The Michael Moore PodcastTranscripts are generated using a combination of speech recognition software and human transcribers, and may contain errors. Please check the corresponding audio before quoting in print.
To read more about Episode 247, visit the main episode page.
Michael Moore [00:00:14] Hello. This is Rumble with Michael Moore. I’m Michael Moore. Thank you for tuning in here today. I am going to turn today’s podcast over to the people in the town, small town where I live in northern Michigan. It’s called Traverse City, Michigan. There’s about 15,000 people in the town. When the edict from the Supreme Court was issued on Friday morning, people immediately began calling and texting each other. It was decided that at 10 a.m. on Saturday, the next day, we’d gather in this park that sits on the bay part of Lake Michigan. So for those of you who don’t know Traverse City, it’s in a county called Grand Traverse County that twice has voted for Trump. The city itself has not voted for a Republican for president in nearly 20 years. That’s why I guess people think of Michigan as a purple state, because we have a lot of blue areas, Traverse City and Flint, obviously Detroit, Ann Arbor — the state that voted for Biden and Obama. But in places like where we live here in northern Michigan, we are surrounded by all these large red areas of very hateful voters. Angry, angry white men. Not easy. Maybe some of you live in areas like that. Then 10:00 yesterday, Saturday morning came around, it was looking like there are going to be 20 or 30 people there holding signs. But within minutes, literally within minutes, a surge of people came into the park and there were hundreds and hundreds. You couldn’t see where the crowd ended — that’s how many showed up. So hopeful and so inspiring. And so my producer, Angela Vargos, who produces each of these episodes now and also is the editor, she took a microphone — thank you, Jeff, for the microphone — and went through the crowd during the rally to talk to people, to let them in their own voice, say how they felt about the Supreme Court ruling. And it’s so amazing when you hear this. It’s riveting. I guarantee you at the end of this, you will be inspired, you will be hopeful. And I’m not going to say anymore. I’m just going to turn it over to the people of Traverse City, Michigan, the place I call home, with good people from the middle of this country. The people you don’t usually hear from, who usually don’t have a voice. And I want to give them that platform, that voice here today. Let’s listen.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:02:49] Here I am. I just got here at the Traverse City protest. We just lined up and cars are honking. We are on Grandview Parkway. There’s probably about — maybe 50 women here? And I’m going to go talk to some women.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:03:21] Hi, I’m a producer on Michael Moore’s podcast and we’re recording some voices from today’s protest, are you interested in answering a couple of questions?
Mom [00:03:28] I have no doubt these two would be.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:03:31] Awesome, that’s great.
Jordan [00:03:31] My name’s Jordan. I’m 23.
Jesse [00:03:34] I’m Jesse. I’m 25.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:03:35] Can I just ask why you’re here today?
Jesse [00:03:37] With everything that happened yesterday, it was just pretty disturbing. I was in shock that something like that could happen. It’s been a precedent for so long, and I kind of feel like I had taken it for granted that it was like a law our country, and I was shocked to see it change, especially in 2022.
Jordan [00:03:58] I think too, like, obviously things can snowball pretty easily, and just thinking about this changing, like she said, like something that we had as a precedent for 50 years, something that we never really thought was going to change, seeing that change is just kind of scary to think about what else could change. And I don’t want to act retroactively on things like gay marriage. I don’t want to see that overturned; interracial marriage, I don’t want to see that overturned. Being here and coming together to advocate for something that we believe in is the only way that we’re going to make change in a country.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:04:31] So why are you here today?
Mom [00:04:33] I’m here as their mother. I stand here conflicted in terms of abortion and my feelings about life. But this is for my daughters and my granddaughters, and understanding that we cannot take a step backwards. As people, we have to be more loving and accepting of individuals and their own choices. And that’s why we’re here today, is supporting all women. But more than that — races, gender, we all need to just love each other. That’s why we’re here.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:05:05] Why are you here today?
Dad [00:05:06] She’s the speaker of the family. [Everyone laughs] But no, I support them. I am pro-life, but I’m here to support my daughters.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:05:15] Hi.
Claire [00:05:15] Hi.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:05:17] I’m a producer for Michael Moore’s podcast, and I’m reporting some voices from today’s protest — could I ask you just a couple of questions?
Claire [00:05:22] Of course.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:05:23] First, can you tell me what’s on your sign?
Claire [00:05:24] My sign says, “Someone you love has had an abortion. Protect women and protect women’s rights.”
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:05:32] Can you tell me why you’re here today?
Claire [00:05:33] I’m here for exactly those reasons — I think people think that abortions are for certain people or they don’t think it touches their lives. And I just… I guarantee that if people were completely open and honest and they could speak that truth, people would find that someone that they love and care about so much has had to go through this. It’s a medical procedure that saves lives. And this ruling is just heartbreaking because it feels like as women, we don’t matter. And we do. And I want to just swear, but I won’t. I’m so angry, but it’s a beautiful day and I’m so glad all these people are out here and making our voices heard and just having a little therapy through collective anger. I’m here with two of my best girlfriends, and my husband stayed home with the kid. You know, he’s like, “Go!” He’s like, “you have to do this — go, give ’em hell!” So my name is Claire. I’m a Traverse City resident and I’m 41 years old.
Kate [00:06:31] I’m Kate and I am 41 years old. I’m here today because I’m just so frightened and discouraged. The idea that the government is making choices over people’s lives in life and death and in juxtaposition with we can’t get a gun-safety law passed and make any meaningful change there — you know, I saw a quote that says, “I guess now we know life begins at conception and ends in a mass shooting.” And that’s our country. You know, I’ve got two daughters and a son that this just terrifies me for what the future might hold for them.
Ariana [00:07:07] My name is Ariana. I’m 22 years old. I’m a type one diabetic, so I actually have a two-year-old son. And when I was pregnant with him, I had to have an emergency C-section pretty early on. It was really detrimental to my health, to his health. We almost both didn’t make it. But the whole point of that is it was my choice to go through that. I couldn’t imagine someone else that had to go through that that isn’t going to be able to have that choice anymore. So the whole thing with my sign, with the blood running down my legs…
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:07:34] Yeah, can you describe what you’re wearing?
Ariana [00:07:36] Absolutely. So my shorts, my white shorts, are soaked in blood, you know, from the waist down. I’ve got red handprints on my arms, kind of representing the government, taking a hold on our rights. The hanger, the red shorts — it’s kind of representing what used to happen and what’s going to be happening now that our rights are taken away.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:07:52] And what does your sign say?
Ariana [00:07:54] It says, “We won’t go back.” Because I’m not going to go back. This is ridiculous. Abortion is health care. It really is. There’s nothing else to it. There shouldn’t be a voting matter on this.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:08:07] How did you feel? What was going through your head yesterday when you saw the news?
