Four Sisters Publishing prints and sells books, artwork, and other merchandise that embrace the feminist ideal of equality for all people. In our newsletter, we bring you stories that are relevant to this mission. We also update you on our newest products, coupons, and sales so that we can continue to spread the feminist perspective! |
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The Truth about "Late-Term Abortion" |
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At a political rally on March 2nd, 2020, Donald Trump complained, "Virtually every Democrat candidate has declared their unlimited support for extreme late-term abortion, ripping babies straight from the mother’s womb, right up until the very moment of birth." On June 24th, 2023, in Washington, D.C., at the Faith and Freedom Coalition's annual conference, Trump remarked, "There of course remains a vital role for the federal government in protecting unborn life. We will defeat the radical Democrat policy of extreme late-term abortion." Trump is the leading candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, currently polling at 57% of the vote. A second Trump presidency could be disastrous for women's rights in America. Now is the time to dispel the rampant disinformation surrounding abortion and convince those leaning toward the right to join us in fighting for reproductive rights. | | |
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Trump and other Republicans' claims about "late-term abortions" are untrue (no surprise there). First of all, "late-term abortion" isn't a medical term. When medical practitioners use the phrase "late term" regarding pregnancy, they're talking about pregnancies that continue after 40 weeks (full-term). Many anti-abortion activists call abortions between 15-20 weeks "late-term." However, fetuses aren't even viable (have a possibility of living outside the womb) until around 24 weeks of gestation, so to call these "late-term abortions" is extremely misleading. |
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On top of that, abortions after 21 weeks are exceedingly rare and make up only 1.2% of abortions. And a major reason that women get abortions later in pregnancy is that obstacles to obtaining reproductive care, such as inability to pay for the procedure, difficulty traveling or getting time off work, and lack of access to clinics, made it impossible for them to have an abortion earlier in their pregnancy. If people on the right want to decrease abortions later in pregnancy, they need to stop making women jump through hoops to access needed reproductive care. |
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Another major reason that women get abortions later in pregnancy is that anatomy scans, which check to ensure fetuses are developing properly, are usually performed around 20 weeks of pregnancy. Many fetal anomalies are not discovered until this time, leaving women with the option to either carry a nonviable pregnancy to term (prolonging the emotional agony of the mother and family and possibly leading to health problems) or receive a so-called "late-term abortion." According to Dr. Jen Gunter, an OB-GYN trained in late abortions, abortions performed after 24 weeks are because of fatal birth defects and not for any other reason. Just as no one would ever force an abortion on a woman in this situation who wanted to continue her pregnancy, no one should ever deny a woman the right to end her pregnancy if she chooses. Every woman is entitled to sovereignty over her body. |
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Serious health conditions, such as preeclampsia, intrauterine infection (chorioamnionitis), and cancer, can develop later in pregnancy, putting women in danger. Abortion bans in Republican-led states further endanger women's lives by threatening to prosecute doctors if they perform abortions when the woman's life is not in danger. Texas, for example, has a trigger ban that could give doctors life in prison if they run afoul of the law. Doctors are discharging women from hospitals to miscarry at home without medical assistance, to wait until they become septic, or to wait for their blood pressure to climb to deadly heights to get medical care. When women have these complications, and the fetus is considered viable, doctors do not perform abortions; they deliver the baby early. No pregnant person should be forced to risk their health or life to bring another person into the world. Only that person should be able to decide whether or not they feel well enough to continue a pregnancy. Republicans who support abortion bans, which are forcing doctors to turn away patients in desperate need of medical treatment to avoid prison, are demonstrating a complete disregard and disrespect for the sanctity of women's lives. |
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While religious zealots see post-Roe America as a utopia where abortion bans save the lives of countless unborn babies, the reality is that post-Roe America is torturing and killing women. Interviews with medical practitioners in the U.S. show that women are reporting various negative effects from the Dobbs decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade. Some of these effects include difficulty getting abortions during miscarriage, difficulty getting treatment for ectopic pregnancies, delays in medical care until health has deteriorated to the point of near fatality, less access to needed non-reproductive care (such as chemotherapy) while pregnant, reduced access to contraception, severe psychological harm from being forced to carry unwanted pregnancies, practitioners withholding medical advice that could violate anti-abortion laws, and being forced to travel during health emergencies to get care across state lines. |
