I fucking wish every state could. Texas law makes it pretty much impossible to get abortion access on the ballot. Abbott and crew knew exactly what they were kicking off when they signed their “heartbeat bill” pre RvW reversal. They knew they were laying thw groundwork to turn women into brood mares.

Our ballot initiatives need to come from our legislature itself, and then the voters get to say “Yeah I like that”, or “Nah not about it”.

“For Texans to gain a direct say in changing these policies, the GOP-run Texas Legislature would need to pass a proposed constitutional amendment, which voters would then need to approve. (This yay-or-nay procedure is the only statewide policy-making power that regular Texans currently enjoy; voters weighed in on 14 such proposals from the Legislature Tuesday). One reason the Lege doesn’t want to give voters the initiative is fairly obvious: It would mean relinquishing some power—and giving interest groups a way to pass laws without lining elected officials’ pockets.”

https://www.texasstandard.org/stories/the-reason-texans-cant-vote-on-abortion-and-weed/

As someone currently serving, it fucking boggles my mind that anyone who has ever served could be in favor of the Republican party. Even without Project 2025 threatening veteran benefits.

So many of us have been to actual locations where the Church has a stranglehold on the government/is the government. My husband has stories from Afghanistan. I went to Qatar, which, is a “progressive” middle eastern country. I could wear tshirts and knee length shorts, but I was also not allowed to ride in an elevator with the opposite sex, and I was heavily questioned when I tried to buy cigarettes until a male coworker intervened and assured that I could. Not to mention the FUCKING INSANE wealth disparity. Palaces gilded in gold for the government/rich/churches and literal shacks made out of whatever material could be cobbled together in the rural areas outside of Doha.

Why the fuck would anyone who has seen that first hand want to support anything that could even remotely resemble a world like that?

Until this thread, I didnt realize so many Lemmy users had an issue with Flying Squid. Perhaps its because I tend to agree with a lot of his takes, but I just find him abrasive at worst. Like…unafraid to not sugarcoat an uncomfortable truth.

Dudes definitely everywhere though.

Idk where you are in Texas, but it’s been pretty mild here in South-Central. Humid af though due to all the unusual rain, but it’s been keeping the actual temp below 100 for most of it.

Right?! I was like “OH no. I haven’t even finished my coffee yet. I am NOT ready to start my day this way!” 🤣

Depends on your reaction to the new Dem nominee tbh.

Don’t worry, those of us Americans who don’t have their heads up their asses are just as baffled as you are and 3 times as embarrassed that Trump is even an option again.

I am in a fucking loop of laughter and tears because I don’t even know what to do anymore.

The Regular Show. Mostly means I’m going to tap the nearest person to me to present all questions/answers in a synchronized choreographed song and dance.

IRL tho, ever since watching Letterkenney, all my friends and I do the fancy “To be fair” thing constantly.

Easily my favorite Adam Sandler movie.

I hope this is my experience as well. I’m slated for ICL surgery on Tuesday. Doc said that I qualify for the laser, but that she can get me significantly better results for my condition with the ICLs.

Kinda nervous, but excited too!

I’m in the military, and whenever one of my Airmen tell me that they’re born in 20-- I always have a moment of “…are you even allowed to be here? Did you lie about your age to get in? Do your parents know where you are?!?”

I read this in Grog’s voice and I high key love it. The idea of him describing “surface level themes such as nationalism” is hilarious.

And the title comment is the icing on the cake.

Well he needed to veto something yesterday, and it certainly wasn’t going to be the bill that now fundamentally prevents Floridians from holding their elected officials accountable when they suspect ethics violations: https://flaglerlive.com/integrity-florida-veto/#gsc.tab=0

Ughhhhhh how the hell does he have a 46% approval rating?!?!? Texans really don’t care that he left them to die in the snow.

I’m going to continue to remain optimistic…Allred did flip a historically red district blue and he’s retained control since.

But JFC every time I start to have hope for this state, they do something that really makes me wanna throw my hands up and be like “You wanna live in unfettered Christian Nationalism? Fine. Fuck you then and you get what you want.” 😮‍💨

Oh really? I feel like I’ve been getting positive news for Allred.

Tbf this is the first time I’ve seen Jackson’s name abbreviated like that. It took me a second to get hers. But I feel like ACB is fairly common. Then again, maybe her name just jumps out at me immediately because I have a special hatred in my heart for women who turn against women. Fuckin’ bitch.

Either way, I wasn’t agreeing or disagreeing with the sentiment of politicians using initials for their names or not, just stating whose initials they were.

Amy Conan Barrett is the 2nd, and Ketanji Brown Jackson is the 3rd.

Yeah, my sister bought me the DVD Boxed set a few years ago for Christmas as I was a HUGE Daria fan growing up. I was a little disappointed that all the late 90s/early aughts music was gone and it was replaces by generic “pop punk” sounding music.

Still one of my comfort shows though, and the only reason I can still say I’m “using DVDs” in 2024 😂

I’m actually about to get ICL surgery to correct mine in July @ 35 years old. Pretty stoked to not have to use glasses anymore. Though from what I’ve been told, it will make those of us who get ICLs more susceptible to early cataracts (like 60 years old or so versus 75, as we all will eventually get cataracts if we live long enough), and I’ll need a second surgery at that point for better lenses. But if I’m going to eventually need that surgery anyway to remove a cataract, then what’s it matter?

Women in Texas have literally seen their rights to their own body stripped away by state level politicians supported by the 5th circuit and further bolstered by SCOTUS.

It quite literally does, affect me.