Tuesday, police received two reports of protesters outside Vinje Lutheran Church on the 1100 block of Willmar Avenue Southwest. Vinje was a polling place in Tuesday's election.
The first was reported around 5 p.m. A man was standing outside the polling place with an anti-abortion sign. The man had reportedly been asked to leave, but was refusing to.
At 7:15 p.m. Tuesday, police received another report of a protester in the parking lot of the same church. The man was advised of Minnesota statute barring protesters within 100 feet of a polling place
Minnesota election judges take our statutes very seriously, though it's likely many of those voting at the location agreed with the protester. The right of voters to cast their ballots without encountering persuasion or intimidation at their polling location is part of the process.
The man was persistant--and likely there to shame Clinton supporters.
According to the interactive poll finder at the Minnesota Secretary of State's website, Vinje Lutheran Church is the polling place for Willmar Ward 2, Precinct 2. The vote in the precinct heavily favored Republican candidates who opposed reproductive rights (and in the U.S. House, Minnesota Senate and Minnesota House, all DFL and GOP candidates were anti-choice; that left the Presidential race).
With the exception of conservative Blue Dog Republican Collin Peterson, the precinct voted heavily Republican. This was not the case in 2014, when citizens favored DFL candidates with the exception of Dan Severson for Minnesota Secretary of State; in 2012, the voters split their tickets, picking Romney--but Klobuchar for U.S. Senator, Republican candidate Joe Gimse over eventual winner Lyle Koenen for state senate (both were sitting senators at the time) and Sawatzky over sitting state representative Bruce Vogel.
It's a swing district, but both Republican and DFL candidates for the state legislature from Willmar are pro-life.
Photo: File photo of the church, via West Central Tribune.
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"Some of the strategies that work in the Twin Cities don't work out here," Simpkins said. The rural political landscape is also less partisan and Simpkins said folks look to rural legislators to deliver meat-and potato-services, as in "how are you going to get this road fixed, get us broadband?" Added [Rep. Paul] Marquart, "it starts with good candidates; you have to get great candidates who fit the values of the district and will work hard. It's OK to be pro-life and pro-gun."
. . .Today, our eyes are wide open and after the more than 40 years of Roe v. Wade, the year 2015 will be remembered generations from now as a turning point. Once again, we found our humanity and stood for what is right.
We need strong leadership to fight for the values of life. Too long have we stayed quiet, too afraid we may unintentionally offend someone, but our passion is stronger than ever. We have a new generation joining in the struggle, a “pro-life generation.”
We must be resolute in our commitment to ending the horrors of abortion and welcome all those who have the fight in their heart to join us and make it a thing of the past. By the time this appears in the paper, Congress may already be in recess for August but we are still working and will show just how determined we are, and how badly we want to see this injustice corrected.
Contact your representatives and senators to encourage them to fight for the right to life.
Rural areas of central Minnesota have elected pro-life Democrats to the House in this century, as the legacy of Al Doty (Little Falls), the late Mary Ellen Otremba (Long Prairie), and Larry Hosch (St. Joseph) demonstrate. MN09B is in Minnesota's Seventh Congressional District, represented by pro-life, social conservative Democratic Congressman Collin Peterson. We reported on his most recent anti-choice actions in Monday's post Collin Peterson joins over 200 GOP colleagues in signing amicus brief in HHS mandate case.
He's not a one-trick pony, however. Simmonds's bio on the MYDFL site notes his civic engagement in Little Falls:
Dustin Simmonds was raised in central Minnesota in the city of Little Falls. From a young age, Dustin has had a thirst for public service. Starting small with community clean up, Dustin became involved in city government. During his senior year, Dustin became the chairman of the Mayors Youth Task force and lobbied the city on behalf of Little Falls youth. After high school Dustin attended Central Lakes College where he became involved in the Morrison County DFL. Now attending the University of Minnesota, Dustin intends to graduate with a BA in Urban Studies and Political Science in the spring of 2016.
Photo: Dustin Simmonds (far right, front) at the 2014 Morrison County DFL precinct caucuses. Via Morrison County Record.
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Two Democrats have joined more than 200 Republicans in a brief urging the Supreme Court to stand behind elderly nuns, Catholic priests, and other religious groups in their fight against what the Members are calling the "oppressive" HHS abortifacient and contraceptive mandate.
