Shakesville

JEB! Can Be Racist, Too

[Content Note: Racism; anti-blackness; class warfare.]

Although Donald Trump is turning overt racism up to 11 in this campaign, it's imporant to remember that racism, particularly anti-blackness, has long been a centerpiece of the Republican platform.

To underline the point that this shit isn't new, these comments about black voters that Jeb Bush made at a campaign event in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, last night echo Mitt Romney's and Paul Ryan's "takers and moochers" language from the last election, which itself is just an extension of Saint Ronald Reagan's "welfare queens" rhetoric, which was a then-modern varation on the Southern Strategy:

"Look around this room," a man told Bush, who spoke to a mostly white crowd. "How many black faces do you see? How are you going to include them and get them to vote for you?" asked the man, who was white.

Bush pointed to his record on school choice and said that if Republicans could double their share of the black vote, they would win the swing states of Ohio and Virginia.

"Our message is one of hope and aspiration," he said at the East Cooper Republican Women's Club annual Shrimp Dinner. "It isn't one of division and get in line and we'll take care of you with free stuff. Our message is one that is uplifting -- that says you can achieve earned success."

Free stuff. Like healthcare and education and housing and food. Which can be difficult to secure care of social Darwinist policy conceived and enacted and enforced by Republicans (with plenty of assist from craven Democrats).

It is the height of audacity for Jeb Bush, a man of undiluted privilege whose entire career is owed to his family connections, to indulge the dishonest rhetoric of the meritocracy; to lecture people about pulling themselves up by their bootstraps when his station is built upon a foundation of stolen boots.

But this is the Republican Party. This is its history, and this is its present. And Trump, Bush, and all the rest of this garbage lot are doing their damnedest to make sure that racism will be their party's future, too.

Imagine the Possibilities!

In yesterday's In the News, I mentioned the DOG TRAIN, which is obviously the greatest, and this morning I had a thought that I felt was important to share:

screen cap of tweet authored by me featuring a picture of the dog train and a picture of Tom Hardy kissing a pitbull puppy and reading: 'Y'all, I just had a thought: What if Tom Hardy was driving the DOG TRAIN?'

screen cap of tweet authored by me reading: '#IfTomHardyWasDrivingTheDogTrain I would literally explode into a million cartoon hearts.'

screen cap of tweet authored by me reading: '#IfTomHardyWasDrivingTheDogTrain the Skeksis and Mystics would spontaneously merge and save Jen a whole lot of trouble.'

screen cap of tweet authored by me reading: '#IfTomHardyWasDrivingTheDogTrain dancing in the streets would be more than a song terribly covered by David Bowie and Mick Jagger.'

screen cap of tweet authored by me reading: '#IfTomHardyWasDrivingTheDogTrain there would be mass appeal to Congress for legislation allowing a Hardy/Dogs ticket.'

screen cap of tweet authored by me reading: '#IfTomHardyWasDrivingTheDogTrain Sauron would throw the ring into the fire himself.'

screen cap of tweet authored by me reading: '#IfTomHardyWasDrivingTheDogTrain no one would even THINK about putting Baby in a corner.'

Obviously, this is not a comprehensive list of all the MAGICAL WONDERS that would happen if Tom Hardy were driving the dog train. I couldn't possibly conceive of all of them on my own! I AM ONLY ONE HUMAN WOMAN. Please head to comments to help me with the monumental and delightful task of imagining the possibilities!

Your Republican Front Runner

[Content Note: Anti-immigrant sentiment and language; racism; sexual violence.]

Yesterday, gold toilet aficionado and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump appeared, via phone, on CNN's New Day with host Alisyn Camerota. The embedded video is the full 26-minute segment, the full transcript for which is available here, but I just want to talk about the first few minutes, for which I've provided the transcript, as prepared by CNN, below.

Alisyn Camerota: Good morning, Mr. Trump.

Donald Trump: Hi, Alisyn.

Camerota: Hi, long time no talk. Nice to have you on.

Trump: It's been a long time. But that's great.

Camerota: OK, great to have you. Let's talk about the pope's visit. Let's just start there. Because the pope has been talking about one of your signature issues and that, of course, is immigration. The pope has a different take on immigrants. He, in fact, spoke out to people who might not feel comfortable with immigrants. And let me just read to you his sort of poignant words.

