Pro-choice supporters cheer as the proposed Kansas Constitutional amendment fails as they watch the call from the networks during the pro-choice Kansas for Constitutional Freedom primary election watch party in Overland Park, Kansas on August 2, 2022. Voters in the traditionally conservative state of Kansas voted Tuesday to maintain the right to abortion, in the first election on the flashpoint issue since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June. (Photo: Dave Kaup/AFP via Getty Images)
Anti-Abortion Extremism Is Scaring Voters--Even the Conservative Ones
As conservative Kansas just showed, most voters simply don't want politicians making personal medical decisions for them.
Our country may be divided on the issue of abortion. But when it comes down to it, most Americans believe that it's a pregnant person's right to decide for themselves whether to continue a pregnancy.
Voters are scared about the horrific, real-world human consequences we've seen with our own eyes since states started banning abortion.
That's not only a blue-state attitude--it's just as true in conservative states like Kansas.
By a margin of nearly 20 percentage points in an election with record turnout, Kansas voters just overwhelmingly rejected Republican efforts to cancel the state's constitutional right to personal bodily autonomy, even after the U.S. Supreme Court deleted that right at the federal level.
Abortion rights loom front and center as a major political issue this fall. But anti-abortion forces are trying to deflect responsibility for the reversal of Roe v. Wade by claiming that Democrats are using "scare tactics" about abortion bans.
Scare tactics?
Yes, voters are scared--and they should be. Voters are scared about the horrific, real-world human consequences we've seen with our own eyes since states started banning abortion.
Forcing teenagers to drop out of college so they can care for a baby they don't wish to have is scary. Forcing married women to bear a second child when they don't have the resources to raise the child they already have is scary. Forcing children who are rape or incest victims to continue a pregnancy is scary.
Forcing women to continue a pregnancy they very much wanted after they learn that their fetus has a heartbeat--but a fatal brain ailment--is scary.
Endangering the lives of women by forcing doctors to delay treatment until serious pregnancy complications worsen and they're approaching death is scary. Making doctors fear that they will be prosecuted for providing appropriate medical care during a miscarriage is scary.
Thanks to tireless organizers and plain old common sense, Kansas voters staved off these scary prospects for now. But no matter where you live, voters have our work cut out for us. Many states are rushing bans through, and Republican politicians have openly floated passing a federal abortion ban for the whole country if they take control of Congress.
Voters of both parties need to think hard about the possibility that they or someone they love might need medical care that will be seriously compromised if this happens.
Voters of both parties need to think hard about the possibility that they or someone they love might want to make their own decision about how their life will unfold--whether they go to college, whether they pursue a career, whether they have the child they want on their own time table. Few voters want extremist politicians or religious leaders they don't follow to make these choices for them.
Republican leaders spent decades manipulating the selection of Supreme Court justices so extremist judges could strip Americans of a right they've had for half a century. So they can't claim it's a "scare tactic" to warn that other fundamental rights, like the right to use contraception or marry a partner of their choice, could fall. Especially not when far-right Justice Clarence Thomas has promised to attack those very rights, too.
Many of the political issues being debated in this election season may seem abstract to voters. But nothing can be less abstract than control over one's own body. This fall's election will be as personal as it gets.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. In a few short weeks, US voters will have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Our country may be divided on the issue of abortion. But when it comes down to it, most Americans believe that it's a pregnant person's right to decide for themselves whether to continue a pregnancy.
Voters are scared about the horrific, real-world human consequences we've seen with our own eyes since states started banning abortion.
That's not only a blue-state attitude--it's just as true in conservative states like Kansas.
By a margin of nearly 20 percentage points in an election with record turnout, Kansas voters just overwhelmingly rejected Republican efforts to cancel the state's constitutional right to personal bodily autonomy, even after the U.S. Supreme Court deleted that right at the federal level.
Abortion rights loom front and center as a major political issue this fall. But anti-abortion forces are trying to deflect responsibility for the reversal of Roe v. Wade by claiming that Democrats are using "scare tactics" about abortion bans.
Scare tactics?
Yes, voters are scared--and they should be. Voters are scared about the horrific, real-world human consequences we've seen with our own eyes since states started banning abortion.