"It is not the government's place to determine what a person's religion requires, and the government cannot justify trampling religious beliefs when it has readily available alternatives to accomplish its goal," said a letter to Members from Representatives Diane Black, R-TN, and Mike Kelly, R-PA.
In an exclusive interview this morning, Rep. Black told LifeSiteNews that "Obamacare’s HHS mandate sets up an impossible choice for countless ministries and faith based charities: deny their deeply held beliefs and provide coverage for drugs they deem to be morally objectionable, or face crippling fines that could force them to close their doors."
Members in both chambers have signed an amicus brief to the Supreme Court urging justices to respect both the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and the 1993 Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). Along with 205 Republican Senators and Congressmen are Democratic Representatives Dan Lipinski of Illinois and Collin Peterson of Minnesota.
Three House Republicans on Wednesday voted against the reconciliation bill that would defund Planned Parenthood and repeal Obamacare while one Democrat voted for it. The bill passed the House of Representatives 240-181.
Republican Representatives Bob Dold (R-Ill.), Richard Hanna (R-N.Y.), and John Katko (R-N.Y.) broke ranks with 239 of their Republican colleagues and opposed the bill while Rep. Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) was the only House Democrat to vote for the bill.
The other is that although the so-called Obamacare tends to be a partisan flashpoint, it wasn't a party-line vote. Three Republicans and a lone Democrat crossed the aisle for their vote.
That sole Democrat was Minnesota Rep. Collin Peterson, who noted that the vote wasn't for a complete repeal of the Affordable Care Act. He wouldn't have voted for a whole repeal, he said.
Peterson said the fact that he was the lone Democrat is a sign of how politically split Washington is. He defended his vote in an interview with MPR News' Tom Crann on Thursday, and claims that provisions in the bill change Obamacare but don't repeal it. Peterson says Congress should be working to change the legislation to improve it.
"We have now wasted what — three or four years going back and forth on this repealing the whole thing or keeping the whole thing when what we should be doing is working to fix it," he said.
No Republican opponent for 2016 so far
While the conservative Democrat frequently shows up on national Republican hit lists, there's no new Republican candidate so far to file to run against him and the 2014 flavor of the year, Elbow Lake state senator Torrey Westrom, wasn't raising any money in 2015 to run again for Congress.
I have always believed that public service is a noble cause. Those of us who have benefitted from all that America has to offer have an obligation to give something back to our country. I want to bring a new voice to our political discourse and new leadership to the U.S. Congress.
The next step in this exploratory phase of a congressional campaign is to raise enough money to be seen as a credible candidate. I’ve asked you to contribute to some seemingly impossible things in the past. I hope I can count on your financial support again. Together, we can do the impossible once more.
We'll continue to consult the FEC website for filings.
SOTU guest ticket to parents of soldier killed in war
Rep. Collin Peterson, the Democrat representing Minnesota's 7th Congressional District, donated his [State of the Union Address guest] ticket to Rep. David Cicilline, D-Rhode Island, so that the congressman could invite both parents of a U.S. soldier killed in Afghanistan, a Peterson spokeswoman said.
That's a kind gesture.
Photo: Rep. Collin Peterson, circa 2014.
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A third Democratic candidate has thrown in to run for election in the open Second Congressional District seat.
Roger Kittelson filed paperwork with the Federal Elections Commission Nov. 4 and has been apparently out on the campaign trail, making speeches and introducing himself to voters.
He is the third Democratic candidate running for the seat to be vacated next year by Republican Rep. John Kline.
Some friends wondered if--as has been speculated in the Entenza challege to Otto--that there was an anti-environmental subtext going on in this race as well.
We noticed the Wisconsin phone number and gave him a call to find out if he had indeed run for office in Wisconsin--and to learn his motivation for challenging a powerful committee chair.
Kittelson confirmed that he'd purchased a home for one of his sons in Minneapolis two years ago, and started moving his own possessions into the house from Wisconsin around Christmas as he bid on houses in the South Minneapolis neighborhood in anticipation of his retirement from the Grande Cheese Company in Lomira, Wisconsin.
He finished his move about a month ago, he told Bluestem, and is looking for a new career. Hence the primary bid.
