by men to endure it.
Even some of us (like me, an infertile het menopausal woman) who haven’t been pregnant are horrified to think of where we were in life at 11 years old, and how we were permitted to reach our teenage years (and beyond) without having a child in tow.
Thank you!
Thank you for this breath of fresh air!!
Thank you, Teresa! 💙💙
I tried to watch the postpartum commercial but it is “no longer available”.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this subject.
Oh no! Let me check the link. Thank you!
I found the video: https://youtu.be/ZAtV-4_hw-w?si=g7RwsVyjhMqAldcS
This! Thank you!
Thank you! Im shocked but not surprised to learn that even appellants in oral argument have felt comfortable interrupting female justices. Just wow.
I worked in almost exclusively male-dominated environments for much of my life—first in manufacturing, then in the software industry. My role was consultant, change agent, quality advocate, representing ideas, painful truths, and strategies for collaborative improvement that were typically embraced by people who did the productive work and often resisted by a significant segment of managers/engineers. It was challenging, because I was not trained as an engineer but as a lawyer, so I had been trained to advocate—to gather facts, to explain clearly, to make a case persuasively. In the last years in software before I retired I just stopped letting men interrupt me. I no longer waited patiently, holding my thought, and reinserting myself in the conversation to continue it. I simply did not. pause. react. change tone. or stop. talking. The results were instructive. For 2-3 seconds we would both be talking at the same time, and then they would slow and stop and I would continue to complete my sentence/point and then politely yield the floor when I was done. I had stumbled into the state of « having no more f*cks to give ». I am grateful that I was sufficiently respected for my work to be allowed to do this (and sometimes celebrated for it). And this capacity to just carry on is one of many reasons I admire Kamala Harris and trust she will make a good president. She has learned from experience to trust herself—unlike men who interrupt and carry on out merely out of a sense of privilege. When their perceived privilege is ignored, they often fold. She mostly does not. How wonderful!
I agree that women are most often interrupted. However, in my experience we live in culture where listening is becoming a lost art for the population in general.
Damn straight!!! 💙🇺🇸!!!
Judge McBurney does a wonderful job explaining the involuntary servitude component of pre-viability restrictions and equal protection rights. The lack of bodily autonomy while pregnant is truly enraging. As a TX attorney, our Directive to Physicians becomes void if the woman is pregnant when it is activated. Even if she signed it knowing she is pregnant and even if her medical power of attorney (if she can no longer speak for herself) consents to the removal of life sustaining treatment (or chooses to not seek life sustaining treatment). The decision about medical treatment is made by a judge. Heartbreaking and beyond infuriating.
Phrased differently, Texas can prohibit a woman from obtaining an abortion and force the woman to carry the fetus to term. However, as soon as the infant is delivered, she cannot be forced to give the infant so much as a vial of her blood to keep the infant from dying, even if the mother’s blood is the only thing that will keep the infant alive. Because apparently once you’re not pregnant, you regain all of your bodily autonomy and you cannot legally be forced to donate any part of your body for someone else.
Pregnant women in Texas have less bodily autonomy than a corpse. Period.
I cannot “like”this - it is abhorrent. It shocks me that the legislators have not a scintilla of respect for the women in their lives, especially the women who bore them.
And my former TX State Senator is a woman who has co-sponsored many of these restrictions. Misogyny knows no gender. It is stunning how many Texas women consistently vote against their own civil rights, regardless of the consequence to other women & girls.
Thank you Michele! We men need to understand and be reminded. Bless you!