The pope said yesterday, "Perhaps it will not be easy for you to look into their souls. Perhaps you will be challenged by their diversity. But know that they also possess resources meant to be shared. So do not be afraid to welcome them." What do you think of the pope's words?

Trump: Well, I think his words are beautiful; and I respect the Pope and I like the Pope very much. I will say this: we have a country that is going through tremendous problems. We owe $19 trillion, so, No. 1, we can't afford this process. We have tremendous crime problems; as you know, the illegal immigrants are coming in. and you just have to look at San Francisco and Kate or so many other instances, California two weeks ago where a woman was absolutely decimated, killed, raped by an illegal immigrant. A veteran, at 66 years of age, by the way.

And many, many -- you know, thousands and thousands of cases. We're having tremendous crime waves. We have a lot of problems coming in. we have drugs pouring over the borders. We have to seal up our borders. We have to do something about illegal immigration. And people like my plan very much, and I think it's a plan that's going to happen.

Camerota: OK, let's talk about your plan, because it's a two-parter. You talk about building a wall. And then you talk...

Trump: Build a wall, that's right.

Camerota: Sure. And then you talk about deporting the 11 to 12 million undocumented workers who are here...

Trump: Illegal immigrants.

Camerota: Illegal immigrants who are living here. So let's talk. That's the part that you have not been terribly specific about. How would you specifically go about doing 11 million mass deportations?

Trump: Through good management and through a process. And the process is the bad ones go, and they never come back. They're never coming back.

Camerota: Yes.

Trump: The really good ones -- and there are many -- they will go, and they will come back legally. They will come back on an expedited system. And they'll come back legally, Alisyn.

Camerota: OK, but when you say...

Trump: You know, if you go into the 1950s, Dwight Eisenhower, who was a respected president, was doing the same thing. He had to get rid of the illegal immigrants, and he did that. He got them out of the country.

Camerota: But when you say...

Trump: There were a lot of problems. It was done in the 1950s by Dwight Eisenhower.

Camerota: But let's talk about what it looks like nowadays. Would you use the National Guard? Would you use the police, the Army?

Trump: I would use different forms and it will take place and it will be done effectively and warmly and humanely. And a lot of people will be very happy about it. You know that I had a good Hispanic poll the other day because the Hispanics, as an example, don't want to see -- you know, the ones that are here legally don't want to see this where everyone is pouring into the country illegally.

Camerota: Sure -- look...

Trump: We're going to have to do something about it. You know, you use the word "illegal immigrant." That's what it is. You're illegally in the country. So we have to do something about it. We're going to build a wall. We're going to let people in, but they're going to come in legally.

Camerota: Look -- I mean, Mr. Trump, yes, they are here illegally, but often they've been invited in. I mean, you know what our history is with undocumented workers. They've been given jobs; they often pay taxes.

Trump: Right. And they've been coming back legally.

Camerota: I mean...

Trump: Alisyn, they're going to be coming back in, but they're going to be coming back in legally.

Camerota: But, Mr. Trump, I want you to specifically explain how you are going to get rid of them. Because you know what this hearkens to? What it reminds me at least of, is remember the case of Elian Gonzalez where the little Cuban boy, there was this dispute about he belonged in Cuba, he was Cuban.

And the federal agents went into his apartment, and it was splashed all over the media. And it gripped the nation, because you watched federal agents pull this boy from his extended family. And you are talking about doing that with 11 million people. Are you going to separate families?

Trump: No, we're not separating families. We're taking the families, and we're taking them as a unit. And we did it with -- Dwight Eisenhower did it with over 1 million people in the 1950s, and it was something that was done -- You know, now we're a politically correct society. We can't do anything. We're more bound -- we're a society that can't do anything anymore. We can't function anymore. We have millions of people in the country illegally...

Camerota: Yes, so you're prepared to use the police?

Trump: ... tremendous problems -- Listen, they're not paying taxes. They're taking jobs from other people. We have a country that desperately needs jobs. They're taking jobs from other people.

Camerota: Well, look, millions of them are paying taxes.

Trump: Alisyn, what I'm saying is this. It starts with we build a wall; and the wall will be very easily built and a very effective wall. It's going to have a big open gate. And people are going to come into the country through that gate. They're going to come in legally. It's going to be a country that's run -- it's going to be a country with a border.