But the run for office isn't exactly a new career. While marketing Wisconsin's dairy products, he again sought public office.
According to the Wikipedia entry for the now former Badger politician:
"Kittelson faced off against Mark Wollum in the Democratic primary on Sept. 9, 2008 and won with 64% to Wollum’s 36%.[1]
"Kittelson’s platform was based on ending the war in Iraq, creating a system of universal health care, and promoting fair trade agreements.[2] In opposition to most Democrats, Kittelson ran as a pro-life candidate for the issue of abortion.[3]
"According to the final finance reports, Kittelson raised $18,202 for his campaign.[4]
Angie Craig and Mary Lawrence are seeking the DFL endorsement. Both are pro-choice; Craig has been endorsed by Women Winning, which supports pro-choice women candidates.
Minneapolis resident?
Kittelson's FEC filing lists a Minneapolis address. Congressional candidates need not live in the district where they are seeking office (though they have to be residents of the state in which the district is located).
The retired dairy industry professional is not alone in seeking office in MN02 while residing elsewhere. Republican contender Jason Lewis lives just over the district boundary in Woodbury. As we noted in an earlier post, Mary Lawrence and her husband own a property in Credit River Township, Scott County, but have claimed homestead status for their home on Lake Harriet Parkway in Minneapolis. Scott County records accessed in mid-September indicated that the Lawrences had not claimed homestead status for the rural property.
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Although the conference is being held in Texis, Wallbuilders used an image of the Minnesota State Capitol building to illustrate the webpage for the event (screenshot above).
At the time of Timothy Barton's visit to Minnesota, Pugh was out of state, but noted this weekend's conference in a comment on a Facebook post by state representative Eric Lucero, R-Dayton. Lucero wrote:
One of the founders of the originalTea Party Patriot movement in Minnesota, Pugh replied:
Cindy Pugh Was with you in spirit!!! At a Women In Government legislative conference in SC. Hoping to see some - if not all of you & a bunch of our colleagues, too - at the Wall Builders Pro-Family Conference for Legislators next month!
So far as we are able to determine, Whelan and Pugh are the only North Star State lawmakers in Dallas for the conference. It's the firearms deer opener in Minnesota, and some things are sacred.
The ProFamily Legislators Conference is unlike any other legislators event. It provides an opportunity for conservative pro-family State legislators from across the United States to come together for an insightful briefing session with leading experts in a variety of fields that touch many of the most crucial areas of public service.
Worldview - Address current public policy issues in a manner that honors our Judeo-Christian heritage and the vision of our Founding Fathers.
Fellowship - An opportunity for inspiration and rejuvenation from interaction with legislators from across the country who share common convictions and worldviews.
Strategy & Skills - Sessions with specific emphasis on public speaking, working with media, and enhancing campaigning skills.
Legislation - Learn which legislation is working in other States, and which action will have the most impact now; give and receive ideas for modeling legislation to avoid pitfalls and mistakes already made by others.
Speakers - Sessions will include experts from a host of fields, who keep a finger on the pulse of the timely issues and strategies affecting State legislatures.
In short, it's like an ALEC conference for theocrats.
former congressman Bob McEwen, who was retired by voters after kiting 166 checks over thirty-nine months in the House banking scandal
Texas state representative Phil King, who took over $200,000 primary contributions from utility and energy company PACs in the 2008 primaet while chairing the Texas House Regulated Industries Committee
He believes that demons control the government and is also a Second Amendment radical who insists that there should literally be no limits on what sort of weapons individuals can own, including tanks, jet fighters, or nuclear weapons.
But most of all, Barton is vehemently anti-gay, claiming that schools are forcing students to be gay and that the government should regulate gay sex. Recently, he has been telling audiences that the Supreme Court decision legalizing gay marriage will force all student athletes to share the same locker rooms and churches to hire pedophiles to run their nurseries while requiring the military to protect those who engage in bestiality.
What truthiness is Barton sharing with the suburban lawmakers and former House candidate? Let's hope that neither lawmaker is shy about sharing in public when they return to Minnesota.
Screenshots: The conference event webpage (above)l Whelan's Facebook post (below).
