K Monica Kelly had to travel to Florida for an abortion after her fetus was diagnosed with trisomy 13 – now she’s part of a group suing her state
When K Monica Kelly saw that women in Texas had filed a lawsuit challenging the contours of their state’s abortion ban, she posted on Instagram to cheer them on.
“I shared how terrible I thought it was, that they weren’t able to get the proper healthcare they needed in their state,” Kelly said. “It never crossed my mind that that was actually going to happen to me soon.”
Kelly and her husband spent a year trying to have a second baby. So when they discovered in February 2023 that Kelly was pregnant, the couple was ecstatic. They taught their son, who was then two years old, to describe their family as: “Mama, dada, me, baby, all four!” After an ultrasound looked promising, and they drove more than 10 hours from their home in northern Tennessee to announce the news to their family in Florida.
Only days later, after they’d returned home, in late March, the pair drove back to Florida. This time, though, the drive was “surreal and devastating”, Kelly said. A series of catastrophic fetal diagnoses had led Kelly to decide to get an abortion – a procedure she could not legally get in Tennessee.
These are the moments when the excuses people make for Democrats at the Federal level just ring in my ears.
It shouldn’t even be possible for a state to commit this kind of oppression toward a person, but it is, because over and over again we give Democrats power and they only really use it to get wealthier or help their golf buddies get wealthier.
…right it wasn’t the conservative Supreme Court that overturned Roe v Wade…
I know this is going to be hard for you to wrap your head around… but there are three branches of government.
I know.
Crazy.
This is like “is dating women gay?”
“Are oppressive laws passed by Republicans the Democrats fault?”
When they have the power to change it and don’t?
Absolutely.
When have the Democrats had a 2/3 majority necessary to bring a Constitutional Amendment to vote?
Because that’s the only legal path to over riding the Supreme Court’s ruling.
Under Obama, and no, that’s not their only path.
At no time under Obama did Democrats have 60 seats in the senate. They had 57 seats and 2 independents who caucused with them.
This is not enough seats to overcome a filibuster which would be required to legalize abortion in all the states. They would have required 1 Republican to vote with the Democrats on this topic and I think even in the kinder political times that Republican would have been strung up on a light pole when they returned back to their home district.
They could have ended the filibuster forever any time they had a simple majority.
So what do you propose? Let the Republicans be in charge?
Really, really listen to what you’re saying.
I propose we all vote for a third party instead.
I’m reading what you are saying. What you said is because Democrats have never the had power to make the changes you want, you will put Republicans in charge.
Democrats had the power and chose not to wield it. They love the Jim Crow Filibuster too much.
No, because I’m not a partisan who votes Republican or Democrat.
For me, voting records matter. That’s why I vote third party. You’re the one voting for party no matter what they do.
Democrats never had the power to do what you wanted them to do. So you enable Republicans to do worse.
bOtH sIdEs
So you want the Republicans to be in charge.
If you want any viable third party, you need to be pushing for election reform at the state/local level. I’d prefer the Star system, but even ranked choice would be better than FPTP. The system was designed to be difficult to change at the federal level, but easy to change at the local level.
No. In fact, I’ve said otherwise several times in this thread.
Further, by voting for do-nothing Democrats, you’re doing far more to help Republicans than I am.
This is the voting map of the USA.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:2020_United_States_presidential_election_results_map_by_county.svg
Voting is by county at the local level and by state at the national. It doesn’t matter that it isn’t democratic. It is the law as it exists. THE POPULATION DOES NOT MATTER.
Claiming Democrats are do nothing is like blaming Blacks for being a minority.
Uh huh…
Do you have any realistic suggestions?
…but they don’t have the power to change it? Mainly because people keep voting for Republicans come rain or shine, vote for Democrats when the syzzergy of planets is correct and the tea leaves are vibing and they didn’t see a green car on voting day, and vote for a 3rd party literally never even if it would kill them not to.
And I say this as someone who desperately wishes the 3rd party option was half as good as the UK’s options.
You say this as someone who doesn’t care about outcomes, because all you’ve seen for the last 40 years is gradual, but inevitable conservative outcomes, and you’re going to pretend voting Democrat changes that anyway.
So Republicans voted in Trump who campaigned on overturning Roe V Wad. Trump then put conservative justices in to overturn Roe V Wade just like he promised
Republicans have a Senate Majority which is necessary to pass any laws. Republicans control the majority of states which would be necessary to pass a Constitutional amendment.
But it the Democrats that are at fault?
Democrats have a majority in the Senate. It’s pretty telling that it’s indistinguishable from a Republican majority to Democrats’ apologists.
It’s the Democrats’ fault when they have the power to make change and don’t, yes.
You sound like an abusive person with the “you made me hit you” excuse.
…the hell are you on about?
Take an ibuprofen before thinking on it too hard, friend.
I’m not the one performing mental gymnastics right now. I’ll be fine. You, on the other hand…
Twice in the last 16 years the Democrats had the presidency and Congress. Under Obama, they had a supermajority.
There are no mental gymnastics here, just history and broken promises.
In the American system you need more than just a majority in congress to pass a resolution like federal abortion legalization.
Only if you value preserving the filibuster over people’s rights.
Like Democrats always will.