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Research has shown that restricting abortion access is linked to higher maternal mortality rates. Data from the CDC shows that between 2018 and 2020, states with "trigger" laws (laws to ban abortion if Roe was ever overturned) had maternal mortality rates that were, on average, twice as high as states that protected abortion access. Newly released research estimates that in 2020, states that heavily restricted abortion access had maternal mortality rates 62% higher than states that made abortion accessible. Furthermore, research in 2022 predicted that a national abortion ban could increase maternal mortality by 24%. Additionally, states with abortion bans have been shown to have higher infant mortality rates. In 2017, Mississippi, for instance, had an infant mortality rate of 8.6 deaths per 1000 compared to the national average of 5.8 per 1000 births. |
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While Republicans and far-right Christians rail about the evil of "late-term abortions" and claim they want to protect mothers as well as unborn babies, their policies have the opposite effect. Abortion bans are quite literally killing mothers and babies. They are depriving pregnant people of the right to govern their bodies and to make decisions regarding the health and welfare of themselves and their children and families. They are putting women through physical and psychological torture in the name of Christianity. These laws will have detrimental and lasting effects on the health, education, and financial stability of women and their children, particularly those in minority and low socioeconomic households. Republicans are widening the gap between the haves and the have-nots. The 2024 presidential election is right around the corner. Now is the time to fight back. Now is the time to educate Americans on the repercussions of denying women the right to control their bodies. |
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Four Sisters Publishing is raising money to fight fracking in Ohio's public parks! All proceeds from our "No Fracking Way" shirts will support Save Ohio Parks, a volunteer organization working to keep oil companies off Ohio's public lands. Visit www.saveohioparks.org to learn more! Buy a shirt and help us save Ohio's forests! |
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MAPS: The state of Equality in the U.S. |
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Gender-Affirming Care Bans Impacting Youth (by hrc.org) | | |
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Interactive Map: US Abortion Policies and Access After Roe (Guttmacher Institute) | | |
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State Affirmative Action Information (ballotpedia.org) | | |
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CRT Bans (worldpopulationreview.com) | | |
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Redecorating? Find inspiration and beauty on our new Wall Art page! “A woman is the full circle. Within her is the power to create, nurture, and transform.” ― Diane Mariechild |
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Kirk Cameron is Confused about Family Values |
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Kirk Cameron has been working hard to spread what he calls "family values" by hosting story hours across America. You may wonder why he thinks Americans need a refresher on family values. Well, in his words, "If we want a wholesome and healthy future for our children, we must begin educating them when they’re young, rather than letting others indoctrinate them when they’re young, leading to the kinds of things that we’re finding ourselves shocked to see in places we never thought we’d see them, like kindergarten classrooms and public library story times." What's he talking about? We'll let him explain: "There are many good teachers, many good libraries and librarians out there, but it is mystifying when libraries say yes to men performing perverted acts in front of children in fishnet stockings, but say no to love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, and self-control." The bogeyman Cameron feels so threatened by is Drag Queen Story Hour. |
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Drag Queen Story Hour began in 2015 with a mission to celebrate "reading through the glamorous art of drag" and create "diverse, accessible, and culturally-inclusive family programming where kids can express their authentic selves and become bright lights of change in their communities." They hoped kids could "learn from LGBTQ+ herstories and experiences to love themselves, celebrate the fabulous diversity in their communities, and stand up for what they believe in and each other." Loving yourself and your neighbors ARE family values. The whole point of Drag Queen Story Hour is to teach our children that it's okay to be themselves and that we should accept and love our neighbors as they are. So, why does Kirk Cameron have such a problem with drag queens reading to children? |
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To crack that nut, let's look closely at Cameron's words: "It is mystifying when libraries say yes to men performing perverted acts in front of children in fishnet stockings." Perverted means "characterized by sexually abnormal and unacceptable practices or tendencies." Are we to believe that reading is a perverted act? I don't think so. Is it the act of wearing women's clothing that Cameron finds perverted, or does he have a specific problem with fishnet stockings? The problem here is that wearing clothing is not a sexual act. Cameron's real issue is that he is transphobic and probably homophobic and is making the assumption that what drag queens do in the privacy of their bedrooms is "abnormal or unacceptable" and, therefore, they should not be allowed around children. |
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Homosexual and transexual sex is not abnormal. Gallup reported in February of 2023 that 7.2% of the U.S. population self-identified as LGBTQ+. That means there are roughly 23.9 million LGBTQ+ people in America, and I'm sure many are having sex. So, we know it's not abnormal, but is it unacceptable? Human sexuality is a spectrum, and specific sex acts (such as anal intercourse) are not relegated to particular groups but are performed across the spectrum. Any sex act performed between consenting adults is nobody else's business and is completely acceptable. Kirk Cameron can no sooner assume the sex acts of drag queens are unacceptable than he can assume the sex acts of the person sitting next to him in church are unacceptable. I don't see anyone interviewing Cameron about his bedroom practices before allowing him to read to children. Being a drag queen does not make a person a pervert. If Cameron really wants to stop the sexualization of children, perhaps he should read stories about family values at beauty pageants. |