Ariana [00:08:10] I was at work. I was in shock. I couldn’t even fathom what I was reading or hearing and the amount of people that I saw that felt the same way, I’m kind of confused why we’re trying to vote our rights away. I don’t know.
Angela [00:08:27] It’s just scary to live in a country that’s taking your rights away as a human. It’s very dehumanizing as a woman, and more than a slap in the face.
Ariana [00:08:39] We’re supposedly “land of the free.” But I’m not feeling real free right now.
Angela [00:08:44] “My body, my choice.” Nobody should be making decisions for my body. Nobody should be making decisions for anybody’s body. It’s your choice. I was mortified, completely mortified. And that’s why I’m here. And it’s going to take more than a protest to get this changed. We’ve got quite the fight ahead of us, and we are not going to lay down as women. We are going to stand up and take care of this.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:09:08] Thank you so much for talking to me. Could I just get your name?
Angela [00:09:10] I’m Angela.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:09:11] And you’re age?
Angela [00:09:12] 45.
Bronwyn [00:09:17] My name is Bronwyn. And there’s a car turning here.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:09:21] Thank you. And she saved my life.
Bronwyn [00:09:26] My name is Bronwyn, and I’m 66 years old. I’ve lived long enough to see Roe v Wade come as law. And now to see it fall is just a horrific thing. We’d had a heads up about this, but nonetheless, this terrible feeling of shock, rage, despair, fight — we’ve got to fight. We need to get out the vote. We need to be voting and supporting candidates that will continue a progressive way of thinking about rights for people. And there are so many that are now threatened through this decision. I mean, we’re looking at a terrible, terrible rollback. And it’s a minority group and it’s a lying group of people. And it’s just horrific what’s happening.
Hannah [00:10:15] My name is Hannah and I’m 18. And my sign says, “Pro-life is a lie. You don’t care if women die.” I’ve heard so many stories, and I’m so glad it personally hasn’t affected me, of people, of their lives getting saved by having an abortion and the protection it provides for women all across the country. And it’s just so sad how many people are going to die because they take what their personal values and beliefs are and push it on us. I mean, there’s so many instances of these politicians talking about how it’s against the Bible, but this is a separate — the state is separate from religion, and that’s how it should always be. Not everybody’s Christian. We have so much diversity in this country, but there should never be any religion pushed on other people. It’s just unacceptable.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:11:05] How does it feel? Because you’re 18 now, so you have some control just because you can vote.
Hannah [00:11:10] Yeah.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:11:10] Are you excited? Is this going to be your first election voting?
Hannah [00:11:12] Yeah. I mean, I’m not excited that this is why I want to vote, but I’ll do what I have to do to protect my sister and my mom and everyone I love. And it affects more than just women, too, because, like, there are people who are losing their loved ones to this. It’s insane. And these people don’t care about us. It’s about money and it’s about power. And it will never be about us. I’m here to stand up for our rights. I’m here to fight for us because they won’t do it for us.
Emma (25) [00:11:44] My name is Emma. I am 25. I don’t really have a sign, but I have the queen on my shirt — RBG. Rest in peace. I literally texted everybody I knew who had a uterus, “do you have,” you know, “a supply, a plan B? Do you have emergency contraception? Like, do you have resources?” Just making sure everybody was okay because it was that horrifying. I was fortunate enough to have a hysterectomy at 22 so I don’t have really a concern for my safety, but definitely need to be here to support, you know, the younger kids who still have that worry. And my husband is here to do the same.
Emma’s Husband [00:12:32] Well, I’m here today because I find it disgusting that the Supreme Court doesn’t respect rights anymore and has gone to show that they’re willing to just overturn them in a moment’s notice. And I feel like everyone that is celebrating this as a win should be alarmed at this, because what’s next at this point? Are they going to decide that black people have no rights? Are they going to decide that gay people shouldn’t exist anymore? It’s a feign that this Supreme Court that’s been decided on is going to do damage for a lifetime because that’s how long they’re in there.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:13:05] What’s your name?
Emma (19) [00:13:05] My name’s Emma, and I’m 19. I’m here today to fight for everybody that I love because I know my family especially doesn’t support the right for abortion. And it’s really hard because I know that it would ruin my life and so many other lives if they had a baby because nobody supports, nobody gives any money to parents who, you know, have children and they don’t support you after birth. They just care about you having the baby. It’s forced birth. Michigan is one of the states that has a lot of trigger laws in place. And I know that temporarily Whitmer blocked the one. But, you know, I’m scared that eventually I won’t have the access to abortion if I truly need it. And that’s just a really scary thought. And I was disgusted for all the women in America.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:13:57] Can I ask you some questions?
Maddie (17) [00:14:00] Yeah, my name is Maddie and I’m 17.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:14:02] Can you tell me what’s on your sign?
Maddie (17) [00:14:04] “Don’t like abortions? Just ignore them — just like you ignore children in the foster care system.” I believe that abortion is a health care — it’s a right. It’s not… Sorry I’m really awkward about this…
Emma (17) [00:14:15] I’m Emma. I’m 17. Mine says, “My body, my choice, my freedom, my voice.”.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:14:22] Why are you here today?
Emma (17) [00:14:24] Because I think it’s important that we stand up for what we think is right. And I think abortions are a human right. It’s the right to our own bodies. And I think we should have that choice.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:14:33] I’m curious, because you guys are — you’re not even voting age yet. So how does that make you feel that something just happened that you can’t do something…
Emma (17) [00:14:43] Very, very, very angry.
Maddie (17) [00:14:45] We are we are the future and this is going to affect us.
Emma (17) [00:14:50] We need to fight back.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:14:50] Can I ask you a few questions too?
Hannah [00:14:50] Yeah, I’m a little nervous…
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:14:57] That’s ok! Can you tell me your name and your age?
Hannah [00:14:58] I’m Hannah. I’m 18.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:15:00] What does your sign say?
Hannah [00:15:01] It says, “My body, my choice.” And it is. And nobody else has a right over my body — it’s mine. And I’m really angry. This is not fair to any women. And it’s just. I’m shaking. I’m so mad. It’s just it’s not fair.
Maddie (17) [00:15:18] I mean, I’m astonished because we’re moving backward in time. It’s not this is not the future. This is moving in the past. And if this continues, we have no future for ourselves honestly.
Emma (17) [00:15:31] It’s a step backward. And how many years we’ve spent fighting for the right to our own body is gone. And just over a few minutes. And we need to fight back and we need to stand up for what we think is right.
Riley [00:15:46] Sure. I’m Riley, and I’m 21 years old. My sign says, “You’re Pro-Life until the baby is gay, poor, trans, black, Muslim, disabled, an immigrant, or a woman. And I think it just exemplifies how the Republican Party is so hypocritical sometimes, how they care about unborn children, but they don’t care about what happens after it’s born. And then the other side says, “You might choose life every time, but it’s still a choice.” For me personally, I probably would choose life every time, but I would never take away the right of another woman to choose her choice. You know? The battle is going to be at the ballots so we really need to get to the polls. Everyone needs to turn up and vote. Midterm elections are very important. You know, we can really change this country by voting.