We're not going to have people pouring drugs across the border. Right now the cartels are bringing drugs across the border. They're bringing the drugs, and they're taking out the money. That's the way...

(CROSSTALK)

Camerota: Look, no one wants the criminal aspect. You're with everyone.

Trump: ... billions of dollars. And by the way, do you know that the gangs that you see, all of these terrible gangs that you see, many of those gangs are made up of illegal immigrants, and they're tough dudes. And by the way, they're going -- day one they're going to be out of here. We're going to get rid of them day one.

Camerota: OK. Let's talk...

Trump: The rest is, the good people, they're going and they're coming back in an expedited way. They're going to come back legally. And you watch with good management how nicely that could work.

Camerota: OK. We will wait to see what your specific strategy is for that.

This is a perfect, terrible example of Trump's entire candidacy: Solid in its bigotry; ridiculously vague in its policy. Trump doesn't have a single defined idea other than "hate, blame, and get rid of migrants," and that is enough for his base, who are satisfied that all that's required to "make America great again" is some gold-lettered hats and a desire to rid the country of as many brown people as possible.

He has no fucking idea what he's talking about, and says manifestly absurd trash like "I would use different forms [of armed law enforcement] and it will take place and it will be done effectively and warmly and humanely," and that's good enough, more than good enough, for his supporters, who are simply thrilled and relieved to have a white man speak to their deeply held "politically incorrect" fears about losing their white privilege, which they talk about as losing "their country."

Trump's campaign is literally nothing but straight-up fearmongering and scapegoating and hatred. The only substance detectable is rank bigotry, which delights his insecure and angry white supporters, and makes detached white progressives laugh, and makes Latin@ children terrified that they will be forcibly removed from their homes if Mr. Trump becomes president.

This is grotesque. It's not funny, it's not entertainment, and it's certainly not harmless. This is the stuff catastrophically violent social policy is made of.

Open Thread

image of my feet clad in purple slip-on Doc Martens

Hosted by my favorite shoes, my purple Doc Martens.

This week's Open Threads have been brought to you by purple.

Question of the Day

It's that time again: What would you like to see asked as a future Question of the Day? Either something that's never been asked, or something that I haven't asked for awhile and you really enjoyed the first time around.

BRING ALL YOUR QUESTIONS! ALL OF THEM! :)

Fat Fashion

This is your semi-regular thread in which fat women can share pix, make recommendations for clothes they love, ask questions of other fat women about where to locate certain plus-size items, share info about sales, talk about what jeans cut at what retailer best fits their body shapes, discuss how to accessorize neutral colored suits, share stories of going bare-armed for the first time, brag about a cool fashion moment, whatever.

* * *

Well, since I've been sick for ELEVENTY MILLION YEARS, I definitely haven't been feeling like buying any new clothes, nor taking pictures of myself. But I thought everyone else might be ready for a fresh Fat Fashion thread, so here it is!

Right now, I'm wearing one of my favorite red sweaters, and here's a picture of me wearing it from last December:

image of me sitting in my living room with my hand on my chin, wearing a red sweater and black glasses

It still looks the same and so do I!

I'm always so excited when fall rolls around and the temperatures start cooling off so I can bring out my sweaters again. Love a day where a sweater and jeans are the perfect outfit.

Anyway! As always, all subjects related to fat fashion are on topic, but if you want a topic for discussion: What's your favorite fall item? Have you bought anything new for fall this year? Or spring, if you're in another part of the world!

Have at it in comments! Please remember to make fat women of all sizes, especially women who find themselves regularly sizing out of standard plus-size lines, welcome in this conversation, and pass no judgment on fat women who want to and/or feel obliged, for any reason, to conform to beauty standards. And please make sure if you're soliciting advice, you make it clear you're seeking suggestions—and please be considerate not to offer unsolicited advice. Sometimes people just need to complain and want solidarity, not solutions.

The Grossest

[Content Note: Misogyny; sexuality policing; slut-shaming.]

Marisa Kabas: "With 'no hymen, no diamond' mantra, men's rights activists hunt for the perfect virgin."

These men are the absolute fucking worst. There aren't enough hours in the day to detail everything that is wrong with these slut-shaming objectifiers.

I have but only one comment, in response to this nonsense:

"Some women admitted to me that they lie about their sexual history to avoid being judged and shamed," Leora Tanenbaum, author of I Am Not a Slut: Slut-Shaming in the Age of the Internet, told the Daily Dot. "They are right to be concerned, since many men make relationship decisions based on the number of the woman they are interested in."

