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Patricia Cusack's avatar

Thank you for that, Jane. You describe so well how progress is never truly made. Women all over the world, even those of us in the wealthy nations battle for their rights, sometimes thinking we've won.

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Mary Aebischer's avatar

Great read! The only source about Dr. Meckleberg’s wording that I could access is found in Wikipedia. Essentially, he referenced the “studies” of Jewish women in Nazi concentration camps who were led to believe they were going to the gas chambers. Their ovulation stopped due to the stress they experienced.There is no mention of rape being a situation studied. Friend’s claim about women who were raped were secreting substances that prevented ovulation is also fabrication. The Nazi studies make no reference to these secretions. Lastly, the last article referenced about “tend and befriend” behaviors of women when faced with stress and possible violence have nothing to do with rape. Men with powerful positions need to be held accountable for their wording and their use of interpretation of facts. Need to use primary sources as key and make politicians accountable!

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Story Carrier's avatar

Yes, it infuriates me when I think about the way he just threw around this concept without full documentation. Since his attempt to use Mecklenberg's study as the basis for his claim, several other legislators have followed up, making the same outrageous claim. I'd love to see a class action suit filed against him for this.

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Mary Aebischer's avatar

Disinformation eroding women’s health issues!

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Story Carrier's avatar

Is anyone watching/listening/speaking into this?

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Story Carrier's avatar

I have not heard the media characterize the propaganda being generated around the issue of reproductive justice as disinformation. Perhaps it needs to be called out!

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Danusia Malina-Derben's avatar

Nailing things is a talent you have in spades!

“I knew they thought of me as a feminist, which, at that time, was pretty much like being called a witch”. Do you think much has changed in this regard?

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Story Carrier's avatar

Thanks, Danusia. It took me a while to nail down this post. The feelings are still pretty strong and require a heavy duty tool for pounding them down.

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Danusia Malina-Derben's avatar

I've got an image of you wielding a hulking machine. <cackles while stirring soup to feed my brood>

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Thalia Toha's avatar

Jane- There is so much levity in the way you wrote this personal journey. My favorite of which is when you mentioned: “I was transformed by this nightly commute, arriving home prepared to step out of the role of journalist, into that of the single parent of young sons.” I could only imagine what this was like. The fact that you wrote about this experience itself is the embodiment of courage and strength.

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Mary Porter Kerns's avatar

I so admire your courage early in your life. It’s taken me decades to step into mine...

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Story Carrier's avatar

Thank you, Mary. I think the courage came to me after I stepped into the middle of things and got splattered with mud. After I removed the mud, it became more clear to me. :-)

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