Kendell [00:16:25] My name is Kendell and I’m 19. I’m here mostly to expose kind of like the Republican Party being hypocritical. They call themselves pro-life, but they’re really pro birth because if they were pro-life, we would have access to easier contraceptives. We would have more baby formula on our shelves. We would have a better foster system, better adoption care, the better process of everything. They don’t care about the child after its born. They just want to control women’s bodies and people with uteruses.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:16:53] What were you thinking yesterday when the decision came down?
Kendell [00:16:55] I just felt empty. We really don’t have a choice. Even with the Supreme Court, like we can’t vote them in. And it just feels like what’s next? It’s devastating. I really hope this next generation can turn things around. And I know a lot of people think that right now voting just isn’t enough, but we have to try. And even getting out there and protesting is also so important to like just use those First Amendment rights. But it’s also again, it may not feel like it’s enough right now, but it’s so important to get out there and vote. It could make a difference.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:17:29] And is this is your first time, voting?
Kendell [00:17:32] Yeah, actually, it is going to be the first time. It’s so exciting. I can’t wait to try and make a difference, you know? Now I can have control — a little bit.
Tracey [00:17:39] Tracey, 51. I have, “Respect female existence, or expect our resistance.” And then, “If you can’t trust me with a choice, then how can you trust me with the baby?” We have three children and I can’t believe that all our lives are worth less than my husband’s life, according to our government. My grandmother passed away, had a miscarriage, and they didn’t evacuate. And so therefore it was considered an abortion. And my grandmother passed away when my dad was a teenager. And I don’t think the government or churches have anything to do with women’s health. And I had to have a conversation with my 13-year-old saying, “if you are raped, if you are to have sex, you have to come to me and we’ll have to get you some medication because you can’t get pregnant, and our only option is a plan B pill.” So that’s a conversation I did not want to have with my daughter. I had to because of what happened. And just tell her, “if you’re raped, you can’t be shamed and you have to come right to us and we have to take medical care of you.”
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:18:55] My daughter is five, and I’m hoping that by the time she gets a little older that we’ve fought back and we’ve gotten enough to just codify this that I don’t have to have the discussion you had with your daughter.
Tracey [00:19:07] Yeah. It wasn’t a conversation I thought it was going to have, but unfortunately I had to have it.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:19:12] Yeah.
Greg [00:19:12] Greg, 52. As a lawyer, I find the opinion to be just mind-numbingly idiotic, for lack of a better term. Doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. I think Roe, with all its faults, was solid law — the right to privacy through the 14th made a lot of sense to me. Shouldn’t be the government’s choice, it should be an individual’s choice. And now I see our justices talking about deeply rooted traditions. And that’s what our nation is now? It has to be a deeply rooted tradition? Does that mean we have to bring back things like slavery? Women aren’t people at all, they’re property — is that what it’s come down to? Not only that, but to support people that actually can’t have children. Again, there’s just a thousand reasons to be here.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:20:08] The crowd has grown now. There is probably a couple hundred people here since I started talking to people. And yeah, lots of cars are honking in support. You can hear that in the background. And I’m going to get back to talking to people.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:20:33] Oh, excuse me. Hey, I’m a producer on Michael Moore’s podcast. I’m recording some voices from today’s protest. Do you mind if I ask you a couple questions? Can you tell me your name and your age?
Molly [00:20:43] I’m Molly, and I’m 24.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:20:45] Awesome. Can you tell me why you’re here today?
Molly [00:20:47] I was born with reproductive rights that just got taken away. I feel like we’re regressing and I’m not going to sit aside and let it get worse. A lot of women died from unsafe abortions. Yeah, I was sitting around kind of doomscrolling, and then I found some local protests to get out to — just wanting to get my voice heard and not sit around.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:21:07] Yeah, it feels good to be able to do something. What do you advocate for people to do now?
Molly [00:21:11] Vote. Register to vote. Volunteer. If you can, donate to abortion funds and just keep tabs on the status of abortion access in your state.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:21:24] Thank you so much for talking to me.
Molly [00:21:24] Of course, yeah!
Group chanting [00:21:28] Vote them out! Vote them out!
Mason [00:21:34] I’m Mason. I’m 24. One side says, “Fuck the government.” The other side says, “This will not stop at abortion. This is only the beginning and get angry.” I’m pissed off. They’re taking away our rights and it’s really just not fair at all. We definitely need to do more than just vote. We really need to protest. [indecipherable] always work, but I think we just really need to burn it down and start over.
Sadie [00:21:55] Yesterday I was completely nauseous and sick all day and angry. And angry. This is complete bullshit — am I allowed to swear?
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:22:08] Yes.
Sadie [00:22:08] You know, and I’m done having children, but, you know, I’m here for the next generation. I’m Sadie and I’m 46.
Quinn [00:22:15] Yeah, so it’s Quinn. I’m 22. I find it absolutely despicable that, you know, there’s so much hypocrisy in the current government right now. You look at, like, COVID vaccine mandates, then it’s their body, their choice. But now when it comes to women’s choice, it’s completely the opposite. So I find it absolutely ridiculous.
Karen [00:22:33] I’m Karen and I’m 66.
Cathy [00:22:35] I’m Cathy. And I’m 66.
Karen [00:22:37] Want us to read it?
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:22:38] Yeah.
Karen [00:22:39] “I dream women would one day have the same rights as guns.”.
Cathy [00:22:43] Mine says, “It’s pro-life until the children are born. Then no money for health care, food, child care or education. Hypocrites.”.
Karen [00:22:52] We’re concerned about the future for women and marginalized folks in this country. It’s about our rights.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:22:59] Is this a personal fight for party?
Karen [00:23:01] Aren’t they all?
Cathy [00:23:03] It should be a personal thing for everyone. And our country is moving in a direction that I could never have envisioned.
Karen [00:23:10] Make sure you register to vote. Make sure you vote and make sure you fund those organizations that might be able to assist women who are going to need assistance in getting health care across this nation. And there’s a petition right now — Reproductive Freedom for All — that would put legislation on the ballot that would protect health care, abortion, etc. in this state, in November.
Cathy [00:23:35] And another petition for voting rights to protect voting rights so that we can all vote and not worry that our vote is going to be thrown out.
Gwen [00:23:44] I’m Gwen and I’m 18.
Joy [00:23:46] I’m Joy. And I’m 12.
Nora [00:23:48] I’m Nora. I’m 17.
Gwen [00:23:50] I’ve got, “Reproductive rights are human rights.”
Joy [00:23:53] “My future. My choice.”
Nora [00:23:55] “My body, my choice.”
