From the article:
“Today’s ruling by Judge (William) Alsup is an important win for National Park Service employees who were wrongfully terminated,” said Phil Francis, chair of the executive council of the Coalition to Protect America's National Parks. “These probationary employees must now be reinstated immediately and can return to the important business of protecting the irreplaceable resources and stories found at over 430 units of the National Park System. We know there are more fights ahead and we are grateful for the continued dedication and passion of our NPS employees who continue to protect our parks for future generations.”
*gripping your shoulders and shaking you* you gotta promise me one thing, if nothing else. you have to promise me to live, do you hear me. and if it's for nothing else but spite, LIVE. donald trump wants you to feel defeated and alone. let's show him and all the americans who voted for him that we will not stay quiet, we will not be devided and we will LIVE. we will survive that 78-year old felon, we will OUTLIVE him. so please reach out to friends and family, reach out to each other and STAND TOGETHER.
PLEASE, LIVE!
Always worth re-sharing this.
what advice would you give to someone who just turned 20?
turn 30
As of this morning, in one of their final decisions of the term, the Supreme Court released a 6-3 decision in the case Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization stating that abortion is not a constitutional right in the United States.
What this means:
Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey have officially been overturned.
The six conservative justices (Roberts, Alito, Thomas, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Coney Barrett) voted in the majority; the three liberal judges (Breyer, Sotomayor, Kagan) dissented. Ketanji Jackson Brown is not on the court yet, but that played no role in the result of the decision, as she'll be replacing Breyer.
13 states have trigger laws that were intended to make abortion illegal as soon as Roe was overturned. This New York Times article details the status of all states regarding their abortion legislation.
It's not clear what this means for other precedents established under the same right for privacy.
Thomas specifically called for the reconsideration of Griswold v. Connecticut (right for married couples to use contraception), Lawrence v. Texas (right to same-sex relationships), and Obergefell v. Hodges (right to same-sex marriage). (He didn't call for Loving v. Virginia to be overturned, funny enough.)
Alito tried to wall off abortion from the above cases because of the "critical moral question posed by abortion", but it's not clear if that will stand.
There are currently protests happening across the country, and there will continue to be more.
What this doesn't mean:
That abortion is illegal everywhere in the United States. A number of states explicitly protect abortion in their own state laws. They are primarily in the northeast and the west coast but also include Alaska, Hawaii, Colorado, Minnesota, and Illinois.
That the fight for abortion rights is over. Some of that will happen in state legislatures, and some will happen in the courts. There is already a lawsuit brought by a synagogue in Florida claiming that a Florida abortion ban after 15 weeks violates Jewish teachings.
What to do next:
Donate. Here is a list of some places to donate to. And another. NARAL. Remember to donate beyond Planned Parenthood
Vote. State-level voting will play a large role in deciding abortion legislation. Federal-level voting will play a large role in deciding who is on the courts.
If you are going to protest, be careful and be safe.
Be consistent in your recognition and support of reproductive rights as impacting people beyond cis women. Be clear in the language that you use--if you're talking about people who can bear children, say people who can bear children. If you're talking about pregnant people, say pregnant people. Not all women have uteruses or can bear children, and not people who have uteruses or can bear children are women.
Take care of yourself and your community. This is a really hard time, and we need to look out for each other.
don't give up
Australia has committed to elevating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge as one of five national priorities in science and research. This comes as part of the National Science Statement released on Monday by the Minister for Industry and Science, Ed Husic. The statement signals the national priorities that will shape investment and policy across research and development over the next decade. Australian research already punches above its weight. The statement notes we produce 3.4% of the world's research with just 0.33% of the world's population. So how can we accelerate our impact? Indigenous knowledge systems are a national strength. The history of science on this continent is extraordinary, yet we often fail to recognize the sophisticated knowledges held by our First Nations peoples. Indigenous voices must be at the table. The first peoples, the first scientists Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples were the first astronomers, physicists, biologists and pharmacists on this continent. From as far back as 65,000 years, Indigenous people have been integrating knowledge systems with and for people and Country. There are many examples of Indigenous knowledge contributing to contemporary problems. Traditional Aboriginal burning takes into account local weather conditions, plants, environments and animals. It shows how plants react to fire, how to reduce the risk of major fire events, and support regeneration and biodiversity. Indigenous-led approaches to urban water are pointing towards more sustainable water management practices that also regenerate ecological and cultural environments.
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What could have been if First Nations hadn't immediately been dismissed is savages.
What the FUCK. What the FUCK.
drake?
fyi for those in Phoenix Arizona: stay away from Target because the Phoenix Police still won't arrest this dude despite it being illegal to declare intention of violence like this 🙃