Before you get too far into a project to center women&children&families etc. I hope you'll visit existing women's groups to find out not only what they already have going on and its successes, challenges, but to try to include existing women's groups in a new coalition ...
Hi Simon, I'm a new subscriber on the recommendation of my friends and fellow Heather's Herders. I have a lot to say about this (which I also rail about in HCR's Substack pages), but in terms of recommendations specific to women's groups: NOW, Planned Parenthood, NARAL, ANY Women's and Gender Studies department. I also recommend the issue of Medieval Feminist Forum I co-edited with Jennifer Edwards several years ago (I am a medievalist by profession), especially my introduction to the issue, which lays out many of the challenges women in academia and elsewhere continue to experience. It's open access: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/mff/vol53/iss1/
SMFS--and its partner organization in the UK, the Gender and Medieval Studies Group--have been involved for going on three decades in advocating for gender awareness and inclusivity in academia and its members are among the most engaged people I know. Contacting the Exec Board of SMFS could prove useful. Since I am an internationalist at heart, the fact that the SMFS Board includes people not only from the USA but also many other places is an important added benefit.
I really like the idea of a "New Agenda for Women and Families.” It will resonate for women, especially working moms whose stressful realities have been neglected by our political system for far too long. Many of these women are in the younger demographic making up our "strive for 55" effort. It is younger women most concerned with issues related to pregnancy and family planning, and women just starting their families and trying to keep working with an exorbitantly costly child care system in our country.
On the project "Women and families " I am all for the seven offered options !.. I think I would love to see them preceded by the title, "Common Sense Seven Measures " and if we could start each option with Common Sense ? 😉
It is just that in general, when we say " Common Sense " I have a feeling persons listening or reading this, are immediately positively biased... lol. Precisely because we live through such chaotic times 🌿
I would like to add protecting public education by fighting against charters and vouchers which siphon off public funds for the use of private schools that don’t have to abide by the same rules and protections as public schools. Public education is the underpinning of our democracy, and the right is bent on destroying it. The best source of information on this topic is Educational historian Diane Ravitch. https://dianeravitch.net/
I will do some research online to see who's most active nationally and respond to your comment. I'm assuming that, like Kansas and other states that have acted in response to Dobbs, there are active women's organizations in most states - including Texas where I live -- but I haven't done a thorough survey. There have certainly been very creative strategies around providing reproductive healthcare since Dobbs, and beyond just the notion of not reinventing the wheel and affording respect to those who've done some work, it seemed reasonable to assume that you would communicate with women's activist groups. I'm reminded of the Women's March in 2016 where it was widely communicated in the media that women's groups were working to become more inclusive in order to be more effective and they simultaneously recognized that -- like the Democratic Party -- their wide range of 'women's groups' could be both a strength and a potential weakness ... There are also the Democratic governors and other state leaders who would be potential allies in your project(s).
I love this approach! It's positive and appeals to "rational" women everywhere. I think including groups such as Red, Wine and Blue https://redwine.blue/, The Suburban Women which include Rachel Vindman https://redwine.blue/the-suburban-women-problem/, and other prominent women's groups will help. I also think enlisting the assistance of women such as Nikki Fried who lost the primary for governor to Charlie Crist but who has now been elected to the Florida Democratic chair can also help. So many of us think this is the right thing to do, so getting some good people to help amplify this message would be good. I am all in.
That is a winning message. I would add a point on hurting trans and gay kids in school - preferred names, bathrooms, etc. And a second point honoring doctors and parents rights to making decisions for trans kids gender affirming medical care. We just suffered the MAGA right ramming these things through the Iowa lege against a majority of citizens' opinions.
This may not be exactly pertinent to this discussion, but I think it could have some bearing. Yesterday on your YouTube video, Ben Wikler spoke about the 1849 abortion law in Wisconsin and its effects on the state. For instance , he said medical students at their colleges cannot do a rotation in obstetrics that includes learning how to do an abortion because of this law. So these students leave the state to complete that rotation, and many do not return. So the state is losing its potential medical personnel who may or may not choose to become an Ob-Gyn. This affects all residents of the state, when the medical establishment is lacking enough personnel. There were other things he said as well that could be pertinent to this discussion, even if not appearing to directly relate to it. BTW, If any of your readers did not see Ben’s talk, I highly recommend it. Only 22 minute long.
