Where to even start,  I've tried writing this blog in my head about 1000 times but each time the rage, the anger and the despair have overwhelmed me and I haven't got past the first sentence.

This weekend we witnessed the dismantlement of women's right in the US, the Supreme Court decided to overturn the ruling that has made abortion a constitutional right. 

It took me a while to work out why it impacted me so much, I don't live in the States and have no particular plans to move there, so how did it affect me, and why was I so angry about it?

Because readers, if this type of crazy shit can happen in the US, it can happen anywhere. If the world's superpower can take women's rights back 50 year with one decision by 9 unelected people, we need to make sure we stay vigilant wherever we are in the world.

I feel angry that something that is so private and personal has been turned into a political and religious grenade that can divide a group of people instantaneously. I’m also furious about the fact that a whole heap of people actually think it's about abortion…. NO IT’S NOT… It's about control and it's about division.

I’ll share my personal opinion on abortion with you, not that it's important, but my belief is what you choose to do with your body it's totally up to you, just like whatever I do with mine has got fuck all to do with anyone else. I also accept that people can have deep views on this, and that's also okay, however your decision should not impact, or stop another from choosing what’s right for them.

We need to call out the fact that this decision is all about control and division. 

The patriarchy has been feeling like their power has slowly been slipping away. Bit by bit, people have fought the battles that needed fighting to bring equality into life, to challenge the privilege of those in power. To try and create some sort of level playing field where everyone can rise together. The patriarchy needed to do something to take back control, and what better than eliminating the freedom of women to choose what they do with their body. It impacts all women on some level as it basically says, “You’re a second class citizen who can’t be trusted to make decisions so we are going to do it for you.”

The division it causes is an added bonus for the patriarchy, because abortion is a topic where often people feel really strongly one way or another. It also stops them from being able to show compassion and empathy and all the things that encourage support and collaboration…which would allow us to come together and build a more united future.

As much as I would love to believe that people treat others the way they would like to be treated themselves, that people can accept how others live, it is become all too clear that the need for power, and the need to feel that you are in the right, is what still drives a lot of people and unfortunately many of these people like to be in positions of power.

It seems to me that the concept of ideas being different actually means they are bad has become the norm, and whilst that’s the case we are going to struggle to find a way to move forward together.

What if we could all take a long hard look at ourselves, and start to notice how we feel about people with different opinions. Do we feel threatened by them and, if so, why? Are we open to them? Do we have to be right all the time? What does it mean about you if you think differently to someone else, does that make you better than them?

I know these are incredibly hard questions to answer but I challenge you to have a go because we have got to learn to be okay with other people thinking differently to us.  

There is no single source of truth. There is no one person or idea that is going to solve the problems we face today, thus we need to be able to come together and forge a collective where we all support each other and fight together for harmony, fairness and freedom for all.

If we can't achieve that, then we should all be deeply concerned for the world our daughters are going to grow up in.