We're about to launch our November fundraising drive. If you appreciate Bluestem Prairie's original reporting and analysis, you can mail contributions (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen P.O. Box 108, Maynard MN 56260) or use the paypal button below:
You may say a cat uses good grammar. Well, a cat does - but you let a cat get excited once; you let a cat get to pulling fur with another cat on a shed, nights, and you'll hear grammar that will give you the lockjaw. Ignorant people think it's the noise which fighting cats make that is so aggravating, but it ain't so; it's the sickening grammar they use.
Politico-grammar Watch - State Capitol – Jan. 19 – Jan. 26, 2015: “…and we can’t measure that criteria…” – Sen. Mary Kiffmeyer (the word that should be changed to those, because criteria is plural.). “And it is confusing to you and I.” – Rep. Denny McNamara (to you and me). “…that data is collected, that data is collected…” – Rep. Glenn Gruenhagen. (The word data is plural and should have a plural verb). “…that has these kind of increases.” – Rep. Jim Knoblach (kinds not kind).
The House has high levels of acidic partisanship and uncivil discourse. Leading contributors to these are Rep. Greg Davids because of his sarcasm and because of his brow-beating of testifiers; Rep. Rod Hamilton because of his brow-beating of testifiers; Rep. Tony Albright because he, as chairman, allowed it; Rep. Denny McNamara because of his frequent diatribes of angry indignation over perceived wrongs from across the aisle.
What a relief it was to watch Rep. Jenifer Loon (R-Eden Prairie) chair the House Education Finance Committee and Rep. Tara Mack (R-Apple Valley) in the House Health and Human Services Reform Committee today.
Unlike the chairs mentioned in Jones' second paragraph, Loon and Mack treated all those involved in the process with respect; the latter hearing covered bills aimed at restricting abortion, but the sharp division of opinion never prompted malice on Mack's part (we fall on the other side of the issue from her). Even a fairly sharp exchange at the end of the hearing between Rochester DFL Rep. Tina Liebling and Mack didn't descend into personal attacks.
If you appreciate Bluestem Prairie, you can mail contributions (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen P.O. Box 108, Maynard MN 56260) or use the paypal button below:
You may say a cat uses good grammar. Well, a cat does - but you let a cat get excited once; you let a cat get to pulling fur with another cat on a shed, nights, and you'll hear grammar that will give you the lockjaw. Ignorant people think it's the noise which fighting cats make that is so aggravating, but it ain't so; it's the sickening grammar they use.
Politico-grammar Watch - State Capitol – Jan. 19 – Jan. 26, 2015: “…and we can’t measure that criteria…” – Sen. Mary Kiffmeyer (the word that should be changed to those, because criteria is plural.). “And it is confusing to you and I.” – Rep. Denny McNamara (to you and me). “…that data is collected, that data is collected…” – Rep. Glenn Gruenhagen. (The word data is plural and should have a plural verb). “…that has these kind of increases.” – Rep. Jim Knoblach (kinds not kind).
The House has high levels of acidic partisanship and uncivil discourse. Leading contributors to these are Rep. Greg Davids because of his sarcasm and because of his brow-beating of testifiers; Rep. Rod Hamilton because of his brow-beating of testifiers; Rep. Tony Albright because he, as chairman, allowed it; Rep. Denny McNamara because of his frequent diatribes of angry indignation over perceived wrongs from across the aisle.
What a relief it was to watch Rep. Jenifer Loon (R-Eden Prairie) chair the House Education Finance Committee and Rep. Tara Mack (R-Apple Valley) in the House Health and Human Services Reform Committee today.
Unlike the chairs mentioned in Jones' second paragraph, Loon and Mack treated all those involved in the process with respect; the latter hearing covered bills aimed at restricting abortion, but the sharp division of opinion never prompted malice on Mack's part (we fall on the other side of the issue from her). Even a fairly sharp exchange at the end of the hearing between Rochester DFL Rep. Tina Liebling and Mack didn't descend into personal attacks.
If you appreciate Bluestem Prairie, you can mail contributions (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen P.O. Box 108, Maynard MN 56260) or use the paypal button below:
It's not the first time Fields has gone against expectations on racially-charged discourse. Speaking to the Freeborn County Republicans in July 2013, Fields told those assembled that he shared their fear of Minneapolis, and that Trayvon Martin's upbringing and rap music contributed to the young Florida man's death.
