The Neverending Abortion War: The Rude Pundit Is Seeking a Few Good Women Writers:
Starting Monday, the Rude Pundit is taking a week off from the rigors of bloggery. But rather than just go dark for five days, he wants to make an offer.

He would like to feature the writing of women in states whose governments have passed or are about to pass cruel anti-choice laws. So, going down a list from a recent Salon piece, he'd like to hear from women in Texas, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, Mississippi, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Kansas. If you've got another vicious state in mind, please toss it in. Looking at you, Louisiana.

Ideally, the writers would be either involved in the battle to save abortion rights, have used or relied on women's health clinics that provide abortion services (like Planned Parenthood Centers), or have seen the effects of the closing of these clinics. Have you protested in Austin? Seen what has happened now that Mississippi is down to one clinic? Then the Rude Pundit wants you to tell your story or give your point of view. This blog should take a break from mansplaining the issue.

Here's the deal: If you are interested, just contact the Rude Pundit through the magic of email. Tell him what state you're from, your connection to the issue (which might just be, "Um, I'm a woman living in North Dakota"), and, briefly, what you think you'd like to tell the legions of rude readers. Also, say what days next week are best for you to write.

Then, if you get the go-ahead, all you need to do is simple. Write a single blog post on the date assigned, from July 15-19. That's it. You can say anything you like in whatever way you like using whatever words you want, even those you're not supposed to say.

(The only rule is not to directly threaten anyone's life in a realistic way: There's a difference between the rhetorical "I'd like to see Rick Perry beaten out of town like a rabid cur" and the creepier "I'm heading to the statehouse with a machete.")

Oh, and if you have your own blog or website, feel free to promote it all that you want. And it'll join the roll on the side. If you've never written a blog post in your life, well, this is a damn fine place to start. Previous guest posters here have included Pam Spaulding, Lindsay Beyerstein, and Jill Filipovic.

If you're interested, email "rudepundit_at_yahoo(dot)com".