Gwen [00:23:57] When we saw the Roe v Wade being overturned, it’s just really hard to feel, as a woman, like you have no control over your own body and that just feels fundamentally wrong.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:24:08] How are you feeling? You can’t vote yet. What was going through your head yesterday?
Joy [00:24:13] I thought it was really messed up that the government can choose for us and we can’t decide anything.
Nora [00:24:19] I was just really surprised. I thought like after 50 years I didn’t think we could go back that far. Like my mom told me on the phone last night, “Remember to set your clocks back 50 years.” I was just really heartbroken and surprised that like a bunch of people just got their choices removed from them. And they couldn’t do anything about it. But now we can do something about it and we’re doing something about it. And if, like, women’s rights get taken away, then next, it’s all the other movements we’ve made, all the other progress we’ve had. Like they had a bunch of stuff in the works about, like taking away gay marriage, and I just wanted to have my voice heard.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:24:52] If you could say something directly to the Supreme Court, to our lawmakers that are in charge right now, that are making these decisions for your future, what would you say?
Nora [00:25:02] I mean, I have so much to say to them. I think I’d probably start with like, “Do you vote for the people? Do you actually represent the people or do you just represent your own ideas?”
Carrie (52) [00:25:13] Carrie, I’m 52 and these are my girls. I was panicked because my daughter is going down to Missouri for college and I’m afraid — what if something happened to her? I’ve taken… I’ve made sure she’s taking care of her side, but if somebody attacked her, would she be put in jail? I don’t know. I’m worried about my girls not having choices. I’ll do whatever I can to protect my babies.
Meghan [00:25:40] I’m Meghan. I’m 18. I’m here today to protest the overturning of Roe v Wade. Fear, embarrassment. I was just angry. I texted my mom, and I was like, “I don’t know what’s going on.” And my mom and I just had this big, long heart-to-heart.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:25:57] Can I ask you one more question?
Meghan [00:25:58] Yes, absolutely.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:25:59] If you could say something to the Supreme Court or the lawmakers right now that are deciding your future, what would you say to them?
Meghan [00:26:04] What makes you think you have the right to choose what we do with our bodies? You won’t have to go through what we’re going through. Why do you get to decide how we go through it?
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:26:17] What would you say to them?
Avery [00:26:20] Fuck off. There’s no other word. You’re coming for our contraceptives, for gay marriage, for our rights to our own bodies like — it’s insane. And guns have more rights than we do? It’s just…how? How did we get here? Yeah, I’m Avery. I’m 18. Mine says, “In memory of all the women who have died from illegal abortions.” I’m just furious that we have to protest this anymore. My bodily autonomy should not be up for debate. And safe and legal abortion should be a right for all women. It’s truly sickening, and not just for me, but for the millions of women who can’t afford to travel and who can’t afford to take time off of work and get childcare for their already-born kids? And so it’s just frustrating that we have a whole new set of boundaries and problems to solve. And it’s really frustrating to be here.
11-year-old [00:27:06] I’m 11.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:27:07] Wow, are you here with your family, or are you here by yourself?
11-year-old [00:27:10] I’m here with my mom because abortion is health care. And if we don’t do this, I’m literally moving to Canada.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:27:18] If you can say something to the Supreme Court or the lawmakers right now that are basically deciding your future and what you can do with your body, what would you say?
11-year-old [00:27:29] I hope they die.
Sarah (11-yr-old’s Mom) [00:27:30] Oh, you can’t say that on a podcast.
11-year-old [00:27:33] Okay, um…
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:27:34] Well, that’s your anger and I mean, and I understand.
11-year-old [00:27:37] Then let me think of something.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:27:39] Sure. Why don’t I ask your mom a couple questions? Is that ok? And then I’ll ask you again.
Sarah (11-yr-old’s Mom) [00:27:41] I’m Sarah. I’m 43. My sign says, “No. Fuck, no.” Having a baby in America right now is really difficult. There are a lot of things that make it almost impossible from no health care to no daycare, to no medical care, to no support, to rising prices, and to force women to carry the burden of that alone is to keep some women in a position, in a cage of poverty. No resources.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:28:12] What were you thinking yesterday when the decision came down?
Sarah (11-yr-old’s Mom) [00:28:14] It felt like we were going back in time. It felt really dark — and not for me, and I really need to make that clear. You know, my children and I, my daughters, my three daughters will probably never be in a position where we won’t be able to navigate the system for abortion and for the health care that we need. If we need to fly somewhere, we’ll fly somewhere. But for every person like me or my daughters, there’s, you know, tens of thousands of women who can’t. And they deserve the right to decide their future.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:28:48] If you could say something to the Supreme Court today, what would you say?
11-year-old [00:28:50] I’d say that they can’t control us and our bodies and what we do with our life because they don’t have the choice to do that.
Kari [00:28:57] I’m Kari, and I’m 52. I brought my 13-year-old daughter and she met her friend, her 13-year-old friend. On a personal level for me, this won’t affect me that much, but for them, it absolutely will. And it’s stomach-churning to think that they will grow up with fewer rights, less bodily autonomy. It’s even more fundamental than rights, it’s the bodily autonomy. We’ve heard so much of that about wearing masks. And, “I don’t want to wear a mask for a couple of hours out in public.” And to think that they might be in a situation due to circumstance, environment, economy, where they might be forced to carry a child for nine months and then have it their whole lives is just stomach churning.
Audrey [00:29:51] My name is Audrey, and I’m 13. I would say you should make abortion legal because if you’re not a woman, then you don’t have a say. And this affects every woman in the U.S..
Pearl [00:30:07] Okay, I’m Pearl and I’m 13. So my mom told me about it, and I thought that it was good to speak up. It doesn’t matter what you think about abortions, but it shouldn’t be a law because it makes it unsafe for people who don’t want to have a baby. Like you should have the choice to do what you want.
Elizabeth [00:30:28] My name is Elizabeth. I’m 54. I have pictures of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, former Supreme Court justice, and it says, “I dissent.” And then on the other side, it says, “Vote — your life depends on it.” I’m here because I’m feeling devastated by this ruling and the direction that our nation is heading in so many ways. We’ve got serious, life-threatening problems like climate change and gun violence. And now we live in a country where gun owners have more rights than women or people with uteruses. And it’s appalling and we have to do something.
Carrie (66) [00:31:04] Carrie and I’m 66. It says, “Reproductive justice,” which is what’s missing in this country. We’re all out here rallying to support the idea of reproductive justice. But the people who are really going to be impacted by it are not here. There’s just no attention being paid. This is from 1973. It says, “Keep abortion safe and legal.” It’s a button I’m wearing. Been doing this too long. Now we’re pitting people against each other in an attempt to, you know, out people who are trying to take care of their own lives, their own responsibilities. It’s between a woman and her own conscience. And that’s the bottom line.
