That would never happen now…

 

Modern women often feel complacent about horror stories from the past. They reassure themselves that that would never happen now, and they leave it to others to fight for women’s rights. For the sake of not disrupting their communities they accept bad rhetoric and degrading teaching. They don’t speak up, because they think it could never happen now.

I love Margaret Atwood’s book The Handmaid’s Tale for a lot of reasons. She has a great sense of humor for one, and she creates a palpably real world where we get a glimpse of what it might be like if it happened now and how it might happen. It is a difficult book to read and walk away saying “It would never happen now.” 

We can’t sit down when we are halfway there and feel assured that our daughters’ future is safe. Many groups harbor old-fashioned ways that could set us all back if the women in those communities don’t speak up. They are enjoying the fruits of others’ labor while doing none of the work themselves.