In 1985, famous Canadian author Margaret Atwood wrote a dystopian novel titled “The Handmaid’s Tale”. This novel explores the themes of a patriarchal society where women were used only for childbirth, and were not allowed to make their own decisions. Their bodies were possessions and objects, valued only for their reproductive abilities.
In 2019, this terrifying story becomes a reality. While so much of the world is moving forward, the United States of America just seems to be moving backwards. With Trump in the lead, many US states have started passing bans outlawing abortions as early as six weeks into a pregnancy. Six weeks? Most women don’t even know they’re pregnant by six weeks.
The harshest of the anti-abortion movement is demonstrated through Alabama’s outright ban of all abortions. Last Wednesday, state governor Kate Ivey signed into law that all abortion was a felony punishable by prison. This includes, but is not limited to, pregnancies caused by rape, incest and non- consensual sex.
Whatever your personal stance on abortion is, shouldn’t women be allowed to choose and control what happens to their own bodies? Shouldn’t they get to make decisions on their own?
If anything constructive came out of this, it’s the increase in support for the pro-choice movement across North America. Protests, outrages, donations and help has been offered to those in need. It’s just heart-breaking to think that something as medieval as this could happen in 2019, just as the world started making positive changes. Cheers to Margaret Atwood for predicting this, although this is nothing to smile about.