Dorothy [00:31:51] My name’s Dorothy. I’m 65. You know, it feels like the U.S. is going to the dark side. Even when you knew it was coming, it’s just so painful. And I’m, you know, thinking about which laws I need to break to help people get abortions. At least Gretchen Whitmer is trying hard to get it codified in Michigan.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:32:12] Yes.
Dorothy’s friend [00:32:13] We’ve got that 1931 law that’s kind of sitting over our heads.
Dorothy [00:32:19] Have you come from that direction? How much of a crowd?
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:32:23] It’s incredible. It’s grown. How many people would you say are here right now?
Dorothy [00:32:25] I can’t tell because I can’t quite see that far. Is it hundreds? Awesome. Great. Great.
Lindsay [00:32:32] My name is Lindsay. I’m 39. Oh, my sign says, “Codify Roe and abort the GOP.” I’m a health teacher, and I have a daughter. So it’s that we have to educate to win. If we stop educating and we stop talking about it, then there’s no one left to do the work when we’re gone. And unfortunately, we have a lot of work to do for a really long time, and we have to fight like hell to keep the progress we’ve gotten. You can see what happens when we get comfortable and look away.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:33:08] What should people be doing right now?
Lindsay [00:33:09] Not voting for old white men, period, to be in charge of making any laws for the country. Their time is done. They need to step aside. We need to empower, support, protect black women and get them into places of power, positions of power. That’s reparations.
Annalise [00:33:29] I’m Annalise and I’m 30.
Mary [00:33:31] I’m Mary and I’m 62. I’m her mom.
Annalise [00:33:34] My sign says, “Guns have more rights than my body.” And the other side says, “Banning abortion just means no safe abortion. That’s not pro-life.”.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:33:44] Why are you guys here today?
Annalise [00:33:46] How could you not be?
Mary [00:33:50] Yeah, we’re here because women have the right to choose what happens to their bodies. Nobody likes to make those hard decisions, but we have the right to make them.
Annalise [00:34:02] And when it comes down to it, we’re talking about care for humans that are alive and on this planet. And if we can’t care for them, if they’re getting shot down in schools, why would we bring more into this world if we could have that choice? I just couldn’t believe that we’ve gotten to this point. It’s 2022. How have we gone so far backwards in time?
Mary [00:34:22] To me, it’s like the white male power system is wanting to repress everyone, and the people who especially suffer are poor, women of color. And that… that’s really hard because they don’t have as much a voice as many of the rest of us do.
Woman shouting into megaphone [00:34:45] Abort the court. Abort the court. Abort the court.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:34:51] Hi, sorry, excuse me — I’m a producer on Michael Moore’s podcast. I was just wondering, I’m recording some voices from the protest today. Could I just ask you a couple of questions? Can you tell me what you were just shouting into the megaphone?
Woman shouting into megaphone [00:35:02] Abort the court!
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:35:03] And why were you shouting that?
Megaphone Woman [00:35:05] Because I don’t think the Supreme Court has the right to tell me what I can do with my body. It’s my body. Do we want to tell men what they can do with their body? I would love to tell men what they can do with their body. And I’ve written to my legislators and it goes nowhere. So we’re going to have to vote them out. And that’s another thing that I’ve been shouting is, “Vote them out.” I’m very pleased to see the turnout. When we first arrived, there were only like 20 people here and I was nervous, but I’m glad to see the turnout.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:35:33] Yeah. How many would you guess are here right now?
Megaphone Woman [00:35:35] I can’t see down there, so I have no idea.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:35:37] So many that we can’t even see the end.
Megaphone Woman [00:35:39] Yeah, this gentleman showed up with a megaphone, so he brought it over to me, and I just started shouting into it, so…
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:35:45] And why are you here right now? What made you come with your megaphone?
Man with megaphone [00:35:48] Support my wife. Support my sister. Support my mom. Support everyone here.
Woman shouting into megaphone [00:35:54] Vote them out!
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:35:57] Can I ask you a couple questions? Are you interested?
Veteran [00:35:59] I want to say, yes, but I will cry.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:36:04] That’s okay.
Veteran [00:36:05] I’m here because people don’t know what abortion is, and they have no right to tell people how to live their lives. I’ve had multiple miscarriages and had to have treatments to save my life that are now illegal. So fuck you. I can’t believe I fought for this country, and this is the way I’m being treated.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:36:28] You did?
Veteran [00:36:28] Yes.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:36:28] Can you tell me about that?
Veteran [00:36:33] I’m a veteran. And the idea that I no longer have the same rights as other people is bullshit. You can’t ask somebody to sacrifice their life and then tell them their life isn’t worth as much as anyone else’s.
Debbie [00:36:53] My name is Debbie and I’m 66 years old. My sign says, “You don’t have the right to my choices.”
Debbie’s friend [00:37:00] Mine says, “What’s next? My right to vote?” This is just the beginning. Yeah. It’s the first time that the Supreme Court has actually taken away a right. And this is just the first one.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:37:14] What were you guys thinking yesterday?
Debbie [00:37:15] We’re going backwards. We’re going backwards.
Debbie’s friend [00:37:21] Anger. Just anger. Both my sons. One’s 29 and the other one’s 32. Both of them called me and said, “Mom, how are you doing?”
Debbie [00:37:30] Same with my daughters. They’re also 27 and 31. And, you know, this is not progress for them. This is not progress.
Avery [00:37:43] Remember when you asked me a question on what it meant for girls my age to see this?
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:37:48] Yeah!
Avery [00:37:48] I just wanted to elaborate that it’s just so heartbreaking that my grandma was protesting for this and the fact that I’m still having to be here to prove that I’m a human being and I deserve bodily autonomy is just heartbreaking. All the people that will be affected by this — working moms, dads who can’t afford to pay child support, the already overrun foster system that can’t afford forced birth, and hundreds of thousands of kids to be forced into it. And it’s so hypocritical because if they really cared about pro-life and the children, it would be more emphasis on health care, more emphasis on getting kids out of foster care, free education and not school shootings. To have to be here and to have to fight for my rights — I thought that we were past this point and then to read the memo when Justice Thomas was like, based on this logic that we can look at everything that has to do with the rights to marry someone and to have contraceptives, which is so frustrating because if you don’t want abortions, maybe increase contraceptives. I want to be a lawyer. And so the Supreme Court was one of my dreams growing up. And it’s so frustrating to see this become an embarrassment.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:38:45] If I remember correctly you’re 18, right?
Avery [00:38:45] Yeah.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:38:47] So does this change the course or does it make you want to work harder to be a lawyer?
Avery [00:38:53] Makes me want to work so much harder because woman who can’t afford to take time off, women who can’t afford child support, or to pay to go get an abortion and travel the miles that’s required now — it’s so frustrating. They shouldn’t have to do that. It’s health care and women who have, like, septic uteruses or ectopic pregnancies, and they will die without an abortion. It’s insane. It’s not up for debate. It’s not controversy. It’s health care. And so it makes me want to fight that much harder. It’s ridiculous that we have to think about this stuff.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:39:21] Well, I hope that you end up on the Supreme Court then because I think we need more people like you. Thank you so much, Avery. I appreciate it. Thanks for stopping me.
