Dear John,
Now that former President Donald Trump has been indicted by a grand jury in New York, law enforcement and experts in extremism are worried about the potential for violence by his supporters. Trump has called for protests: ‘WE JUST CAN’T ALLOW THIS ANYMORE,’ Trump wrote. ‘THEY’RE KILLING OUR NATION AS WE SIT BACK & WATCH. WE MUST SAVE AMERICA! PROTEST, PROTEST, PROTEST!!!.' He has warned of “death and destruction” if he was indicted.
Ms. contributor Jackson Katz observes, “The threat of political violence—implied or enacted—is a characteristic feature of authoritarian right-wing movements, and Trump’s populism is no exception. … And although this is barely mentioned in mainstream punditry, [political violence] is … inextricably interconnected with matters of gender and power. In this country or any other, the vast majority of political violence is committed by men. Thus any serious discussion of violence in politics must include a deep examination of cultural beliefs and narratives about ‘manhood.’
“[Trump] has been especially effective in signaling to white men that he shares not only their racial resentments, but also their frustration and anger at feminists for challenging men’s authority in both the public and private spheres. … In a country with a long and ugly history of white racist violence toward people of color, this all makes for an extraordinarily volatile and dangerous political situation,” Katz warns.
Against this backdrop, President Biden convened the second Summit for Democracy in Washington, DC. In advance of the Summit, Freedom House released its “Freedom in the World” annual report and recommendations to advance democracy and counter authoritarianism. Among the organization’s 14 Democratic Principles: “[Countries] should support gender equality by addressing harmful gender-related norms, stereotypes, and practices that undermine women’s participation in public life … [and] promote women’s political participation.”
Thus, the Summit serves as a reminder that in moments like this one, when democracy is in peril, it is more important than ever for national leaders to address issues of gender equality—including in this country where women were deliberately left out of our democracy’s founding documents. Exactly 100 years after the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was first introduced in Congress, on March 28 Representatives Ayanna Pressley and Cori Bush, along with other Congressional colleagues and women’s leaders announced their launch of a Congressional ERA caucus—in Bush’s words, “because equality is overdue.”
“For far too long, women and LGBTQ+ folks have been relegated to second-class legal status in America—our contributions ignored, erased or rendered a footnote in history—and it’s high time we change that,” said Pressley. “Congressional intent is powerful and congressional caucuses are powerful. It’s long past time we codify the dignity and humanity of all.”
And because women’s autonomy and abortion access are inextricably linked, Sens. Tammy Duckworth, Mazie Hirono and Patty Murray introduced the EACH Act, which would strike down the Hyde Amendment and guarantee Medicaid insurance coverage of abortion. “Every woman in every state has a right to access the reproductive healthcare she needs—and government has no place getting in the way of that right,” said Senator Tammy Duckworth. “With Roe v. Wade thrown out by the Supreme Court, Congress must take immediate action to help strengthen access to abortion coverage for low-income Americans, servicemembers and millions more—no matter their income, race or zip code.” The vast majority of Americans are opposed to the Hyde amendment, the sponsors noted.
We were once again confronted with the everyday reality of violence in America this week, when an AR-15 military-style assault weapon was used in Nashville in a mass shooting, claiming the lives of nine including three elementary school children, a teacher, the head of school and a custodian. AR-15s have been used in ten of the 17 deadliest mass killings in the U.S. in the past decade. We cannot go on like this.
Onward,
