cloven hooves The Personal Is Political Reproductive Rights Discussion Twelve years ago, my heart sank when I read the news of Savita Halappanavar

Discussion Twelve years ago, my heart sank when I read the news of Savita Halappanavar

Discussion Twelve years ago, my heart sank when I read the news of Savita Halappanavar

 
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Nov 26 2024, 3:06 PM
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I was seventeen years old. I read the news in the morning before going off to class. I felt anger and disgust. That day, in my world health class, I was one of three people assigned to share a bit of news based on the class topic, and the topic of the class that day was "women's choice."

Of course, in my mind, Savita's untimely demise due to misogynistic anti-choice laws was quite clearly a pertinent issue to address for such a topic. I spoke with anger about what happened to Savita in front of everyone. I called out these anti-choice laws and how cruel they are. I did not think for even a second about possibly offending any anti-choice classmates who may have been listening. Instead, my tone was a mix of disgust and "can you believe this shit?"

The instructor thanked us for sharing our news. We continued onto the lecture about "women's choice", turns out, it was all about women's choice to work... Kind of "amusing", I suppose, for me to be so "off base." Turns out there's a lot of types of "women's choice", or lack thereof, we can speak of. Pardon me, for assuming women's ability to have the choice to not die painful and avoidable deaths was perhaps of more urgency to speak about.

I will never forget Savita. I cannot forget Savita, even if I wanted to. Since the repeal of Roe v. Wade, cases like Savita are happening closer to me than ever. No longer overseas, but in my own country. Twelve years after Savita's death, I have to now read stories of my fellow American women suffering and dying unnecessarily, just like Savita did. Cruel and unjust.

Death of Savita Halappanavar, Wikipedia In the wake of a nationwide outcry over her death, Irish voters passed in a landslide the Thirty-Sixth Amendment of the Constitution, which repealed the Eighth Amendment and empowered the Oireachtas parliament to make abortion legal. It did so through the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act of 20 December 2018.

Savita's death forced Ireland to face their misogynistic and archaic health policies, six years ago. But in the present day today, in the United States, deaths like Savita's are another statistic to throw onto the pile. I don't see an end in sight.

Twelve years ago, when I talked about Savita, I viewed it from the perspective of "look at what these regressive countries are doing to women." It feels depressing to realize I am now part of such a regressive country.

I wonder if there are now teenage girls out there in other countries, reporting on the news of women's deaths due to misogynistic laws in the United States, thinking of Porsha Ngumezi or Nevaeh Crain, and talking about "look at what these regressive countries are doing to women," like I did, twelve years ago.

Times like these it is hard to feel there is progress.

Kozlik's regular member account. 🍀🐐
Clover
Kozlik's regular account 🍀🐐
Nov 26 2024, 3:06 PM #1

I was seventeen years old. I read the news in the morning before going off to class. I felt anger and disgust. That day, in my world health class, I was one of three people assigned to share a bit of news based on the class topic, and the topic of the class that day was "women's choice."

Of course, in my mind, Savita's untimely demise due to misogynistic anti-choice laws was quite clearly a pertinent issue to address for such a topic. I spoke with anger about what happened to Savita in front of everyone. I called out these anti-choice laws and how cruel they are. I did not think for even a second about possibly offending any anti-choice classmates who may have been listening. Instead, my tone was a mix of disgust and "can you believe this shit?"

The instructor thanked us for sharing our news. We continued onto the lecture about "women's choice", turns out, it was all about women's choice to work... Kind of "amusing", I suppose, for me to be so "off base." Turns out there's a lot of types of "women's choice", or lack thereof, we can speak of. Pardon me, for assuming women's ability to have the choice to not die painful and avoidable deaths was perhaps of more urgency to speak about.

I will never forget Savita. I cannot forget Savita, even if I wanted to. Since the repeal of Roe v. Wade, cases like Savita are happening closer to me than ever. No longer overseas, but in my own country. Twelve years after Savita's death, I have to now read stories of my fellow American women suffering and dying unnecessarily, just like Savita did. Cruel and unjust.

Death of Savita Halappanavar, Wikipedia In the wake of a nationwide outcry over her death, Irish voters passed in a landslide the Thirty-Sixth Amendment of the Constitution, which repealed the Eighth Amendment and empowered the Oireachtas parliament to make abortion legal. It did so through the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act of 20 December 2018.

Savita's death forced Ireland to face their misogynistic and archaic health policies, six years ago. But in the present day today, in the United States, deaths like Savita's are another statistic to throw onto the pile. I don't see an end in sight.

Twelve years ago, when I talked about Savita, I viewed it from the perspective of "look at what these regressive countries are doing to women." It feels depressing to realize I am now part of such a regressive country.

I wonder if there are now teenage girls out there in other countries, reporting on the news of women's deaths due to misogynistic laws in the United States, thinking of Porsha Ngumezi or Nevaeh Crain, and talking about "look at what these regressive countries are doing to women," like I did, twelve years ago.

Times like these it is hard to feel there is progress.


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