Lauren [00:39:30] I’m Lauren, and I’m 18. It says, “Against abortion? Ignore them like you ignore school shootings.” I am very passionate about gun control. And I just think that it’s so messed up that people think a fetus is more important than children actually in school.
13-year-old [00:39:47] I’m 13 and I’m protesting my rights. I don’t think that should be happening.
Lauren [00:39:51] It makes me feel so angry. I found out about it like right before I went into work. And then I got to work and I just started crying and I went to my friends who work at the store right next to me and they’re like, “Yeah, we’ve also been crying all morning.” Like, they took me behind the counter and they’re like, “Our boss is in the back crying right now.” It’s just — it’s so horrible. I would say keep your religious ideals off of our body.
13-year-old [00:40:14] So would I.
Daria [00:40:16] I’m Daria. I’m 49. My sign says ,”Fallopians 5:14,” and it says, “He who hath not a uterus should shut the fucketh up.” I’m here today because my whole life I’ve realized that I’ve felt that this is a very important issue. When I was in high school in 1989, I wrote my senior research paper on why abortion needed to remain legal, never once imagining that this is the route things were going to take. And so I’m frustrated and I’m enraged. And I am here, hopefully as an ally, because I realize that not having access to reproductive health and abortion is detrimental to people in our most marginalized communities. And we all need to be speaking up for that. It is a human right to be able to control your own body, and no politician or Supreme Court justices should be taking that away from us. I would advocate for people right now to get in the streets and march and then start to donate to organizations that support reproductive justice, particularly for those in marginalized communities. And you can just Google that and find lots and lots of lists of non-profits. And then I would long-term really want us to get to the polls in November. It’s really important that we’re registered to vote, that we’re registering others to vote, and that we’re supporting candidates who support the rights of all.
Ace [00:41:38] My sign says, “424,000 kids already in foster care.” Any given day, that’s how many kids are already in foster care. My name is Ace and I’m currently 23. Instead of putting kids in a system, you can just not have the child if you can’t support the child. And nobody cares about the child after they’re born, and so the child just goes into foster care adding to the number. And that’s just ridiculous, especially as someone who cannot have children, who does not want children. I should have access to an abortion. My sister, who cannot have children, who had one, should still have access to an abortion if she chooses to. It’s ridiculous. It drives me insane. Give us back our land and our bodies. I was at work and it just… I wanted to cry, honestly, because… Because I know it starts with abortions, then it goes to birth control, general healthcare, the rights of LGBTQ+ people. And as a trans person myself, as well as someone who needs birth control, it’s going to hit me like a fucking brick wall when it comes. And I’m not prepared for that at all. I’m hoping people will at least realize, “Hey, the problem here is that they’re controlling people’s bodies.” And it’s not just going to be women’s bodies. It’s going to be everyone’s bodies at some point. And I just hope that we could all come to the conclusion of there is a deep problem in this country. We need to work together to fix it. Whether that be voting, I don’t want to say rioting, but anything to get our voices heard and to get our demands through is what needs to happen. And whether it has to be violence — I sure hope not — but if it has to be, then so be it.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:43:29] Where is that line?
Ace [00:43:30] Where is the line? We’re about to find out unfortunately.
Summer [00:43:34] It says, “Give me more rights than a clump of cells.” I was just upset and angry because if I recall correctly, the wording showed, in the documents that they put through, it basically is treating children like — well, like the adoption agency as an industry. And that’s just not right. I’m not some kind of brood mother. I’m not just an oven to make children for people to exploit in like the foster care and adoption industries. My name is Summer and I am 29 in August.
Dawn [00:44:18] Dawn, 72. I guess I’ve been fighting for women’s rights all my life and it was a relief when Roe v Wade passed and women had the right to choose for their own body. And we’re going to keep fighting until that’s recognized again, in spite of the obnoxious Supreme Court, which is a do-nothing court.
Peter [00:44:38] Peter and I’m 75. My sign says, “Defend abortion rights,” which is the cutting edge issue. Well, I was young when Roe versus Wade came through, and it made a huge difference in the lives of people I knew. And having it go the other way is not something that I can tolerate.
Rae [00:44:57] My name is Rae. I’m 18 years old. I turned 18, 14 days ago, and my sign says, “You’re pro-life until they are born trans, poor, black, gay, brown or disabled.” I’m here today because right now the Supreme Court views me as less than an assault rifle considering an assault rifle has more rights than my body at this moment. I am excited to be able to vote, but I’m not looking forward to the results of the elections and what I’m voting for because… I know my vote counts, that’s why I’m going to vote, but not everyone wants to vote for human rights. And it’s just scary that this is where we’re at in the year of 2022. I want to know why they think they get to choose how I’m supposed to live, why they think they get to control my life when I barely get to control it myself.
Jules [00:45:59] I’m Jules. I’m 16.
Eve [00:46:01] I’m Eve. I’m 16.
Jules [00:46:03] My sign says, “Keep your laws off our bodies.”
Eve [00:46:06] Mine says, “Pro-life would be regulating guns, not my body.” I really don’t want to lose my rights as a woman. And I want to keep rights safe for all women everywhere.
Jules [00:46:18] As a queer person of color with a uterus, Roe v Wade being overturned affects a lot more than just my right to abortion.
Eve [00:46:28] I feel that coming out here and doing this definitely does give me power. And I do have a voice and it’s being heard in spaces like these. It is frustrating that I’m not of voting age and that I don’t get a say in things like that. But being here gives me a voice, and makes me feel good.
Jules [00:46:53] Yeah, basically the same thing. Being out here, it does… It’s a little empowering, but also the fact that I can’t really change anything because I’m not of voting age is very frustrating and it does definitely hurt a lot. Excuse my language, but they should all go fuck themselves.
Eve [00:47:11] Yeah. You’re white men. It’s not your body. You don’t experience this. Excuse my language, pardon my French, go fuck yourself.
Tara [00:47:24] Tara. I’m 42.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:47:25] And can you tell me what’s on your sign?
Tara [00:47:27] It says, “Sovereignty includes my body.”.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:47:30] Can you talk to me about why you’re here, why you made that sign?
Tara [00:47:33] As a native Anishinaabe woman who is indigenous to this area, we advocate for our women’s rights all the time. Historically, it is traditional. We have given our women medicines to either foster a pregnancy or to stop one. And we have always had that sovereignty. I’m here to advocate for such and hopefully provide those things for my community if the larger world does not provide.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:48:04] What were you thinking yesterday when the decision came down? Like what was going through your head?