Listen, I don't tend to dispense unsolicited or blanket relationship advice, but if any person's "standards" require you to lie about who you are in order to meet with their approval, turn tail and run like the wind and never look back.

Quote of the Day

[Content Note: Misogyny.]

"Go fuck yourself."—Ghostbusters director Paul Feig, to one of a number of misogynist trolls whom he addressed on Twitter, in defense of his film, the women who worked on it, and the women who are beyond excited to see it.

I'm sure there are SO MANY FANBOYS collapsing onto their fainting couches, uttering dire warnings about how talking to people that way will ruin Paul Feig.

Except they've forgotten about all of us who will now love him EVEN HARDER.

Don't they always.

Two-Minute Nostalgia Sublime

David Bowie: "Thursday's Child"

Just Stop Please Stop

[Content Note: Police brutality; death.]

"Maryland man fatally shot by police 'after imitating gun with fingers':

A man was shot dead after pointing his finger as if it was a gun at a police officer who was chasing him for trying to obtain cough syrup with a fake prescription, police in Maryland said on Thursday.

Baltimore County police said the man, who has not yet been publicly named, was shot three times in Reisterstown after "reaching around to the small of his back and abruptly whipping his hand around and pointing it toward the officer, as if with a weapon".

Police said in a statement that the shooting on Wednesday was recorded on surveillance footage from a nearby business, which shows that after falling to the ground he "refuses to comply and keeps reaching into his waistband, as if for a weapon".

The man was being pursued for attempting to use a fake prescription at a pharmacy, according to police, who said the officer responded to a call from a pharmacist and chased the man across the street.

Not only has the man's name not been released; neither has his race.

I know we're fighting a totally terrific war on drugs and all, but does that really necessitate chasing a man and using deadly force because he tried to get cough syrup with a fake prescription?

It's not just the number of police killings to which I object; it's many of the methods of policing that precede them.

Daily Dose of Cute

image of Zelda the Black and Tan Mutt sitting next to me on the couch looking sleepy while I scratch her ear

Zen-faced Zelly, hanging out for some ear scratches last night.
As always, please feel welcome and encouraged to share pix of the fuzzy, feathered, or scaled members of your family in comments.

In the News

Here is some stuff in the news today...

[Content Note: Death; injury] Just awful: "At least 717 pilgrims were killed on Thursday in a crush outside the Muslim holy city of Mecca, the Saudi authorities said, the worst disaster to strike the annual haj pilgrimage in 25 years. At least 863 others were injured at Mina, a few kilometres east of Mecca, when two large groups of pilgrims arrived together at a crossroads on their way to performing the 'stoning of the devil' ritual at Jamarat, Saudi civil defence said. Thursday's disaster was the worst to occur at the pilgrimage since July 1990, when 1,426 pilgrims were crushed to death in a tunnel near Mecca. Both stampedes occurred on Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice), Islam's most important feast and the day of the stoning ritual."

[CN: Transphobia; harassment; sexual assault] Sandy Brown has won her case against the Maryland prison system, thereby winning a major legal victory for transgender inmates in the state: "Brown said she was placed in solitary confinement, and kept there for 66 days despite a directive from the jail warden that staff should not segregate her from the rest of the population. During that time, she was routinely harassed by guards who made fun of her while she showered, including one who told her to commit suicide, Brown said in the complaint. ...In her ruling, [Judge Denise Oakes Shaffer] said the corrections officers 'created a hostile environment' [and that] Patuxent had no policies in place for how to treat transgender inmates, in violation of the federal law... Rebecca Earlbeck, an attorney at FreeState Legal Project, a civil legal aid organization, called the ruling 'a victory for the rights of incarcerated transgender people [which] forces the entire state corrections system to adopt a clear policy for the treatment of transgender inmates regarding searches, housing, and interaction with transgender inmates [and] mandatory staff training on these policies.'" Naturally, this won't magically end transphobia, but this is an important bit of accountability.

[CN: Homophobia] Sounds legit: "An all-boys Tennessee school won't allow a gay student to take another boy to his homecoming dance. ...The school cited a policy against boys from other schools attending social functions as its official reason for denying the teen's request. 'CBHS students may attend the dance by themselves, with other CBHS students, or with a girl from another school,' the school's policy states. 'For logistical reasons, boys from other schools may not attend.'" Logistical reasons is the best (worst) euphemism for "accommodation of indefensible bigotry" I've heard in quite some time.

