Don't wait for judges or politicians to do the right thing right now.
Abortion services return to Wisconsin, highlighting the importance of not just waiting for court rulings or legislative action to stand up and take action.
Vol. 31
In This Issue: ESSAY | ROLLER DERBY CORNER | READ LOCAL | NOW READ THIS | TAKE ACTION | FINAL FRAME
One of my biggest gripes with the mainstream left is that its leadership is far too prone to throwing in the towel when things get rough. Sure, they might put out a sternly worded statement when the right-wing is throwing democratic norms out the window and trampling our rights, but actually fighting back in any tangible way seems, by and large, beyond them.
Look, I’m a writer. believe in the power of the written and spoken word. I also know that words alone cannot make lasting change, or protect the most vulnerable in the here and now of it all. Sometimes, you simply have to be defiant in the face of unjust rules and laws.
Which is one of the many reasons I was so heartened to read the announcement on September 14 from Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin that they would begin offering abortion services again, in Milwaukee and Madison.
This is great news for people in need of care right now, who can’t wait for the interminable period of legal/court wrangling required before we as a nation can officially say yes, abortion is a fundamental right for everyone.
I was dismayed when abortion services in Wisconsin ceased post-Dobbs in 2022. It all came down to an 1849 state law that outlaws “feticide.” Crucially, however, that law says nothing about abortion (not to mention, I don’t think any law created and passed before women and people of color could even vote should still be valid).
It’s on that basis that the current legal challenge is wending its way through state court, and upon which Planned Parenthood and its legal advisors are basing their decision to restart service. A Dane County Circuit Court judge ruled specifically that the pre-Civil War law did not apply to abortion, paving the way for the case to make its way to a now liberal-leaning state supreme court.
But rather than waiting for that process to play out–months or longer–PP decided to take action right now. To be honest, I wish they hadn’t stopped in the first place, given how uncertain the situation was. I do understand wanting to protect your health care workers from the kind of legal, financial, and physical harm the anti-choice forces so love to attempt. It’s complicated. The bottom line, however, is that we roll over too quickly and too often in the face of oppression.
I have more sympathy for a situation like PP wanting to avoid legal and financial ruin for its people than I do for politicians who do nothing, though. Like when Democrats in Washington seemed to have no real plan for how to react when Roe was overturned, and in a stunning instance of utterly missing the moment, simply read poetry and sang “God Bless America” on the steps of the Capitol while protesters raged. Not to mention the part where so many in the Democratic apparatus spent years downplaying or outright dismissing the possibility that Roe might fall in the first place, and maybe we should have a real, unified plan to prevent that from happening.
But there seems to be a prevailing idea that, if we just stick to old “norms,” everything will be OK in the end. Only, the ascendant, fascist-leaning right-wing has long thrown out any adherence to “norms” or “civility” and are simply marching in lock-step toward their goals. Given that those goals are very clearly to create a nightmare combination of a Christian theocratic state and some kind of autocracy, the rest of us really ought to be working overtime to stop them! And while we’re at it, we should put forward our plans for a society that actually values and benefits everyone, starting with the most marginalized and vulnerable among us (because if and when those groups thrive, we all thrive–not so much millionaires and billionaires).
We don’t have to march in unthinking lockstep to make this happen. The point isn’t to replicate the exact same tactics of the oppressors. History tells us that that simply recreates the problem. But we sure as shit can’t be so distracted by either tearing each other apart for not being ideologically pure enough or, on the other hand, being so afraid to take risks and make change and really do something.
We can’t just roll over and say, well, I guess we have to wait to help these people in need until the people in opposition to helping those people decide that it’s OK.
And it’s going to require real coalition building, throwing respectability politics out the window, and following the lead of those who’ve been on the front lines of this fight the whole time. When it comes to bodily autonomy and reproductive justice, that means cis and trans women of color, sex workers, immigrants, indigenous folks, queer folks. If the movement doesn’t include and isn’t led by them, it ain’t working. The fall of Roe and everything that led up to it is a testament to that reality. White feminism and respectability politics got us into this mess. They won’t get us out of it.
Back to the issue at hand right now: While the news from Planned Parenthood is very good, there are still major gaps to abortion access in the state (not to mention the rest of the country). As noted by the Wisconsin Women’s Medical Fund:
This recent change does not include reopening abortion services at the Planned Parenthood location in Sheboygan, which is the northernmost abortion clinic in Wisconsin. And since Wisconsin law does not allow providers to prescribe abortion pills via telehealth visits, thousands of people in Wisconsin will still be without accessible and affordable clinical abortion care.
Go donate to them if you haven’t already (and if you can, make it monthly). We have a long and difficult fight ahead. But we can do it, together.
Read Local.