Tara [00:48:09] I got a text from a friend of mine that it happened, that the decision came through. I had to pull my car over and I cried with my son. My 21-year-old son, we cried in the car about the fact that colonial laws think that they can govern bodies that obviously do not belong to them and never have.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:48:32] What would you advocate people do right now?
Tara [00:48:35] Make your voice be heard. The younger generation — tell us what you need. Tell us what you want. We are listening. We are listening. Please. I will advocate and I will push. I’m here with my kid and her friend. Show me the way and I will help you. Yes. I can’t do this anymore, but there are women that need to be taken care of in my community that I will absolutely advocate for.
Maddie (28) [00:49:04] My name’s Maddie and I’m 28. You know, I personally know a lot of people who have been affected. I lived in Texas for a few years and lived in Louisiana for a few years. And it’s just heartbreaking, honestly, to see what’s happening in the country. Beyond the heartbreak is just pure outrage, especially when you see all the people here today and all the people driving by with horns and, you know, feeling the same way that we’re feeling and the government that we’ve, you know, put into power but are being basically held hostage by at this point are just doing exactly the opposite of what we the people, want them to do and want to see the direction of the country go. You know, times change and it’s unfortunate that — I read the whole decision, 230-some pages and it’s just line after line after line is quoting the 1900s, the 1800s it was against the law then and like, sure, maybe, but times have changed, and what we know has changed in medical, you know, research has changed. And it’s unfortunate to see, you know, the Supreme Court putting the states in power when the states didn’t go to medical school and they shouldn’t have control over our bodies.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:50:18] What should people be doing right now?
Maddie (28) [00:50:20] Anything they can, donating, standing out here. I mean, we’re just standing on the side of the street. We made signs on the back of Hello Fresh boxes this morning because — just to show that we don’t believe what is happening and it’s wrong and we need to stand up for the people who can’t stand up for themselves.
Dani [00:50:38] Dani and I’m 32. It says, “Abortion is health care,” because abortion is health care. And, you know, I’m 32. I unfortunately cannot have children, doesn’t impact me personally, but I would like to be able to make that choice one way or the other. And for all of us who are in danger of ectopic pregnancies or, you know, we’re going to be seeing women being considered, they’re going to be prosecuted, investigated for murder, for spontaneous abortions, which is just what they call miscarriages. So we would like to stop that, if at all possible.
Judy [00:51:10] My name is Judy and I’m 72. And sign says, “I dissent,” signed “Ruth Bader Ginsburg.” She would have dissented. And I’m kind of protesting for the rights for my granddaughter.
Mary (67) [00:51:25] I am Mary. I am 67 years old. I have a pink hanger with a black hanger going across it to symbolize “no, not going back to the days when women had to resort to unsafe methods.” This has been 50 years now. 50 years ago I was doing this. I never thought I’d be doing this again 50 years later.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:51:45] Yeah. How did it feel yesterday when you saw it in black and white from the headlines?
Mary (67) [00:51:50] Well, you know, even though we kind of knew it was coming, it was still just a shock. It was still the shock that it actually did happen and that illegitimately imposed justices, mostly men, could make this decision for women. It is just sickening, sickening, sickening.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:52:11] And what would you tell people that they should be doing right now?
Mary (67) [00:52:14] Vote at the local and state level. I know Gretchen Whitmer is doing all she can do to make sure that abortions stay safe and legal in Michigan. And that’s pretty much what we got to do right now. It’s all about public policy.
Serenity [00:52:28] My name is Serenity and I’m 19.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:52:31] Can I have you read the sign?
Serenity [00:52:32] “If I wanted the government in my womb, I’d fuck a Senator. If abortion is murder, then a blowjob is cannibalism.” And that is true.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:52:42] So why are you guys here today?
Serenity [00:52:43] Because we went so far just to get our rights as women, as people, a female at birth, and now they’re taking that away suddenly and I don’t think the majority of the country wants that. I think that a few people high up in the government were like, “I’m going to choose for you.” And it’s really just unfair. And the majority of them were men. It’s really distressing.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:53:09] Yeah they did a poll and 70% of people want abortion to be legal.
Serenity [00:53:09] Exactly. It’s very distressing, and I want to fight for it. I don’t want to stand by while it all goes back to how it was long before. And now that they’re questioning all these other rights because of it, it’s I — I’m losing my mind a little. Yeah, it’s hard to live in this world when they try to do these things.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:53:30] I would imagine it’s just hard being where you can’t vote yet, or there’s not an election yet. Yet all these decisions are being made about what you can do.
Serenity [00:53:39] I know —it’s like they’re trying to be my parents or like some God. It’s like they’re acting like they are the all-knowing God. It’s not really a democracy anymore. They don’t let us decide. They don’t care about what we think. And it’s just unfair. I was born into this country, and so I should get a choice.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:53:58] If you could say something to the Supreme Court right now or any of the lawmakers that are passing these laws, what would you say?
Serenity [00:54:06] I would give them a big middle finger. I’m not very good with my words in all these situations, but I wouldn’t be very kind. I’m done being kind to our government. They aren’t nice to us, I won’t be nice back anymore.
Teagan [00:54:21] I’m Teagan. I am 19. Yesterday was really rough hearing about it like my work. I found out at my work and my boss and I and a couple of our other coworkers just kind of started breaking down. And so we felt like we had to do something and we heard about the protest, so we decided to close early, all of us and ran straight here as soon as we finished. Getting out and voting for whatever is coming up, voting to get our rights back hopefully, and just in getting out, protesting, spreading the word, even if it’s as simple as like an Instagram post or something. Just like putting your voice out there is what matters the most right now. And it’s what we really need right now to know that we’re not like, alone in this fight. It’d be nice to have everything back to how it was orignially.
Ella (14) [00:55:04] My name is Ella and I’m 14 years old. I’m here with my mom.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:55:09] Oh, awesome.
Ella (14) [00:55:09] It says, “Abortion will never end, only safe abortions will.”.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:55:13] And what made you make that sign and come out here today?
Ella (14) [00:55:16] Just that I want to be able to control my own body. And everyone should be able to choose what they want to do with their own bodies and that everyone should just have their own rights really.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:55:28] And does it make you feel empowered to come out and do something?
Ella (14) [00:55:32] Yeah, I’m glad I can. I can’t vote, so this is the one thing that I can do in my control. So I just love coming out here. This is the first protest I’ve done. So I just. I’m having a great time so far.
Dawn (49) [00:55:44] My name is Dawn and I’m 49. The fact that we’ve had almost 50 years of the ability to choose and make our own decisions, what’s based on what’s best for us in our whatever situation. And now we’re going backwards, like erased everything, erased all the progress we’ve made in the last 49 years. It’s unbelievable. I feel like I’ve stepped back in the Stone Ages.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:56:08] What do you think people should be doing right now?
