AZ's abortion law & My wistful advice to fellow Pro-choicers

[caseymoz]

7. What do you mean I'm "bashing" the states?

Last edited Sat Apr 14, 2012, 01:11 PM - Edit history (2)

I suggested we get the message right and consider radical action. That is to say, something unusual that gets under their skin, and gets the attention of the center.

We both agree that there's no hope reasoning with the Anti-choicers, but I'm not talking about "reasoning" with them. I'm talking about declaring a clear position. That will start to win the center and reduce recruitment to the Anti-choice cause from the newest generation. Meanwhile it will increase recruitment to ours. I'm talking about making sure the Anti-choice cause withers, that the clowns are sterilized. I'm suggesting taking a longer view.

Getting our message right is not a waste of time. Calling them misogynist is. Too many people in the center and too many maturing youths are blind to it. They see the belief in the moral cause, which is how it looks on the surface, and which is effective at making the Anti-choice position look honorable. The misogyny is usually shown with more subtlety, with a Freudian gaff, an incidental barbarism, or a "necessary" evil.

Every election either raises hopes that we're going to get those clowns out of there this time, or invites dread that they are going to deluge us, as they did last election. They're gerrymandered into secure districts now. They are entrenched, dug in. It's going to be hard within the system to get them out of office. Then there's the problem of electronic voting machines, and the fact that when they get in they've been take measures to suppress voting, measures that might be effective. We can't give up on elections, but if we don't spread the right message, we will lose.

What's happening now is not the results of just one election. We Pro-choicers have been on the defensive for thirty years. The defeats have turned into a rout in the last two years. You're not going to reverse a trend with one election. Or two. We can't be so short-sighted.

You give a false dichotomy. I suggested radical action, and having a clear message. Neither of these are meant to repudiate electoral efforts, nor do they. Election efforts are a different subject entirely.

&quot I)nstead of bashing these states - how about helping out by throwing a few dollars to the Democratic Party of each of these states - or to candidates. . . ."

First I didn't bash the states in any way. I said the laws they passed were a joke or a horror story depending on how close you are to it. I said what's horrible now will look funny in the future. You disagree? If not, how did I bash the states?

Second, I am dead broke. I now have to work hard now to avoid complete destitution. I've given to candidates and Progressive causes, most especially Pro-choice as I went poor. The results have been . . . disappointing.

As for "getting the word out," you're seeing my effort at it now. I'll add, if the message is as ineffective as it has been, IMHO, after putting cash on the cause over years and see both being lost, I see little reason to get the old message out. Get a new message and maybe I can find some energy.