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For more ideas on what you can do to fight for equality, buy Fight the Patriarchy: A Survival Guide on Amazon!!! Did the overturning of Roe v. Wade make you sick to your stomach? Are you angry that women in America are still fighting for basic human rights? If so, this important guide will help you use your anger to affect real change in your life and in our society. It will provide perspective on the role patriarchy has played in creating inequality in America and give you tips on how to combat it from the ground up! I'd love your feedback. Leave me a review to help spread the feminist message! | | |
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LGBTQ+ Population and Economic Growth |
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Wells Fargo recently released a study that showed states with larger concentrations of LGBTQ+ people also had higher gross state product (GSP) growth. Wells Fargo declined to hypothesize about potential causes for this positive correlation but did say that the correlation was statistically significant (meaning the correlation was consistent and large enough to be outside the margin for error). This study leaves us with tons of questions. Hopefully, there will be more studies to help us fully understand this phenomenon. |
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The End of Affirmative Action |
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On June 29th, 2023, the Supreme Court voted 6 to 2 (Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson recused herself) that the University of North Carolina's and Harvard's admission policies violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The majority stated, "Many universities have for too long wrongly concluded that the touchstone of an individual's identity is not challenges bested, skills built, or lessons learned, but the color of their skin. This Nation's constitutional history does not tolerate that choice." |
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The Court has some nerve to make this statement considering our constitutional history includes Article 1., Section 2. of the Constitution, which reads, "Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons." For what other reasons were slaves considered "three fifths" of a person if not for the color of their skin? Let's not forget the Fugitive Slave Clause of the Constitution, which states, "No Person held to Service or Labour in one State, under the Laws thereof, escaping into another, shall, in Consequence of any Law or Regulation therein, be discharged from such Service or Labour, but shall be delivered up on Claim of the Party to whom such Service or Labour may be due." Once again, the Constitution blatantly shows that people were treated differently based on the color of their skin. |
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Racism was written into the Constitution, and data shows it continues today. African Americans are over-represented among Americans in poverty, the average net worth of Black and Hispanic Americans is more than 4.5 times less than the net worth of White Americans, and the median household income of African Americans is $29,042 less per year. Conservative justices' claim that the color of a person's skin does not affect their identity or opportunities does not hold water. |
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Interestingly, the Court chose to exempt military academies from their ban on considering race during admissions. Chief Justice Roberts claimed that these academies have "potentially distinct interests." It seems that the Court welcomes the idea of ensuring minorities are equally represented when sending our young people off to die but not when educating them to participate in the national life and economy here at home. The Supreme Court's decision to strike down affirmative action will affect more than just college admission. There will be reverberations throughout American society. Our educational, economic, and political systems will be impacted. Selective elementary and secondary schools, employers, and even the NFL will no longer need to ensure diversity. A 2013 study showed that in four states that banned affirmative action, there was a significant decline in workforce participation by minority groups. Data from 2022 showed a 17% decrease in minority students attending Berkeley and UCLA after discarding affirmative action from the admissions process. With fewer people from minority groups attending top colleges and getting promotions to the upper ranks of companies, the economic inequality these groups already face will only be exacerbated. The effect of increasing economic inequality will likely be to decrease political representation since we know people of lower socioeconomic status have fewer means to participate in political life. Thus, the Supreme Court has secured America's historical power imbalance with white Americans at the top. The idea that America is a land of opportunity for all is a mirage to keep those at the bottom toiling toward a future they can never reach. |
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Our newest children's book is on the way! Pamela Opossum, Myla Mink, and Marlo Muskrat love living in the Shady Forest. They have many adventures together, but this time Myla has found treasure! Pamela wants badly to join Myla in hunting the waters of the Stillwater River, but she doesn't know how to swim. Marlo's a pro and doesn't think she can do it. Will Pamela overcome her fear and join Myla's treasure hunt? Our newest illustrator, K.D. Llew, is hard at work bringing the Shady Forest characters to life! We can't wait to share their world with you! Coming October 1st! | | |