Anyway, he and other leaders, writers, etc., sometimes do not talk directly to the issues you may want to present, but the ramifications and repercussions of some seemingly unrelated issues can reverberate widely and affect the lives of women and children. So don‘t dismiss something because it seems unrelated. Today HCR wrote about problems military personnel are having in states that outlaw abortion. The Sect of Defense spoke about it possibly hurting our military readiness, which is probably the point the opposition will focus on, because many will not enlist or reenlist. With women being 20% of our military it can affect their lives and those of their families in many ways they don‘t want. And, of course, all those businesses that surround our military bases to provide their daily needs will be affected as well. Sorry to be focusing on abortion, but it is a perfect example of a topic that has been narrowly focused on by most of us, as in protecting the life of the unborn, but the ramifications downstream are huge. I had not thought about these until Ben spoke yesterday and opened my eyes to all that these laws affect. Please don‘t discount something because it doesn’t seem to obviously affect women and children. It just might be a point we can raise with voters that will peak their wanting to vote with us, if it is presented with more than a single point to it.
Hi Simon, I love your ideas for a new agenda for women and families. But there is one glaring omission in the list -- care of the earth and all its lifeforms! This is most definitely a woman's issue! And a family one. Women are natural nurturers; most women I know extend that beyond their own species to include animals and plants. We must acknowledge, encourage, and devote resources to nurturing the biosphere instead of just exploiting it, or the earth will become uninhabitable for complex life. And families are healthier if they have opportunities to enjoy wild places. Women are usually on the front lines when it comes to recognizing our responsibilities to our extended families, our communities, our ecological regions, and our planet. Let's support this most necessary contributioon!
1) call them “firearm protection laws.” It evokes positive sentiments & may reduce triggering the MAGA extremists. I have posted elsewhere on going for the $ & not the guns through robust licensing, training, storage & health & insurance liability requirements. Make firearm ownership an expensive & time consuming endeavor. It may greatly school shootings by the 18-25 year olds.
2) Health insurance companies & regulators are strangling healthcare & are turning into a medical Jiffy Lube. We must reform healthcare beyond the ACA & loosen health insurance cos’ grip. As a Psych NP in a large hospital system I am watching the slow death first hand & it is hurting patients & medical providers.
3) There is no health without mental health & we need to address & improve the mental health system for adolescents & young adults as well as throughout the lifespan. Emerging psycholytic (ketamine, psilocybin, MDMA) therapies should be available to all - not just those who can afford to pay put of pocket.
4) Federal legalization of marijuana. Years of state medical & recreational legality have proven that marijuana is safer than alcohol & provide generous tax benefits to communities. It is a no brainer to improve tax revenue and the economy as a whole. Removing federal restrictions allows for banking and for the public to benefit from investment in marijuana dispensaries & the laboratories they require.
I agree. I think there's an argument to be made that running the way Gretchen Whitmer did, where she wove abortion rights into an economic argument and centered her candidacy around it, is brilliant and hugely effective. (Read the incredible new article about it in the cut https://www.thecut.com/article/abortion-democratic-party-2024-elections.html). As the mom to a nonbinary kid I would have to add PLEASE include protecting trans kids. I believe it's also a wining issue. It's also just the right thing to do.
I would add paid parental leave (not just for women) and policies to help children languishing in foster care, training programs to get more women working in fields traditionally dominated by men (construction, plumbing, etc), equal pay for equal work, added support for grandparents who are raising grandchildren, free school breakfast and lunch for all students, and expansion of community and senior centers so that more people of all ages have access to a place to exercise, learn new skills, play games, etc.
Simon, I love this agenda focus! Can you translate this into a series of one or two sentence talking points for us to include in our Leaflet Every Doorstep campaign? Best if there is a contrasting sentence re what the Rs are doing, but not necessary if that slows down the delivery of these fabulous talking points. :)
Before you get too far into a project to center women&children&families etc. I hope you'll visit existing women's groups to find out not only what they already have going on and its successes, challenges, but to try to include existing women's groups in a new coalition ...
Happy to have you make recommendations on the places you think are doing the best work.....
