Category Archives: Legal

This lawless ruling

Fierce Planet Posted on by

As expected, Judge Kacsmaryk has ruled mifepristone illegal, ignoring every scrap of science and law to impose the will of the anti-abortion movement. At the same time, a judge in Washington state ruled that the FDA must keep mifepristone available, though this ruling was not for the entire U.S. (gift link). This conflict will no doubt be sent to the Supreme Court, and quickly. Pro-choice forces are moving consistently against Republicans as election defeats pile up. If the Supremes rule in such a way that abortion becomes unavailable across the states, pressure for change from women and progressives will only … Continue reading →

What I’ve been doing

Fierce Planet Posted on by

Mostly I’ve been trying to write something difficult again, which is always painful for me. But my temper has had other trials as well, in the shape of unknown thieves who one night stole the catalytic converter from our 2004 Prius. Yeah, we’ve been driving this car for nearly 20 years. We don’t drive much—the mileage is under 50,000 even after all this time. It was paid for years ago, and has been remarkably cheap to run. We planned to keep it for another decade at least. So when the converter was taken, we contacted our repair shop and the … Continue reading →

One step down the road

Fierce Planet Posted on by

…towards creating the theocratic country conservatives long for. (gift link, no paywall) Wyoming’s GOP governor signs law banning abortion pills Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon (R) late Friday signed into law a ban on abortion pills, as the state adopted what appears to be the nation’s first such state law. The new law says that it will be “unlawful to prescribe, dispense, distribute, sell or use any drug for the purpose of procuring or performing an abortion.” The law includes penalties of up to six months’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $9,000. But it exempts people who take abortion … Continue reading →

Sound advice for anyone providing abortion pills

Fierce Planet Posted on by

If you're going to help your friends in abortion hostile states obtain abortion pills, for the love of the old gods and the new, DO NOT DO IT OVER IMESSAGE OR FB OR INSTA. get a burner phone. use library computers. please stop doing criminal shit in a way that you'll get got. — 🤌🏾 Imani Gandy 👆🏾 (@AngryBlackLady) March 13, 2023 And again if you take abortion pills and end up in the hospital and healthcare workers ask you what you took, YOU DON'T HAVE TO TELL THEM. DO NOT TELL THEM. — 🤌🏾 Imani Gandy 👆🏾 (@AngryBlackLady) March … Continue reading →

The next threat to abortion rights

Fierce Planet Posted on by

I’ve pulled together many more articles on the fight over abortion rights as it continues here in the States. Some are quite positive from a pro-choice point of view, as states set themselves up to be abortion sanctuaries. Some showcase the continuing efforts to further force all states to comply with the forced-birth agenda of anti-choice activists. As I have pointed out before, anti-choice activists continue to look for ways to restrict access to abortion pills in particular, since most abortions these days are medication abortions. Since the postal service is federal, there is no easy way to keep pills … Continue reading →

Rejecting democracy

Fierce Planet Posted on by

I’ve been watching the attempted insurrection in Brazil, not with much shock, but with some anger. This is, of course, another expression of the right-wing authoritarians who are doing their best to fracture political systems around the world. They stormed Brazil's National Congress and set fire to the carpet. They attacked presidential offices, rifled through papers and tried to barricade themselves inside. Videos show Jair Bolsonaro's supporters rioting in Brazil’s government offices. https://t.co/dpVKpXYIdo pic.twitter.com/eMDQGA0rpf — The New York Times (@nytimes) January 9, 2023 Apparently Bolsonaro has been working with Steve Bannon, Stephen Miller, and perhaps other Trump-aligned fascist types, which … Continue reading →

Respect for Marriage

Fierce Planet Posted on by

To the ones who can imagine, respect oh yeah. This bill is far from perfect, and I definitely wish for more. But it is an important step nonetheless, to kill the hated Defense of Marriage Act and establish in law the principle that all marriages are equal. Biden makes a case against all forms of bigotry before signing the Respect for Marriage Act pic.twitter.com/Zm8lWg2xIU — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 13, 2022 If there is one message that breaks through from today, it's that this law – and the love it defends – strikes a blow against hate in all its … Continue reading →

Two podcasts ~ Choose a side

Fierce Planet Posted on by

This weekend I caught up with a couple of podcasts, and I’d like to highlight a few things. First is a segment on Pod Save America. I’ve set this up so it goes directly to an interview with Strict Scrutiny‘s Kate Shaw, a lawyer talking here about the Supreme Court hearing Moore v. Harper last week. (Strict Scrutiny itself is another excellent podcast, if you’re looking for some top-notch legal minds discussing the issues of the day.) This case presents the “Independent State Legislature Theory”, which you will no doubt hear about a lot in the near future. It is … Continue reading →

Intimidation at the polls, already

Fierce Planet Posted on by

A reminder that if you vote in person, or even use a drop box, you may encounter MAGA types who try to scare you and stop you voting. That’s illegal, and here’s some info on what to do if it happens. If an alleged “poll watcher” tries to impede you at the voting booth:#1 – Tell him to kindly step out of the way#2 – Take his picture with a cell phone#3 – Call the FBIFBI Civil Rights Div. 202-307-2767 or 800-253-3931.US DOJ Civil Rights Div. 202-307-2767 or 800-253-3931 — JenB- I have voted!- 🇺🇦🌻 (@JenSemDem07) October 22, 2022 There … Continue reading →