A Minnesota Republican official says he doesn’t see anything wrong with a post about slavery on a county GOP Facebook page.
The Chisago County Republican Party drew national attention Wednesday after posting an illustration of a slave auction with the caption, “Pro Choice: Against Slavery? Don’t buy one.” . . .
While DFL chair Ken Martin and RPM chair Keith Downey agreed that the image was offensive, Fields did not:
But the state’s Republican Party secretary, Chris Fields, said he wasn’t bothered by the post, saying he found “absolutely nothing offensive about that (Facebook) post.”
Fields said that as a black man he found slavery reprehensible but saw the post as a reminder that the Republican Party was founded in 1854 as an abolitionist party at a time when the Democratic Party supported slavery.
“I’m not going to condemn that posting,” Fields said, although he said the post could have benefitted from additional explanation.
Speaking in July in a rambling 43-minute soliquoy on Courage, Commitment and Sacrifice, delivered to a rally sponsored by the Freeborn County Republicans, Fields ranged from reading a letter home from an Ivy League-educated Union soldier killed in the Civil War to the factors contributing to the death of Florida teen Trayvon Martin.
Here's the section where Fields discusses Martin's death:
After stating that Obama and others "haven't even scratched the surface" as they made it "about guns and what it's like to be a black teenager" but they hadn't:
. . .talked about one of the most critical components. . . .On the Fourth of July weekend, 45 people were shot in Chicago. On the Fourth of July weekend. Black on Black violence. Why are we not talking about that?
Why are we not talking about the fact that our cities are being ruined? I don't blame any of you for not wanting to leave in Minneapolis. [crosstalk] Driving up there, I don't [soundg garbled], somebody else got shot. Why are we not talking about that?
Instead, they want to politically exploit this one case, okay? Nobody was there. There were only two people there. The two people who could agree on what happened and only one of them can speak. And it is what it is.
We have to get to the bigger problem. Okay, if we look at who's getting kicked out of school, in the first grade, second grade, on up to twelfth grade, not too many Asian girls are getting kicked out of school for behavior problems, okay? The fact of the matter is that culture matters, and there's something in the African American community that is causing these actions to continue, okay, and we'll have another Trayvon Martin, unless they get in there and start talking about the real issues.
Let's start talking about parents being held not accountable for their actions, let's start talking about all this rap music ...they'll go oh yeah well that's nothing, well guess what, look at what it produces, does it produce this violent behavior, or this culture where you're free to start talking to adults any way you want to?
I can tell you this, I have a 22-year-old son. There is no way on earth my 22-year-old son would have been in that position at any age. He's taught better. He could have ran the other way, he could have said, hey this guy's crazy, whatever the case is. He could have said, "No sir, I'm here, I'm not doing anything [raises his hands] I don't have any--do anything he could to let this guy know he wasn't a threat, and when that didn't work, he could have hightailed it the other way.
And I would suspect that most of your children would do the same thing. So there's something going on in that community that needs to be addressed, but you know what, no courageous steps are being taken to address it.And I think it's high time we took it--we do.
I tell you what: all of us are going to pay for it. All of us are going to pay the price. We're already going to pay for a federal investigation to figure this thing out. We going to pay for it in other ways. People are already going around calling this person a racist, that person a racist and all that stuff, and all of that is going to take us down. . . .
Heckova discourse.
Screenshot: From the Chisago County GOP's Facebook page. The image was removed and the county unit apologized.
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But Gruenhagen polishes it with his refrain about the male sex drive being a force to exploit the ladies, since we are but passive vessels to be used and filled with the force that through the green fuse drove the flower--and that you can look it up on the innertubes:
He went on to say “I consider my comments about the fraud and lie to be objective truth. You can research it on the internet. The fact is the entire case was based on lie.