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According to NPR, Google search results are providing women with anti-abortion center advertisements when they search for abortion clinics in their area. These clinics are estimated to have spent around $10.2 million on advertising in just two years. Many of these clinics use misleading names, like "crisis pregnancy center," to trick pregnant people into clicking on their ads. These clinics attempt to delay women from getting the care they need or try to talk them out of getting an abortion. Some even offer free pregnancy tests to get women through the door. However, with strict laws popping up around the country (such as Georgia's 6-week abortion ban), even a delay of a couple of days can lead to the denial of abortion access. |
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On top of purposely frustrating women's attempts to access healthcare in order to force them to carry their pregnancies to term, anti-abortion activists are also working to restrict women's travel when they are pregnant. They are partnering with Republican state legislators to make laws banning pregnant people from traveling across state lines to access abortion care. The Thomas More Society (a conservative law firm) has been helping draft legislation that mirrors Texas's "bounty" law, allowing private citizens to sue people for $10,000 if they suspect them of "aiding and abetting interstate travel for abortion services." In April of 2023, the first such legislation was signed into law in Idaho. Idaho's new law makes it unlawful to help pregnant minors seek an abortion without parental consent. While it only applies within the state's boundaries, it makes it effectively makes it illegal to transport a minor to the state line for them to access abortion care. |
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Meanwhile, Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville is protesting the Pentagon's policy of giving service members 21 days of leave and transportation reimbursement for abortion and fertility services. This policy was enacted to ensure access to reproductive healthcare no matter what state service members are stationed in. Tuberville, apparently, believes women in the Armed Forces who are actively fighting for his freedom are not entitled to the same freedoms he enjoys. He has delayed more than 200 military promotions in the past few months because he doesn't think women in the military should be entitled to tax dollars to help them receive abortion care. He states, "I’ll stand against all efforts to use taxpayer funding for abortions." |
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Most women in the military are junior enlisted members who make between $21,276 and $36,475 per year. That means many women are making $10.23 per hour if you calculate for a 40-hour work week (I promise you, they work more hours than that). How does Tuberville think these women will afford to travel out of state, pay for a hotel room, and pay the medical cost of abortion on that salary? Should they be refused healthcare because of the state the military chose to station them in? |
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The United Nations states that forced pregnancy is a crime against humanity. The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court Article 8 details what actions are considered war crimes, and forced pregnancy is among them. While this statute does not apply to national laws, only to war-time policies, forced pregnancy is forced pregnancy. The physical and psychological effects are the same whether implemented in peace-time or war-time. Forcing women to carry unwanted pregnancies to term is vile and dehumanizing. Join us in fighting for women's human rights! |
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Bellatrix Gets Her Wings The second book in the Bellatrix Series is in the works! We're so excited to share another of Bellatrix's adventures and can't wait to post more sketches. Updates to come! |
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Homegrown: Timothy McVeigh and the Rise of Right-Wing Extremism by Jeffrey Toobin The definitive account of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing and the enduring legacy of Timothy McVeigh, leading to the January 6 insurrection—from acclaimed journalist Jeffrey Toobin.
Timothy McVeigh wanted to start a movement.
Speaking to his lawyers days after the Oklahoma City bombing, the Gulf War veteran expressed no killing 168 people was his patriotic duty. He cited the Declaration of Independence from “Whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it.” He had obsessively followed the siege of Waco and seethed at the imposition of President Bill Clinton’s assault weapons ban. A self-proclaimed white separatist, he abhorred immigration and wanted women to return to traditional roles. As he watched the industrial decline of his native Buffalo, McVeigh longed for when America was great.
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New York Times bestselling author Jeffrey Toobin traces the dramatic history and profound legacy of Timothy McVeigh, who once declared, “I believe there is an army out there, ready to rise up, even though I never found it.” But that doesn’t mean his army wasn’t there. With news-breaking reportage, Toobin details how McVeigh’s principles and tactics have flourished in the decades since his death in 2001, reaching an apotheosis on January 6 when hundreds of rioters stormed the Capitol. Based on nearly a million previously unreleased tapes, photographs, and documents, including detailed communications between McVeigh and his lawyers, as well as interviews with such key figures as Bill Clinton, Homegrown reveals how the story of Timothy McVeigh and the Oklahoma City bombing is not only a powerful retelling of one of the great outrages of our time, but a warning for our future. -thriftbooks |
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Keep up on news that affects you and learn how you can fight for equality in the U.S.! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or Twitter! | | |
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