You say that the state of the union, SOTU, is strong. That our democracy is working. Really? It is my birthday today. I promised my friends I was taking the day off. That means no writing or calls to action. But then I kept stewing over your talk last night. All the...
women’s rights
News from Iranian Women, in Their Own Voices
I had been contacted by a few Iranian women to speak with them just shortly after Mahsa Amini’s death and the demonstrations/revolution began. Then later I contacted them to ask whether the new decree to disband the “Morality Police” was of any real consequence for...
Damn the Court; This Is Not What Democracy Looks Like
I could wait to fully try to clear my head and calm my heart but that might not happen soon enough, and this moment “we” are in is urgent. For friends who say they have lost hope I am reminded of what I have said too often in these last few years. Hope is not an...
Tears of Joy and Hope Turn to Tears of Despair
Nearly 30 years ago, I was in the kitchen on the phone with my obstetrician. My husband, Tim, on the other side of the house, heard me scream with joy. Life-altering news made me cry. I was going to be a mom to a daughter. And the baby, yes, at that point it was my...
Independent Media Calls for More ‘Radical Energy’ on Reproductive Rights
On December 1, the Supreme Court heard arguments on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a case about the constitutionality of Mississippi’s ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The decision would be a devastating blow to women’s reproductive rights...