Song of the day:
Before we get to TV Tuesday I feel like I need to write about the news that broke last night, the leak of the draft Supreme Court opinion that appears to overturn Roe v Wade. The draft is not the ruling, this is clear, but it’s horrifying nonetheless. And if you don’t think it’s horrifying and basically an attack on women then you aren’t paying attention.
I am no longer a woman in her child-bearing years. I’ve never been pregnant and never wanted to be. I have no idea what my decision would have been had I become unexpectedly pregnant whether through poor birth control or sexual assault. But I do know that I would have been the only one making that decision and that if the government tried to dictate that I would have been incredibly angry.
If you don’t think you know women who’ve made this choice for whatever reason, you are most likely wrong. And if you think it’s easy to make this choice, to decide to end a pregnancy, then you’re wrong on that account, too.
Government control over abortion doesn’t save unborn children; it harms women. Laws are being passed all over this country to limit the window in which a woman can choose to have an abortion. And in many cases there are now penalties for miscarriage. MISCARRIAGE. I know women who have had multiple miscarriages before having their children. If they had one now I would hope it happened in California and not some place like Texas where they could literally die without the proper medical procedures or, if a doctor performs the necessary procedures, that doctor could go to jail. It’s absurd and incredibly dangerous.
It seems like the pro life party isn’t really pro life at all. It’s anti-abortion - maybe pro birth - but not really pro life. That same party continues to pass laws that harm women, they cut programs for kids, and they do nothing to actually protect the welfare of children beyond being born. And it’s much worse in marginalized communities, especially among people of color.
Pro choice was never intended to be pro abortion. It was about giving women the right to choose what to do with their bodies, and yes, sometimes that choice is to have an abortion. Who are we to dictate what someone else does? Frankly, I have no interest in having that kind of power. We were given free will for a reason and sometimes our choices have consequences. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be given the freedom to make those choices.
If you are feeling stressed about the possibility of this decision, if you are scared and don’t know what to do, please talk to someone. I’m always happy to listen. And if you just need to find a minute to breathe, this video will help. Deep breaths won’t solve the problem but they can help ensure we stay calm when thinking about the next steps.
TV Tuesday
Hopefully this will give you a few moments of joy in this heavy and sad world we are living in right now…
While I was home this weekend awaiting the COVID test results I watched all the things. Here are just a few…
Bridgerton (Season 2) - I binged Season 1 of Bridgerton last year at some point and knew the second season had premiered. After watching all of my DVRd shows I decided it was time to check it out and watched all the episodes over the weekend. And it was good! I enjoyed the new storylines and the Queen continues to be phenomenal. Her little smirks and looks are amazing. I look forward to seeing what’s next. It’s a fun diversion.
Severance - Based on a lot of recommendations from friends and the excellent online reviews, I decided to check out Severance. I knew what it was about at a high level but wow, it was so intense and dark. I had no idea. I only made it through one episode but will likely watch more at a later date. It was a lot to process.
Death on the Nile - I’d gone back and forth about whether or not I wanted to see this movie in the theatre, but after seeing several of the cast members on Kelly Clarkson I decided I should check it out. I discovered it was playing on HBO Max so I decided to watch. And it was okay. Kenneth Branagh was excellent, as he usually is, but the story was kinda crazy. I didn’t hate it but I didn’t love it either. I’ve never read any Agatha Christie so have no idea if this is how the books are but honestly, it reminded me of watching Into the Woods. Okay, it wasn’t that bad but there was something about it that reminded me of that show. I’m curious if anyone else watched it and what you thought.
Video of the day:
Another wonderful tribute to the people of Ukraine and their amazing spirit.