Secondly, one of the things I’d just like to say and its especially to the ladies in the room, OK? Ladies, the Supreme Court made this ruling. Their not infallible. If you remember right, the Supreme Court made a 7-2 ruling on slavery, with Dred Scott, in fact he was part of Minnesota here. And they said that black people were not fully human. They were wrong then. They were wrong in 1973. Let me just remind you, especially ladies, it was seven men that made abortion legal. Not seven women. Now what’s the significance of that? Men, a certain percentage have developed a perverted view of women and what abortion tells men is they can use women and lose them. OK? Use and lose them and run from their responsibility. Then on top of that we have the state showing up and paying for the sexual exploitation of women. Ladies, let’s put a stop to this. Let’s put a stop to sending a message to men that they can use you and leave you with the consequences and have the government pick up the tab for that.
(interruption for quieting the house)
The second thing is, the other thing I’d just like to say, if we look at taxpayer funded abortion, it unfairly discriminates against minorities. OK? Human life Alliance, right here in Minnesota, puts out excellent statistics about that. It’s the minority women that suffer the most consequences from the taxpayer funded abortions. and also suffer the consequences of the sexual exploitation of women in our society. Again I plead with you Ladies, help men support legislation that teaches men to accept their responsibility when conceiving with a woman. Don’t support government legislation and programs that tell men they can impregnate women and run away from their responsibilities. Please ladies, think about what’s been done to you in the last 40 to 50 years. Thank you Mr. Speaker.
David Hann's bill that would require parental consent for teens seeking treatment for drug issues, pregnancy and STDs--with a requirement that incest victims get a judge's consent rather than that of their abusers--has been widely reported.
But it's not just centrist-to-liberal editorial boards of outstate papers shaking their collective heads at Hann's misguided attempt to recover some golden age of parental control. The very conservative Fairmont Sentinel--a paper that has never endorsed a Democrat--isn't buying it.
We wonder what the real benefit would be - if any - if the Minnesota Legislature passes a law requiring parental consent before minors could seek treatment for pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases or drug/alcohol abuse. Proponents say it seems obvious to them that parents should have a right to know about the medical condition of their child. But if the goal is to get children needed medical care, we're not sure the proposed law helps. . . .
Current law, which has been on the books for 40 years, lets minors see doctors without parental knowledge. Parents have no access to their children's medical records.
It seems to us that the proposed law is a backwards way to go about something entirely different:?Instilling a certain set of values in young people to get them to refrain from certain activities. Parents have every right and opportunity to instruct their children any way they wish. Whether kids follow the advice is another matter. Whether kids - young adults, really, given the circumstances - have access to unfettered medical care should not be held over them.
Like the anti-ag whistleblowers bill, Hann's proposal isn't gaining support anywhere. Legislators like Hann, Magnus and Hamilton should focus on more important budget and revenue issues and leave these sorts of unlikely bills in the dustbin.
Minnesota's conservative representative Michele Bachmann, for instance, cited Sanger as "a woman who promoted eugenics" in a 2008 speech on the House floor ( see .52-1.00 in this YouTube).
Imagine my surprise, then, to stumble across a pair of YouTube in which Ohio's own Michele, Rep. Jean Schmidt, and our own resident thimblewit, salute American feminist, socialist, free-love advocate, stockbroker and eugenics pioneer, Victoria Woodhull, the first American woman to run for President?
Such are the acrobatics of those using Women's History Month to play politics, rather than seek a deeper understanding of women's history. Here's Bachmann including Woodhull in a litany of foremothers whose names she can barely pronounce:
Schmidt admits that she didn't learn much about women's history when she majored in history in college. Her remarks on Woodhull:
Perhaps Bachmann, Schmidt and Feminists for Life--which appears to be the chief source for the quote-out-of-context approach to women's history, do indeed need to know more about Victoria Woodhull. I first ran across her while majoring in American Studies at Hamline, and later had the fortunate opportunity to romp through her writings when I was employed by the Library Company of Philadelphia (the library Ben Franklin founded), which includes Woodhull & Claflin's Weekly in its holdings, among other Woodhull titles.
Woodhull is a complex figure, worthy of study. However, I suspect that if Schmidt and Bachmann studied her life--especially her writings about reproductive rights--a bit more carefully, they'd talk about her a lot less on the floor of the U.S. House Representatives, regardless of which month it might be. There's also the little matter of Woodhull being the first to publish the Communist Manifesto in the United States, as well as her early career with her sister as a spiritualist healer.
Like Sanger, Woodhull opposed abortion. Like Sanger, Woodhull promoted eugenics.