[CN: Misogyny] Donald Trump is like a misogyny-spewing machine that hasn't had its software updated since the '80s: "Donald Trump said during a campaign speech Wednesday that Hillary Rodham Clinton is 'shrill,' raising his voice several octaves to get the point across. 'Hillary, who is very shrill—do you know the word 'shrill'?' Trump said to a crowd of a few hundred at a convention center here Wednesday afternoon. 'She can be kind of sha-riiiiill.'" This fucking guy.

Btw, this is an actual correction at the top of that article lol foreverrrrr oh my god what is this election:

screen cap of text reading: 'Correction: An earlier version of this story said Donald Trump called Marco Rubio a 'politically correct brat.' Trump instead said he is tired of 'politically correct crap.' This version has been corrected.'

[CN: White Supremacy] This seems like a terrible idea: "In an effort to reach out to millennial women voters, Hillary Clinton will appear in an interview opposite Girls star Lena Dunham, set to post online Tuesday, Politico has learned. The already-taped segment also includes comedy sketches filmed at Clinton's Brooklyn campaign headquarters, including a cameo by comedian Amy Schumer." Oof.

[CN: Disablism] There is some debate about the sharing of medical advancement stories and videos, because of the implication that people with disabilities should be "fixed," or are worth more if they are. I want to acknowledge that before I share this, with the note that no one with a disability should be obliged to pursue any treatments they don't want, that people with disabilities who opt out of such treatments aren't worth less, and also that not everyone who does want these treatments has access to them. This is an incredible advancement for the people who want it, and I hope it will be made available who everyone who does: "How a Paralyzed Man Walked Again."

Adele's new album will reportedly drop on November 20th. YES PLEASE! CAN'T WAIT!

And finally! DOG TRAIN.

Your Progressive Pope

[Content Note: War on agency; Christian Supremacy; racism.]

Maybe everyone can all take a break for two seconds from talking about how SUPERCOOL AWESOME LIBERAL Pope Francis is to talk about this shit:

Pope Francis made an unscheduled stop to visit the Little Sisters of the Poor Wednesday, a move that Vatican officials said was intended to send a message of support in the nuns' battle against Obamacare.

The religious order of Catholic sisters is suing the Obama administration over a provision of the Affordable Care Act that the administration has interpreted as requiring the sisters to purchase health insurance with birth control coverage.

...Francis met with the sisters at their Washington convent next door to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, where he celebrated a canonization Mass for St. Junipero Serra. The private meeting was not on the pope's public schedule and was only disclosed afterward.

"This is a sign, obviously, of support for them," said the Vatican Press Secretary, Rev. Federico Lombardi.

Just a cool unannounced stop to signal his support for denying access to contraception during a trip centered around the canonization of "an extreme and unapologetic abuser of the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Coast."

Today in Rape Culture

[Content Note: Sexual violence; victim-blaming; harassment; police misconduct.]

Patrick Kane, a professional hockey player for the Chicago Blackhawks, has been accused of rape. According to the woman who made the allegations, she accompanied a friend to Kane's house in Hamburg, New York, near his hometown of Buffalo, on August 2nd, where he then raped her.

This case has followed the predictably horrifying pattern that will be familiar to anyone who has watched any sports hero be investigated for rape: The accuser is victim-blamed and harassed, the accused's fans defend him and attack critics in the most despicable fashion, sports writers who don't know the first thing about the rape culture write risible thinkpieces that are little more than a collection of rape apologia greatest hits, those tasked with justice don't effectively do the job they are meant to do.

But the Patrick Kane case has elevated these sickeningly routine dynamics to a new level, as the harassment of the victim now includes the packaging of what appears to be the tampered rape kit being left on her mother's doorstep. Dave Zirin:

The rape kit, according to anonymous sources that emerged last week, showed no evidence of Kane's DNA, although the absence of DNA does not mean an assault did not take place. On Wednesday, the accuser's lawyer, Thomas Eoannou, held an extraordinary press conference where he held up the torn and damaged rape kit of his client—clearly labeled with her name, date of birth, and the ID number of the nurse who did the exam—and said that it had been deposited on the doorstep of the victim's mother. Eoannou said that he hoped it had been put there, in his words, by "a good Samaritan" attempting to show that the kit had been tampered with either by the hospital staff or the police.