Forcing teenagers to drop out of college so they can care for a baby they don't wish to have is scary. Forcing married women to bear a second child when they don't have the resources to raise the child they already have is scary. Forcing children who are rape or incest victims to continue a pregnancy is scary.
Forcing women to continue a pregnancy they very much wanted after they learn that their fetus has a heartbeat--but a fatal brain ailment--is scary.
Endangering the lives of women by forcing doctors to delay treatment until serious pregnancy complications worsen and they're approaching death is scary. Making doctors fear that they will be prosecuted for providing appropriate medical care during a miscarriage is scary.
Thanks to tireless organizers and plain old common sense, Kansas voters staved off these scary prospects for now. But no matter where you live, voters have our work cut out for us. Many states are rushing bans through, and Republican politicians have openly floated passing a federal abortion ban for the whole country if they take control of Congress.
Voters of both parties need to think hard about the possibility that they or someone they love might need medical care that will be seriously compromised if this happens.
Voters of both parties need to think hard about the possibility that they or someone they love might want to make their own decision about how their life will unfold--whether they go to college, whether they pursue a career, whether they have the child they want on their own time table. Few voters want extremist politicians or religious leaders they don't follow to make these choices for them.
Republican leaders spent decades manipulating the selection of Supreme Court justices so extremist judges could strip Americans of a right they've had for half a century. So they can't claim it's a "scare tactic" to warn that other fundamental rights, like the right to use contraception or marry a partner of their choice, could fall. Especially not when far-right Justice Clarence Thomas has promised to attack those very rights, too.
Many of the political issues being debated in this election season may seem abstract to voters. But nothing can be less abstract than control over one's own body. This fall's election will be as personal as it gets.
Our country may be divided on the issue of abortion. But when it comes down to it, most Americans believe that it's a pregnant person's right to decide for themselves whether to continue a pregnancy.
Voters are scared about the horrific, real-world human consequences we've seen with our own eyes since states started banning abortion.
That's not only a blue-state attitude--it's just as true in conservative states like Kansas.
By a margin of nearly 20 percentage points in an election with record turnout, Kansas voters just overwhelmingly rejected Republican efforts to cancel the state's constitutional right to personal bodily autonomy, even after the U.S. Supreme Court deleted that right at the federal level.
Abortion rights loom front and center as a major political issue this fall. But anti-abortion forces are trying to deflect responsibility for the reversal of Roe v. Wade by claiming that Democrats are using "scare tactics" about abortion bans.
Scare tactics?
Yes, voters are scared--and they should be. Voters are scared about the horrific, real-world human consequences we've seen with our own eyes since states started banning abortion.
Forcing teenagers to drop out of college so they can care for a baby they don't wish to have is scary. Forcing married women to bear a second child when they don't have the resources to raise the child they already have is scary. Forcing children who are rape or incest victims to continue a pregnancy is scary.
Forcing women to continue a pregnancy they very much wanted after they learn that their fetus has a heartbeat--but a fatal brain ailment--is scary.
Endangering the lives of women by forcing doctors to delay treatment until serious pregnancy complications worsen and they're approaching death is scary. Making doctors fear that they will be prosecuted for providing appropriate medical care during a miscarriage is scary.
Thanks to tireless organizers and plain old common sense, Kansas voters staved off these scary prospects for now. But no matter where you live, voters have our work cut out for us. Many states are rushing bans through, and Republican politicians have openly floated passing a federal abortion ban for the whole country if they take control of Congress.
Voters of both parties need to think hard about the possibility that they or someone they love might need medical care that will be seriously compromised if this happens.
Voters of both parties need to think hard about the possibility that they or someone they love might want to make their own decision about how their life will unfold--whether they go to college, whether they pursue a career, whether they have the child they want on their own time table. Few voters want extremist politicians or religious leaders they don't follow to make these choices for them.
Republican leaders spent decades manipulating the selection of Supreme Court justices so extremist judges could strip Americans of a right they've had for half a century. So they can't claim it's a "scare tactic" to warn that other fundamental rights, like the right to use contraception or marry a partner of their choice, could fall. Especially not when far-right Justice Clarence Thomas has promised to attack those very rights, too.
Many of the political issues being debated in this election season may seem abstract to voters. But nothing can be less abstract than control over one's own body. This fall's election will be as personal as it gets.