We Are NOT Giving Up
First, an apology. In my last newsletter, I made the enormous mistake of assuming that most of the reproductive rights action in the next few years will happen at the state level. I assumed that Trump would not be interested in the topic, sidestepping it as he did during the campaign. I was clearly wrong. In part, I suppose, because I continue to underestimate the centrality of cruelty in their agenda.
In just two excruciating weeks, the administration has gutted agencies, fired employees, and removed information from government websites like the CDC (NPR article) under the guise of "Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government." This sloppy, destructive effort erased a broad swath of information that doctors rely on to treat patients.
And, of course, we are watching Elon roam the halls, breaking and taking what he wants like the head of a marauding gang in a banana republic. This is intentional. Their “shock and awe” campaign is designed to overwhelm and scare us—to cow us into inaction while the oligarchy takes over.
I have been asked by many people why we aren’t fighting back. My sense is that people care deeply about democracy, fairness, equity, and access to health care—but that we have never seen a federal takeover like this before. And it is hard to figure out what to do when we have no levers at the federal level to pull.
It is important to remember that we cannot allow ourselves to fall into a state of paralyzing despair. We are not powerless. Inaction is a choice, not an outcome.
We Are Beginning to Find Our Sea Legs
But not impossible. Over just the last few days, we have seen an emerging resistance that includes even the New York Post! There are more signs of resistance this week than at any time since the election. They include:
Shutting down the Senate. Indivisible put out a very helpful list of things Senate Democrats can do to shut it down: Indivisible Guide.
The Lawyers are coming. Good government advocates like Lawyers for Good Government and the National Council of Nonprofits, and are stepping up to block illegal actions aimed at cutting off funding: MSN article.
States are pushing back. New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed a bill protecting the identity of abortion providers. This is in response to Texas and Louisiana indicting Dr. Margaret Carpenter, a New York-licensed doctor, for providing abortion medication to people in those states. Bloomberg article.
There is literally a civil war between the states brewing centered on bodily autonomy. Sound familiar?
There are no easy or quick fixes right now. Instead, we all need to find one thing to do today.
Things You Can Do Today
Spread the word about the creative ways we are resisting. For instance, the CDC information was not lost—it was saved in real time on a digital repository called GitHub. Anyone can access it here and here.
Protect Dr. Margaret Carpenter and other clinicians from prosecution in anti-choice states. You can donate to her defense fund at ACT here.
Take care of yourself. Don’t let them wear you down! This is going to be a marathon. You need to stay healthy for the long fight. Find something that gives you meaning, joy, happiness, or connection. Maybe it’s a quick text exchange with a friend, picking up a craft, or taking a walk. Just one thing.
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