There is also the obscene, and frankly more likely possibility that someone crammed the bag in between the storm door and front door of her mother's home to taunt the victim and her family. ...No matter the motivations, the very idea of a rape kit being taken out of police custody and torn open is criminal and appalling. As Eoannou said, "In a rape case, the victim gets attacked. It's called victim bashing. It's absolutely atrocious. ...This is a classic example of why rape victims don't come forward in rape cases."

And, unless the police department was so indifferent to securing the rape kit that a stranger could wander in and grab it (or its packaging), which is a special sort of incompetent cruelty of its own, someone from or affiliated with the police department was the one who nicked it.

But the police seem to be implying that the rape kit packaging left at the victim's door was fake:

The Hamburg Police Department put out this statement about the bag after Eoannou's announcement Wednesday. "In regard to the information conveyed today by Mr. Thomas Eoannou, the Hamburg Police Department will cooperate with any authorized investigation regarding the handling of evidence and the procedure of such."

It continued: "That said, The Hamburg Police Department has documentation that unequivocally demonstrates that it's [sic] handling of the evidence and the integrity of it's [sic] chain of custody of evidence in this case is unassailable. As is policy with active investigations, there will be no further comment regarding this situation."

Erie County Commissioner of Central Police Services John Glascott also said his department, which handles evidence analysis, followed all proper procedures and that all of the evidence was accounted for.

"All evidence related to this case that was given to Erie County Central Police Services by the Town of Hamburg Police Department is accounted for and remains in its original packaging in the possession of Erie County Central Police Services," Glascott said in a written statement. "This includes the evidence in the rape kit and the packaging itself. This evidence has been analyzed and reports of that analysis sent to the appropriate agencies."

So, the chain of custody is unassailable, all proper procedures were followed, and all evidence is accounted for, including the rape kit and its packaging.

If that's accurate, it still doesn't rule out the possibility that someone at the police department with access to the rape kit provided the information—the accuser's name, date of birth, and the ID number of the nurse who did the exam—to whoever created the possibly faked evidence bag. Or used the information to create it hirself.

The only other possibility, if it is indeed not the original rape kit evidence, is that someone at the hospital provided or used the information.

(I haven't been able to figure out if there is any chance that someone at the hospital actually provided a fake kit to police, and the kit left at the door was the real one.)

This is a total clusterfuck of professional misconduct, and the betrayal and revictimization of a survivor of rape.

Meanwhile, Patrick Kane continues to play hockey.

Dear Vice President Biden: Nope.

[Content Note: War on agency. Video may autoplay at article link.]

Via Erin Matson, I read this interview with Vice President Joe Biden about abortion choice, in which he makes a fairly common argument among Christian lawmakers that he personally doesn't support abortion but doesn't feel compelled to tell other people to agree with his view. In the familiar parlance, he is personally anti-choice but politically pro-choice.

But then he goes on to argue that there is room for anti-choicers in the Democratic Party:

"I'm prepared to accept that at the moment of conception there's human life and being, but I'm not prepared to say that to other God-fearing, non-God-fearing people that have a different view," he said.

He added that there is room in the Democratic Party for people who believe abortion should be illegal.

"Absolutely, positively," he said. "And that's been my position for as long as I've been engaged."

I have a problem with this.

Being personally against abortion, as in you'd never get one, cool. (Although I certainly have thoughts about cis men who will never, ever, face the possibility of wanting or needing an abortion even espousing a personal opposition to abortion.) Making room for people who want to criminalize it? Fuck that.

Fuck that because abortion policy isn't just about personal abortion beliefs. It's about one's beliefs regarding individual agency and religious freedom.

Fuck that because making room for anti-choice policy is making room for the state-sanctioned enforcement of religious belief and control of pregnant bodies.

This idea that we can wrench apart abortion policy from the human beings affected by limited abortion access is full-tilt garbage. You aren't anti-choice in a vacuum. You are anti-choice in a world where that has social and personal consequences for human beings.

It's so easy to say "I'm against abortion" and avoid saying "I'm against individual agency and freedom from religion." And it's so easy because we talk about abortion as an abstract thing, rather than a choice made by human beings whose social value is affected by access to that choice.