Hi Simon, I'm a new subscriber on the recommendation of my friends and fellow Heather's Herders. I have a lot to say about this (which I also rail about in HCR's Substack pages), but in terms of recommendations specific to women's groups: NOW, Planned Parenthood, NARAL, ANY Women's and Gender Studies department. I also recommend the issue of Medieval Feminist Forum I co-edited with Jennifer Edwards several years ago (I am a medievalist by profession), especially my introduction to the issue, which lays out many of the challenges women in academia and elsewhere continue to experience. It's open access: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/mff/vol53/iss1/
SMFS--and its partner organization in the UK, the Gender and Medieval Studies Group--have been involved for going on three decades in advocating for gender awareness and inclusivity in academia and its members are among the most engaged people I know. Contacting the Exec Board of SMFS could prove useful. Since I am an internationalist at heart, the fact that the SMFS Board includes people not only from the USA but also many other places is an important added benefit.
I really like the idea of a "New Agenda for Women and Families.” It will resonate for women, especially working moms whose stressful realities have been neglected by our political system for far too long. Many of these women are in the younger demographic making up our "strive for 55" effort. It is younger women most concerned with issues related to pregnancy and family planning, and women just starting their families and trying to keep working with an exorbitantly costly child care system in our country.
yes, this is exactly the idea behind this project
"Agenda" is not a crowd drawing phrase. Let's look at other options.
On the project "Women and families " I am all for the seven offered options !.. I think I would love to see them preceded by the title, "Common Sense Seven Measures " and if we could start each option with Common Sense ? 😉
It is just that in general, when we say " Common Sense " I have a feeling persons listening or reading this, are immediately positively biased... lol. Precisely because we live through such chaotic times 🌿
Agree with all the projects and love the title started with “Common Sense”! 👍🏻👍🏻
I like that message of Common Sense heading each point. Cuz ‘Common sense’ is what seems missing in all gop messages
I would like to add protecting public education by fighting against charters and vouchers which siphon off public funds for the use of private schools that don’t have to abide by the same rules and protections as public schools. Public education is the underpinning of our democracy, and the right is bent on destroying it. The best source of information on this topic is Educational historian Diane Ravitch. https://dianeravitch.net/
I will do some research online to see who's most active nationally and respond to your comment. I'm assuming that, like Kansas and other states that have acted in response to Dobbs, there are active women's organizations in most states - including Texas where I live -- but I haven't done a thorough survey. There have certainly been very creative strategies around providing reproductive healthcare since Dobbs, and beyond just the notion of not reinventing the wheel and affording respect to those who've done some work, it seemed reasonable to assume that you would communicate with women's activist groups. I'm reminded of the Women's March in 2016 where it was widely communicated in the media that women's groups were working to become more inclusive in order to be more effective and they simultaneously recognized that -- like the Democratic Party -- their wide range of 'women's groups' could be both a strength and a potential weakness ... There are also the Democratic governors and other state leaders who would be potential allies in your project(s).
I love it! I would add affordable childcare, expand child tax credits and expand SNAP so no child goes hungry.
helpful
I would love to have CTC made permanent.
Agree 👍🏻👍🏻
I love this approach! It's positive and appeals to "rational" women everywhere. I think including groups such as Red, Wine and Blue https://redwine.blue/, The Suburban Women which include Rachel Vindman https://redwine.blue/the-suburban-women-problem/, and other prominent women's groups will help. I also think enlisting the assistance of women such as Nikki Fried who lost the primary for governor to Charlie Crist but who has now been elected to the Florida Democratic chair can also help. So many of us think this is the right thing to do, so getting some good people to help amplify this message would be good. I am all in.
That is a winning message. I would add a point on hurting trans and gay kids in school - preferred names, bathrooms, etc. And a second point honoring doctors and parents rights to making decisions for trans kids gender affirming medical care. We just suffered the MAGA right ramming these things through the Iowa lege against a majority of citizens' opinions.
This may not be exactly pertinent to this discussion, but I think it could have some bearing. Yesterday on your YouTube video, Ben Wikler spoke about the 1849 abortion law in Wisconsin and its effects on the state. For instance , he said medical students at their colleges cannot do a rotation in obstetrics that includes learning how to do an abortion because of this law. So these students leave the state to complete that rotation, and many do not return. So the state is losing its potential medical personnel who may or may not choose to become an Ob-Gyn. This affects all residents of the state, when the medical establishment is lacking enough personnel. There were other things he said as well that could be pertinent to this discussion, even if not appearing to directly relate to it. BTW, If any of your readers did not see Ben’s talk, I highly recommend it. Only 22 minute long.
