“Over the years I’ve heard many conversations discussing the inequality of women’s rights in other nations – distant nations…”
It’s hard to know where to begin to express the rage, devastation, disappointment, and exhaustion that overwhelmed me reading this news. We knew it was coming, and yet it still feels like a punch to the gut.
American friends of mine have told me that it’s difficult to understand how different the conversation is there about abortion. It is never discussed. Even for some fairly liberal families, it is never an option. Certainly not one you would ever openly acknowledge. They spoke of their shock, moving to the UK and hearing women openly talk about it. Their difficulty in shaking off their ingrained shame and disgust, to understand that it should be something we speak about. It isn’t something to be ashamed of or disgusted by.
Over the years I’ve heard many conversations discussing the inequality of women’s rights in other nations – distant nations. People are happy to sit back and quietly judge cultures so different from ours they could be called “backwards” with barely a raised eyebrow. When in fact, even in countries where women aren’t allowed to open a bank account without their husband’s permission, things were slowly changing for the better. It is they that are moving forwards. It is America, a nation we invariably feel tied to, that is going backwards.
The highest powers in the land have decided to make women nothing more than vessels for foetuses. They value the existence of a bunch of non-viable cells more than the real, vibrant, rich lives of real women. Real people. They don’t care if they die carrying an ectopic pregnancy. They don’t care if they end up in a lifetime of poverty raising children they can’t afford. They don’t care if a woman would rather end her life than give birth to her rapist’s child. They don’t believe women get to choose how their life unfolds.
To proclaim this an act that has anything to do with humanity, or valuing life, is so repugnant and laughable it makes me want to scream.
My heart breaks for every woman in America. The feeling is so crushing right now it’s hard to see how to move forward or take any action. But I know that one day, that’s all we’ll have. Our voices and our actions, to prevent the same poison spreading to our shores. We can only pray we can stop it.