"I'm against abortion" means, in practice, "I'm against granting agency, autonomy, respect, dignity, and religious freedom to pregnant people." (And people who may become pregnant.) All the protesting in the world that's not what you really mean, or that isn't your intent, doesn't matter. That's what anti-choice policy means IN PRACTICE. And the only way to argue you don't mean that is to write human beings who want/need abortions out of the equation.

Abstract abortion policy is mendacious horseshit that allows policymakers to disappear the people affected by that policy.

Abstract abortion policy allows a deeply dishonest conversation in which its participants conspire to pretend that criminalizing abortion merely means limiting access, and doesn't also mean limiting the social value and rights of all people who can get pregnant.

That our Democratic vice-president thinks there's room for that limitation in his party is appalling. And the only way he gets away with it is because we allow rhetoric that divorces abortion access from human value conferred by agency.

Irrespective of whether I ever get an abortion, whether I have the right to get one defines the boundaries of my agency. And the boundaries of my agency define the value and completeness of my humanity, under the law.

So, no. There is no room for anti-choice policy in any political party who wants me to believe my comprehensive humanity is respected.

Abortion policy cannot be separated from the value of the bodies that are affected by that policy.

And if Vice President Biden thinks I would cast a vote for anyone who doesn't understand, or elides, that reality, he needs to think again.

Open Thread

image of purple-tip frogspawn coral, on the floor of the ocean

Hosted by purple-tip frogspawn coral.

Question of the Day

(This is a rather US-centric question, but, given the increasing global access to media from other countries, I think it's less US-centric than it might have been once upon a time. Also: Although the new fall season in the US prompted the question, your answer doesn't have to be about a US show.)

The fall television season in the US started this week, and I'm wondering: Are there any new shows about which you're excited?

The only new show I've started is The Bastard Executioner on F/X, and it's very violent, so it obviously won't be for everyone, as well as very male-dominant, but we're two episodes in and I LOVE THE BARONESS AND THE HEALER SO MUCH! (Both female characters.) And, without spoiling anything for anyone who may watch, I also love how Kurt Sutter and Paris Barclay are all: "Oh you say you can't find a way to incorporate characters of color into medieval British entertainment? Hahaha fuck you."

Two-Minute Nostalgia Sublime

Lisa Loeb: "Waiting for Wednesday"

Whut.

[Content Note: Misogyny.]

The Dalai Lama identifies as a feminist, but perhaps he's in need of a Feminism 101 class, because I don't know what in the world this shit is all about:

BBC presenter Clive Myrie asked the Buddhist leader if his 15th reincarnation could be a woman. "Yes," he responded. "One occasion in Paris, one woman's magazine reporter come to see me, I think more than 15 years ago. She asks me, 'Any possibility of a female Dalai Lama?' I mention, why not?" he recalled. "The female biologically [has] more potential to show affection and compassion."

"And then, I told this reporter, the face must be very attractive. Otherwise, not much use," he added chuckling.

Myrie had to laugh at that. "You're joking, I'm assuming?" he asked.

"No, I meant it, true," the Dalai Lama replied.

Soooo women are biologically wired to me more compassionate, but we're only useful as leaders if we're hot. Neat.

One of the things I love, ahem, about this job is how every new day brings merry misogynist insult from the coolest dudes all over the world!

The Wednesday Blogaround

This blogaround brought to you by hoofprints.

Recommended Reading:

Monica: [Content Note: Transphobia] Not Feeling Pope Francis' USA Visit

Rafi: [CN: War on agency] Republicans Are Going to Shut Down the Government (Again) If Planned Parenthood Isn't Defunded

Anne: [CN: Medical malfeasance; disablism; gaslighting; self-harm] "I Knew That Shit Was Poison": 13 People Describe What Paxil Did to Them as Teens and Young Adults

Feminist Aspie: [CN: Disablism; identity policing] Don't You Mean "Person with Ableist Derailing"?

Atrios: [CN: Racism; classism] Perhaps You Should Listen to Yourself

Fannie: [CN: Whitewashing; ciswashing] Stonewall Movie and the Gay White Male Hero

Kenrya: [CN: Racism] The Metropolitan Opera Will Finally Stop Using Blackface on Stage

Mika: It Takes Just Seven Welds to Assemble the Newest Orion Spacecraft

Leave your links and recommendations in comments. Self-promotion welcome and encouraged!