Anyway, he and other leaders, writers, etc., sometimes do not talk directly to the issues you may want to present, but the ramifications and repercussions of some seemingly unrelated issues can reverberate widely and affect the lives of women and children. So don‘t dismiss something because it seems unrelated. Today HCR wrote about problems military personnel are having in states that outlaw abortion. The Sect of Defense spoke about it possibly hurting our military readiness, which is probably the point the opposition will focus on, because many will not enlist or reenlist. With women being 20% of our military it can affect their lives and those of their families in many ways they don‘t want. And, of course, all those businesses that surround our military bases to provide their daily needs will be affected as well. Sorry to be focusing on abortion, but it is a perfect example of a topic that has been narrowly focused on by most of us, as in protecting the life of the unborn, but the ramifications downstream are huge. I had not thought about these until Ben spoke yesterday and opened my eyes to all that these laws affect. Please don‘t discount something because it doesn’t seem to obviously affect women and children. It just might be a point we can raise with voters that will peak their wanting to vote with us, if it is presented with more than a single point to it.
Agree with all this. Thought Ben's comments on the 1849 abortion law was really powerful. First time I had heard it spelled out like that.
Hi Simon, I love your ideas for a new agenda for women and families. But there is one glaring omission in the list -- care of the earth and all its lifeforms! This is most definitely a woman's issue! And a family one. Women are natural nurturers; most women I know extend that beyond their own species to include animals and plants. We must acknowledge, encourage, and devote resources to nurturing the biosphere instead of just exploiting it, or the earth will become uninhabitable for complex life. And families are healthier if they have opportunities to enjoy wild places. Women are usually on the front lines when it comes to recognizing our responsibilities to our extended families, our communities, our ecological regions, and our planet. Let's support this most necessary contributioon!
My “yes ands” to your post:
1) call them “firearm protection laws.” It evokes positive sentiments & may reduce triggering the MAGA extremists. I have posted elsewhere on going for the $ & not the guns through robust licensing, training, storage & health & insurance liability requirements. Make firearm ownership an expensive & time consuming endeavor. It may greatly school shootings by the 18-25 year olds.
2) Health insurance companies & regulators are strangling healthcare & are turning into a medical Jiffy Lube. We must reform healthcare beyond the ACA & loosen health insurance cos’ grip. As a Psych NP in a large hospital system I am watching the slow death first hand & it is hurting patients & medical providers.
3) There is no health without mental health & we need to address & improve the mental health system for adolescents & young adults as well as throughout the lifespan. Emerging psycholytic (ketamine, psilocybin, MDMA) therapies should be available to all - not just those who can afford to pay put of pocket.
4) Federal legalization of marijuana. Years of state medical & recreational legality have proven that marijuana is safer than alcohol & provide generous tax benefits to communities. It is a no brainer to improve tax revenue and the economy as a whole. Removing federal restrictions allows for banking and for the public to benefit from investment in marijuana dispensaries & the laboratories they require.
Yeah - I haven’t thought about this at all...😺
Thank you. Yes to all of that and please add fighting climate change. If we keep drilling for oil there will be no women and families.
Note that fighting climate change is on the top of the list of our broader agenda for 2024. Towards the bottom of the post. So am with you on that.
I agree. I think there's an argument to be made that running the way Gretchen Whitmer did, where she wove abortion rights into an economic argument and centered her candidacy around it, is brilliant and hugely effective. (Read the incredible new article about it in the cut https://www.thecut.com/article/abortion-democratic-party-2024-elections.html). As the mom to a nonbinary kid I would have to add PLEASE include protecting trans kids. I believe it's also a wining issue. It's also just the right thing to do.
THIS.
Pay equity/transparency, healthy environment & communities/clean/accessible water, ERPO (under gun violence prevention)
I would add paid parental leave (not just for women) and policies to help children languishing in foster care, training programs to get more women working in fields traditionally dominated by men (construction, plumbing, etc), equal pay for equal work, added support for grandparents who are raising grandchildren, free school breakfast and lunch for all students, and expansion of community and senior centers so that more people of all ages have access to a place to exercise, learn new skills, play games, etc.
💯
Good examples of economic issues that affect families.
Simon, I love this agenda focus! Can you translate this into a series of one or two sentence talking points for us to include in our Leaflet Every Doorstep campaign? Best if there is a contrasting sentence re what the Rs are doing, but not necessary if that slows down the delivery of these fabulous talking points. :)