As Perry's collection of essays and speeches by the latter points out, Woodhull hoped to be thought a pioneering promoter of eugenics. Following the now-notorious Buck v. Bell decision by the Supreme Court upholding the constitutionality of forced sterilization laws in 1927, Woodhull told a reporter for the Associated Press:
Mrs. Martin [Woodhull had remarried in England], who wrote and lectured for thirty years on eugenics, remarked that she was pleased to read that the Virginia Eugenics law had succeeded in establishing the right to sterilize the feeble-minded.*
"I advocated that fifty years ago in my book, Marriage of the Unfit." she said. "I am also glad that parents are now beginning to instruct their adolescent children in the facts of life. . . . " (Perry, Lady Eugenist, p. 9)
Perry explains that he came across the AP report, published in the New York Times, while looking at popular coverage of the eugenics movement for an earlier book that he published about Sanger. Intrigued, but skeptical of the self-promoting Woodhull, he later searched her early writings to so ee if she had been straight with the AP reporter:
I wondered at the time if she was being honest or just playing her usual "I was the first woman to..." game. I have since discovered she was right (Perry, p. 9)
Whether one sides with Perry's analysis or not, his book reproduces the full-text of relevant texts by Woodhull, and after reading them, I'm come to the conclusion that anyone damning Sanger for her support of eugenic principles ought to do the same for Woodhull.
Indeed, given that she advocated extreme intrusion by the state into family life and individual reproductive rights--and held racist notions about "fitness"--anyone seeking a dead "pro-life" ally in the pioneering feminist should probably apologize to the House of Representatives for digging up Woodhull's corpse.
Let's look at some choice tidbits from the body of her writings, readily accessible in Perry's anthology, available online as a pdf. To prove Woodhull's anti-choice position, Schmidt reads off a passage from the Dec. 24, 1870 Woodhull and Claflin's Weekly,
"The rights of
children as individuals begin while yet they remain the foetus."
Perry's anthology reprints "Children--Their Right and Privileges," the text of a September 1871 speech by Woodhull, printed in the October 7, 1871 Woodhull and Claflin's Weekly. This document includes a sentence strikingly similar to the one Schmidt recited on the House floor. Woodhull said:
The rights of
children, then, as individuals, begin while yet they are in foetal life.( Perry, p.33)
In the speech, first delivered to a Spiritualist convention, Woodhull also said:
So also is abortion a practice which spreads damnation world-wide. Not so much, perhaps, in those case where it is accomplished, but in those much more numerous cases where it is desired and attempted, but not reached. When a woman becomes conscious that she is pregnant, and a desire come up in her heart to shirk the duties it involves, that moment the foetal life is the unloved, the unwished child. Is it to be wondered that there are so many undutiful children--so many who instinctively feel that hey are "encumbrances" rather than the beautiful necessities of the home? (Perry, p. 39)
Given this notion of maternal influences in utero, it's not surprising that Woodhull strongly believed in teaching sex education; she also believed that women should be in charge of determining when they should get pregnant, and do so only when certain of their fitness for parenthood and the fitness of their male partner.
However, in the same speech, she advocated the "right" of children to be reared to fulfill their duties as citizens, and this "right" was more important than that of parents:
The fact that children are born and grown to be citizens, and not to remain children of the parents simply, is overlooked.
. . .For ourselves we make the distinction assertion that we are thoroughly convinced that fully one half the whole number of children now living between the ages of ten and fifteen, would have been in a superior condition--physically, mentally, and morally--to what they are, had they been early entrusted to the care of the proper kind of industrial institutions. (Perry, p. 40)
This is not the last time Woodhull would recommendation state intrusion in the life of individuals. Perry's anthology includes her 1890 essay, "Humanitarian Government," an exercise in extreme nanny-statism.
In her 1891 essay, "The Rapid Multiplication of the Unfit," Woodhull advocates even more interference with marriage and child-bearing. "Unfitness" for whites is largely defined by class and disability, while other races are "less developed" by definition.
All of the statements, opinions, and views expressed on this site by Sally Jo Sorensen are solely her own, save when she attributes them to other sources.
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Sorensen, editor and proprietor of Bluestem Prairie, serves clients in the business and nonprofit sectors. While progressive in outlook, she does not caucus with any political party.
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