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    Getting crafty

    Houston seamstress sells Rick Perry voodoo dolls to protest new Texas abortion law

    Marika Rafte
    Jul 18, 2013 | 5:12 pm

    A Houston seamstress has stitched up a plan to protest the new abortion law and she is getting crafty. Michelle Sinched has started a line of Rick Perry “Gov. Goodhair” voodoo dolls. The proceeds from the doll sales go to support Planned Parenthood.

    In an email interview with CultureMap, Sinched said the handmade dolls are selling so fast that she started a waiting list because she can't keep up with the heavy demand. "I really only expected to sell a half dozen or so to some friends and that would be the end of it, " she noted.

    Earlier this week, Sinched began offering the dolls up on her Facebook page, where she nicknamed herself “the stitch witch.” She now has a Facebook page called “The Witches Stitches” for the sale of the dolls and to promote it she posted:

    Facebook post from designer Michelle Sinched

    There are two types of dolls, one casually dressed in a shirt that says “I [coat hanger] Texas Women” and one dressed in a suit. The doll comes with a blank sign that can be personalized along with three handmade tampon pins for sticking in the doll. She is selling the business-themed Perry for $30, the casual Perry for $25 and the pair for $50.

    Each doll takes about an hour to make and the pins take about four-five minutes each to complete, according to Sinched. "Sewing and knitting have always been considered 'women's work' so it is fun to take a womanly job and throw it back at an annoyingly patriarchal group," she said.

    But her protest also has a serious side. "I want people to realize that the freedoms and rights our grandmothers fought so hard for are being stripped away and if we don't do something about it, what will happen next?" she said.

    On Thursday, Perry signed the bill that gives Texas some of the toughest restrictions on abortion in the country. The law bans abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy, requires abortion clinics to meet the same standards as hospital-style surgical centers and mandates that a doctor have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles from the facility where he or she performs abortions.

    Abortion rights advocates believe the law could force a majority of the state’s 42 abortion clinics to close and vowed to challenge the law's legality in court.

    "I don't care what side of the abortion debate someone is on, if you don't like abortions, don't have one,' said Sinched, who considers herself 'pro-choice' and 'pro-life.' "Stay out of other women's private lives, including their reproductive healthcare."

    The doll comes with three handmade tampon stick pins.

    Rick Perry voodoo dolls
      
    The Witch's Stitches Facebook
    The doll comes with three handmade tampon stick pins.
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    flag-waving news

    Texas drops on new list of most patriotic states in U.S.

    Amber Heckler
    Jun 19, 2025 | 3:30 pm
    American flag, Texas flag, patriotism
    Photo by Ray Shrewsberry on Unsplash
    Texas ranked a dismal No. 45 this year after previously ranking as the 36th most patriotic state in 2024.

    This may come as a surprise for many Texans, but the Lone Star State is far from being the most patriotic place in America, according to a new report.

    WalletHub's latest study ranking the "Most Patriotic States in America" for 2025 placed Texas near the bottom of the list as No. 45, marking a significant nine-place drop from its rank as the 36th most patriotic state in 2024.

    According to the findings, the three most patriotic states in America are Virginia (No. 1), Montana (No. 2), and Vermont (No. 3). Colorado (No. 4) and Oregon (No. 5) round out the top five most passionate, flag-waving states in 2025.

    Texas flopped toward the bottom mainly due to its civic engagement rank (No. 47), but it did perform fairly well in the military engagement category (No. 13).

    Texas has the third-highest average number of military enlistees, the report found, but it had the second-lowest percentage of adults who voted in the 2024 presidential election.

    WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said patriotism can't be defined by geographic region or by which states fly the most American flags. Rather, true patriotism can be found in states with high voter turnouts, high volunteer rates, and more.

    “The most patriotic states have a lot of residents who serve or have served in the armed forces, high voter turnouts during elections, and a high share of the population volunteering with national or local organizations," Lupo said.

    States like Virginia and Montana ranked at the top of the list due to their high voter turnout rates during the 2024 presidential election, plus high volunteer rates in local or national organizations. Virginia is also home to the third-highest population of active-duty military personnel per 100,000 civilians, and there are 27 military bases in the state.

    The report further acknowledges that many Americans may not be feeling very patriotic this year because of "societal issues" that span from "relentless high inflation" to tragedies like mass shootings.

    "Many people may find it hard to celebrate a country where countless people are struggling and frequent violence persists," the report's author wrote. "However, an expression of love for fellow citizens is patriotic in itself."

    Joining Texas among the least patriotic American states are Florida (No. 46), Alabama (No. 47), Louisiana (No. 48), New York (No. 49), and Arkansas (No. 50).

    The top 10 most patriotic states in America are:

    • No. 1 – Virginia
    • No. 2 – Montana
    • No. 3 – Vermont
    • No. 4 – Colorado
    • No. 5 – Oregon
    • No. 6 – Washington
    • No. 7 – North Dakota
    • No. 8 – Maryland
    • No. 9 – Minnesota
    • No. 10 – New Hampshire
    The report analyzed all 50 states across 13 "indicators of patriotism" based on military and civic engagement, including factors such as the rate of veterans living in each state for every 1,000 civilians; the share of adults who voted in the 2024 presidential election and the 2020 primary elections; the number of AmeriCorps volunteers per capita, and more.
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