Just two weeks before my daughter is due to be born, a fertility clinic in Palm Springs, California, was bombed with a weapon of war—a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device, or VBIED. This kind of attack is more commonly seen in active warzones like Iraq and Afghanistan—not against reproductive care providers in the United States.

The bombing killed the attacker and injured four others. The FBI has deemed it a terrorist act. The suspect, Guy Edward Bartkus, reportedly left behind a manifesto and attempted to livestream the attack. Authorities believe he was motivated by anti-natalist ideology—the belief that reproduction itself is unethical and that no one should have children.

This act did not occur in a vacuum. It represents an escalation in a broader pattern of political violence against reproductive healthcare providers—an escalation being nurtured by the current presidential administration.

In January 2025, just four months before this bombing, President Donald Trump issued pardons for 23 individuals convicted under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE Act). This law, enacted in 1994, criminalizes the use of threats, physical obstruction, and violence to prevent people from obtaining or providing reproductive health services. That includes not only abortion, but also miscarriage management, contraception, and in-vitro fertilization (IVF).

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Among those pardoned was Lauren Handy, convicted for organizing a violent blockade of a D.C. clinic. When police searched her home, they found five fetal remains. Despite this, Trump and his allies—including Senator Josh Hawley—framed these individuals not as criminals, but as victims and heroes.

The pardons were issued the day before the March for Life rally, the largest anti-abortion demonstration in the United States. They served as an unmistakable political message: violence carried out in service of religious fundamentalism will not be punished. It will be rewarded.

In the months since, we’ve witnessed a surge of activity from far-right groups like Operation Save America, a rebranded version of Operation Rescue, known for its history of violent tactics. These groups are no longer operating on the fringes. They are successfully lobbying for legislation that defines abortion as homicide and extends personhood rights to fertilized eggs—policies that could effectively outlaw IVF and many forms of birth control.

NPR reporting confirms that these activists are working to pressure local officials using a doctrine rooted in Christian Reconstructionism. They cite The Doctrine of the Lesser Magistrates, a book that argues local elected officials should defy federal law when it conflicts with their interpretation of Christian scripture. This movement is not merely religious—it is political, and explicitly seeks to replace constitutional governance with a theocratic system in which reproductive medicine becomes a crime.

As a veteran who has spent years tracking extremism, I recognize these tactics. But now, they’re not just familiar—they’re aimed at my family. But this is no longer academic for me. It’s deeply personal.

My wife and I turned to IVF after genetic testing revealed a 25% chance that a child conceived naturally would suffer from a severe or fatal inherited disorder. IVF, along with pre-implantation genetic testing, allowed us to select a healthy embryo and give our daughter the best possible start to life.

Now, just weeks from meeting her, I’m faced with the reality that the same clinics and providers who helped us are being targeted by terrorists—and our president is offering clemency to those who would do them harm.

We also have healthy embryos frozen—at least one future child, we hope. But in today’s climate, they feel like vulnerable targets. They are subject not only to the biological odds of implantation, but also to the political volatility that makes it increasingly dangerous to access the care we need.

Financial privilege helped make IVF possible for us. But there is no amount of money that can guarantee safety when extremists are permitted to act with impunity. The emotional toll is profound. Starting a family should not come with the risk of being targeted by domestic terrorists.

We are being attacked from two ideological directions. On one end are anti-natalists like Bartkus, who believe no one should have children. On the other are far-right pronatalists who claim only certain families—those that conform to their religious dogma—deserve to exist. Both groups use violence. Both seek to eliminate reproductive freedom and bodily autonomy—by force if necessary. And both thrive in a climate of political encouragement and legal indifference.

IVF is not a niche issue. For many military and veteran families, it’s essential. Wounds sustained in combat, exposure to toxins, and psychological trauma often result in infertility. For us, IVF is not optional—it is the only way to have biological children.

And yet, the VA still does not fully cover IVF. Our government asks us to serve, and then fails to support us when we try to build the families we sacrificed to protect. Worse, it now shelters those who would destroy the very clinics we depend on.

My daughter is due May 31. If we want to give her a sibling, we’ll need to return to a fertility clinic. But now, every visit will carry the shadow of political violence. Every check-in will raise the question: will we be safe today?

This is not speculative. This is our current reality. The growing alliance between government power and religious extremism is a threat to pluralism, to science, to safety—and to families like mine.

So what do we do now?

We need to organize. We need to protect one another. We need to build local infrastructure for collective defense.

That’s where the Antifascist Book Club comes in. It’s more than a reading group—it’s a place to gather, strategize, and act. Whether it’s escorting patients at clinics, advocating for local protections, or preparing our communities for the challenges ahead, we must start now.

Visit our guide to starting an Antifascist Book Club:

This fight is not just about reproductive rights. It is about democracy. It is about whether science will be respected, whether violence will be rewarded, and whether families like mine can live without fear.

We cannot remain silent. We cannot wait for the next attack. The time to act is now.

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