This being the week of Yom Kippur, it feels appropriate to confess that I haven’t been overflowing with hopeful, optimistic feelings lately. Maybe you can relate?
Even my new sassy “MAFA” crop top, while tissue-thin and feather-soft, has only raised my spirits so much. Luckily, hosting a massive Rosh Hashanah potluck and going on a sunset sail on the river boosted me through the weekend.
So I have to remind myself that often, despair is sometimes the result of not taking a broad enough view of things. And while a broad view does not truly ease the pain of natural disasters or all manner of human-made suffering, it helps a lot in the political sphere.
And, one month from the election, the Political Sphere is where we find ourselves. And on the subject of abortion, the situation is both dire and full of potential.
What better time to share this conversation with Professor Mary Ziegler, a legal historian who can help us take an especially broad view.
In Episode 7 of Extra+Ordinary, we’ll learn how our abortion regulations have seesawed between protecting and patronizing women, offering care and exerting control, throughout the history of the United States.
You may be surprised to learn that there was a time when neither political party could be defined by its position on abortion—and that this fact is a reason to be hopeful about the many abortion measures on state ballots next month.
Happy listening! Make sure you’re registered to vote! (Or update your information!)
Extra Credit:
Read about Kansans’ vote to protect abortion in 2022
Find voter info for any state at vote.gov
Read some of Mary Ziegler’s recent (Slate) work (The Atlantic)
See a map + overview of states with abortion measures on their ballots in November
Support abortion access in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene
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