Dawn (49) [00:56:11] Getting out, voicing their opinions, signing petitions, voting, anything and everything. It all helps. It’s unfortunate we’re back to doing this, but we need to do what we got to do.
Robin [00:56:28] “Democracy, not theocracy.”.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:56:29] And what made you make that sign?
Robin [00:56:31] I think that it’s concerning when you have a small minority of people, the religious radicalists, making decisions for our country. There’s a majority of us that support women’s rights to abortions and health care. And so I think we ought to stand up and take notice. I’m just really angry. I just I feel like I can’t breathe because I’m just so upset. I can’t believe that it’s the year 2022 and we are back here again and it’s just, it’s wrong. My name is Robin and I am 63 years old.
Candi [00:57:09] I’m Candi. I’m 37. It says, “My body, my choice.” I’m a grown woman. I believe that I should have a say over what happens to my body, over what happens to my family. And I think that abortion is health care in many circumstances. Unfortunately, abortion is necessary to save a woman’s life and women are worth being saved.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:57:30] Okay, the protest is starting to die down now. A lot of people have left, but there’s still — there’s still a strong core of like probably 60 people, maybe, that are here. Let’s see if there’s anybody that I missed.
15-year-old [00:57:51] I’m 15.
16-year-old [00:57:53] I’m 16.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:57:54] And can you read me what’s on your sign?
15-year-old [00:57:56] So my sign is, “You’re not saving babies, you’re killing women.”.
16-year-old [00:58:00] Mine says, “Why make me have a kid you can’t ensure is alive by recess?”
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:58:04] And what made you guys come out and make these signs today?
15-year-old [00:58:08] If you get sexually assaulted or raped by someone, you don’t want to have that baby because that’s going to be there, and it’s just hard on you, especially if you’re young. So I feel that we should have a choice and it shouldn’t be decided by government.
16-year-old [00:58:20] Along the same lines, I don’t like children bearing children. It just — it seems very dangerous to me and I want to have my rights not taken away by a bunch of old white men in this building that they don’t really come out of ever. So.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:58:33] And you’re not of voting age yet.
16-year-old [00:58:34] That’s right.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [00:58:34] But these laws are being made that are going to affect you and what you guys can do with your own bodies. If you could say something to the Supreme Court right now or these lawmakers that are making, passing these laws, what would you guys say?
15-year-old [00:58:46] I would ask them how — a lot of them are men, but I would ask them how they would feel if they were forced to have a vasectomy or things like that because I feel that they’re not seeing the bigger point of view. Like they’re saving babies, but right now, our population is already so overcrowded and it’s only stopping safe abortions. People are still going to do unsafe things and it’s going to hurt more people.
16-year-old [00:59:11] I would say to reconsider for your daughters, for your wife, for your grandkids, for everyone around you that it doesn’t hurt you personally like you think it would be. Usually a lot of abortions that happen, they aren’t even not a fetus yet. So the people that it’s hurting is way older, way more, like pay for the kids that are being born in the foster care, and like for Planned Parenthood and WIC. Make sure that they can actually live because you’re not pro-life you’re just pro birth.
Kristen [00:59:37] My name is Kristen and I’m 47. My sign says, “Vasectomies prevent abortions.” I made the sign because I feel like maybe men need to realize that, you know, the government at this point is regulating a woman’s body and mandating what I can and cannot do and when I cannot do it. So my thought is not that making vasectomies mandatory is necessarily the correct thing, it’s more to invoke a thought like, if you’re going to regulate my body, then maybe you need to think about how you’d feel if it was regulating your body. Say, every male once they go through puberty, their physician is required to give them a vasectomy, and then you only get it reversed when you’re married. That’s kind of how it feels to me that they’re doing. So my sign is to provoke thought, make you think and realize your repercussions of what you’re making laws for.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [01:00:20] We all knew was coming because it was leaked, but did you feel something different seeing it actually happen?
Kristen [01:00:24] I did. Physically, it made me nauseous. And it just — it doesn’t seem right that after 50 years we’re somehow saying that these laws are wrong. You can’t just flip-flop all the time. And I’m actually not necessarily pro-abortion. I’m actually from a very Christian background. And I am pro birth. I am pro WIC. I am pro giving formula and supporting foster care and supporting adoption. But my belief is not everybody’s belief. And I don’t feel it’s my choice with my religion to tell you what you can do with your body and what’s your religion. That’s not American to me. I believe this country was founded on freedom of religion, and you’re mixing religion and government. And it’s just not right. It’s not right. It’s not my choice what my daughter decides to do with her body when she’s 18.
Gina [01:01:17] My name is Gina and I’m 57.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [01:01:20] I noticed your shirt, the front and the back. What does your shirt say?
Gina [01:01:22] It says, “Demand Justice” on the front, which is a judicial activist group. It says, “Expand the court,” on the back. I was in DC this week working with them on court expansion. I actually had a meeting with Debbie Stabenow’s staff and ran into Gary Peters. We’re trying to get people to cosign on court expansion. Well the the Judiciary Act actually has several parts. There’s court expansion, there’s accountability, entertaining term limits for the Supreme Court. So it’s all good stuff. I actually thought I would be in D.C. when the decision came down, but the cowards waited until Friday so they could scoot out of town. My sign says, “Force birth is enslavement.” I came down here today because I am absolutely outraged. I cannot believe that six retro grades on the court are making decisions for millions and millions and millions of women based on English philosophers from the 16th century, in the 17th century. I just, you know, I’ve been upset since 45 was elected. I knew this day was coming. I have been afraid of Roe being overturned for well over ten years with the assault of the GOP and the Christian right has put upon the political system. So, you know, I was afraid to not show up.
Rumble producer, Angela Vargos [01:03:11] Thank you so much for talking to me. Can I get a picture of your sign? Thank you.
Michael Moore [01:03:17] Well, there you go. My thanks to my producer and editor Angela Vargos for conducting those interviews in the park yesterday. Please share this with others. Let them hear these voices. I’m so proud to live among this group of people. So many profound words were spoken just now. And like I said at the beginning, sad and angry, as we are right now, this gave me some hope. Let’s keep moving forward. I’ll be presenting more things this week, both on my podcast and my Substack. And I’d love to hear from you and anything you have to say. You can do that by going to the link on my podcast site here to leave me a one minute voicemail and I may use it on an upcoming episode. So let’s all hang in there. Let’s band together. We are the majority. We outnumber them by millions. This is no time to be feeling like we’ve been defeated. This Supreme Court, this ruling, this will not stand. This will not stand. They’ve made a huge mistake. And we are going to toss as many Republicans out of office this November as we can. There’s going to be a mass, mass movement now. It already has happened within hours of their edict. So everybody just hang in there. We’ve got a lot of work to do. Thanks, Angela. Thanks, Jeff. Thanks, everybody else who helps me with this podcast. This is Michael Moore. Onward.