Speaking of not rolling over in the face of right-wing fuckery:
“Impeach Justice Janet Protasiewicz? Here’s what’s missing from debate” [Matthew DeFour and Jack Kelly for Wisconsin Watch]
The Wisconsin GOP has been making threats about impeaching newly-elected, liberal-leaning State Supreme Court Justice Janet Protasiewicz. It’s a brazen and obvious attempt to subvert the will of the people of Wisconsin, simply because the GOP recognizes that their stranglehold on power in the state is just a little weaker. But they’re the ones that created the rules that now guide the court, and those same rules (in addition to the constitution) support Justice Protasiewicz’s right to rule on cases involving our gerrymandered maps, abortion rights, and other key issues. This is a good read about whether or not the GOP even has a leg to stand on with this threat.
Read more about the Wisconsin GOP’s recent history of attempting to subvert democracy and undermine Democrats elected to office, from Dan Shafer over at the Recombobulation Area.
On that note:
“Senate Republicans fire state’s top election official” [Wisconsin State Journal] even though they didn’t have the legal right to do so. Megan Wolfe has had a target on her back since 2020, for daring to uphold the results of the presidential election.
Roller Derby Corner.
My home league, Madison Roller Derby, is hosting our invitational tournament this coming weekend, September 23 and 24, at the Arena at Alliant Energy Center. Whether you’ve seen derby before or not, I highly recommend checking out a game or two. We’ll be hosting teams from Milwaukee, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania, and it’s always a real good time. I’ll be skating in the final game on Saturday, and announcing earlier in the day as well. Come say hi!
Get info about the event and schedule here. Buy tickets here (or at the door).
Now Read This.
“From hobbyist to war photographer” [Audrey Thibert for Isthmus]
Iva Sidash started doing photography as a hobby in 2019. When Russia invaded Ukraine three years later, she knew she had to stay to document what was happening to her country. “I wanted to be useful to my country and close to the situation,” Sidash tells Isthmus over Zoom from Ukraine. “Obviously it's very dangerous here, but the choice was quite obvious to me.”
“Librarians didn’t sign up to be queer activists–but this year, they are” [Melissa Gira Grant in The New Republic]
It would be a mistake to think this is solely a “culture war” for these groups or that their attacks are directed primarily at books. They are aiming their rage at people. The book bans, the accompanying attacks on libraries—they’re motivated by anti-queer, anti-trans, and racist politics—a desire to remove the people they don’t like from public life, as easy as plucking a book from a display. If progressives aren’t willing to be honest about this, they will only aid in the advancement of this merciless crusade.
“In fascist attack on the Stop Cop City movement, the state indicts itself” [Joshua Hill at New Means]
The state of Georgia just filed RICO charges against activists involved in the effort to prevent the construction of a massive, expensive police training facility in the middle of one of Atlanta’s only remaining urban forests. They list things like “solidarity,” “mutual aid,” and “altruism” as bad things. Joshua gives the full, infuriating rundown of the baseless and absolutely bonkers charges, and also provides a number of good links for donating to mutual aid, bail funds, and other efforts to support the activists.
“These insurers are screwing the public on climate change” [Arielle Samuelson and Emily Atkin at HEATED]
One could argue that these companies are acting responsibly. Clearly, these insurers understand the risks of climate change, and understand that it’s not financially viable to insure properties in climate-vulnerable areas. But here’s our question: If these insurance companies truly understand climate risk—and if they are truly acting responsibly—why are they still underwriting and investing in fossil fuel projects, and supporting the expansion of fossil fuel production around the world?
Take Action.
Read the first-person testimonial of a prisoner at Waupun’s maximum security prison, which has been on “lockdown” for months, depriving those incarcerated there of basic human rights. Then read this article about the situation, which seems largely to be the result of short staffing, though ultimately because we over-incarcerate people in this country and the whole prison industrial complex is a deeply immoral enterprise. I’m ashamed that I’ve only just realized these lockdowns are happening at all.
You can donate to support the Prison Writers project, and/or the ACLU of Wisconsin, which is supporting a class action lawsuit filed by those incarcerated at Waupun. I also recommend supporting LGBT Books to Prisoners, which simply works to ensure that incarcerated LGBTQ folks have access to informative and affirming books.
Final Frame.
I’ve been sick with my second round of COVID-19 for the past week and this has been my view for most of that time. Thank goodness for dogs. I finally tested negative on Sunday and am feeling much better, thanks to access to antiviral treatments and good care from my loved ones. It has me reflecting, yet again, about how fortunate I am to have a job with decent sick pay and flexibility, a safe place to lay low, and access to medical care. And that EVERYONE should have what they need in the face of this (yes still ongoing) pandemic.
This shit is going around again and is still a serious health risk, so PLEASE consider masking when you’re in groups, especially indoors. And be sure to get the updated booster that just came out. You can make appointments now via CVS and other medical providers. Take care out there, friends.
‘Til Next Time.
Thanks for reading! Always feel free to hit me up with questions, comments, suggestions, and tips on great hiking spots or good books. And please feel free to forward this email to a friend and/or hit that subscribe button. xoxo
Emily:
I always enjoy reading the Grist From the Mills. Hope it continues to arrive in my mailbox.
Here's a link you may like - https://www.1revorg.org/derby.html.
Scott