#5SmartReads - June 9, 2022

Hitha on how laws are enforced, nurturing sensitivity in boys, and the Queen's Platinum Jubilee

How states enforce anti-abortion laws (Axios)

The enforcement of laws is something that’s been on my mind lately, both with yesterday’s article on how current red flag laws are enforced and how states are enforcing or plan to enforce anti-abortion trigger laws when the opinion on Dobbs is formally issued.

It certainly differs state-by-state and their own laws, but there are significant penalties to abortion providers (imprisonment, large fines, risk of losing their medical license) or private citizens reporting and suing anyone who sought, administered, or aided in getting an abortion after the embryo’s cardiac activity is detected.

The district attorneys are the local leaders responsible for legal enforcement of these laws - and they are elected, not appointed. Some DAs have spoken out and said they won’t enforce anti-abortion when Roe is overturned, but their bravery to decline prosecuting these cases puts them at risk of losing re-election and being replaced by someone who will.

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Why Sensitivity Is a Strength in Boys (Greater Good)

“Mommy, I love these books about girls being strong and ambitious and leaders. But where are the books about boys being kind and having lots of feelings?”

Rho left me speechless when he asked this question, and he’s right. There are plenty of books about animals who display sensitivity and a wide range of emotions, but few that are centered around boys (especially in early chapter books or graphic novels, which is what he’s into reading at the moment).

I’m sure the far-right will view this as a demasculinization of America, but supporting sensitivity and how to process emotions in our boys is a largely unspoken part of *gesticulates widely* all of this that’s happening.

That’s a much bigger issue. But if you have sons or nephews in your life, this is an extremely helpful read in how to nurture their sensitivity and why it’s important.

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The EU will soon require all cellphones to have the same type of charging port (NPR)

1 port to rule them all…
(okay, okay, I’ve gotten it out of my system now).

The EU’s standardization around the USB-C port (and a relatively short timeline to transition to it - by 2024 for most electronics, 2026 for laptops) is consequential.

For one, we can stop asking for a specific charger or carrying a bazillion cords whenever we travel. It also stands to help reduce e-waste, which is the least likely to be recycled and can leach toxic materials in our soil and water when it ends up in a landfill.

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The Best Moments of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee (So Many Thoughts)

My friend Elizabeth traveled to London for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, and her coverage and social shares of the events is unparalleled.

She picks up on so many small details that are significant and meaningful, both in honoring England’s longest reigning monarch and the future of said monarchy. And while I have plenty to say on the long-lasting impact of the British Empire in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean, I can also acknowledge that it’s incredible to witness such a momentous moment in history. Both things can be true at the same time.

If you’ve ever wondered what a celebration like the Jubilee is like, Elizabeth takes you behind the scenes and makes you feel like you’re there.

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‘Don’t Say Gay’ bills aren’t new. They’ve just been revived. (The 19th*)

Talk about history repeating - and doubling down on bills that are just wrong, unnecessary, and will join the graveyard of “used to be legal but has no place in our society” bills.

That’s another topic. But for now, let’s talk about the history of these bills, many of which were passed in the 1980’s when discrimination and ostracizing of the gay community was commonplace (and deeply wrong).

“Many of those were written into sex ed codes. For example, Louisiana still has a law on the books that states, “No sex education course offered in the public schools of the state shall utilize any sexually explicit materials depicting male or female homosexual activity.”

So what makes the original laws different than the new wave of them?

“Many of these laws are written intentionally vaguely so that they can be applied even more broadly than the explicit letter of the law might suggest,” Casey said of the laws written up until 2001.

While today’s laws are less broad, they are more punitive in terms of consequences if violated. Another key difference is the older laws were passed more quietly, whereas these new bills are a rallying cry for those passing them & signing them into law, and those who oppose them.