Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1474752
28 PRODUCTION SOUND & VIDEO – Fall 2022 Witch trials. Historically when a woman spoke out, she was burned at the stake for witchcraft. It was a quick and simple way to control a woman. Today, we are reverting to a draconian time of archaic rules and laws; laws designed to squelch the voices of women and our allies, same as the burning of a witch. As of last month, a person with a uterus can be jailed for exerting control over her/their body. Overturning Roe v. Wade will kill women. Don't be naïve. They will find a way to end an unwanted pregnancy, and it will be disastrously unsafe. I feel enraged, disappointed, and embarrassed about this moment in US history. Mostly I feel frightened for the future. Where will this lead? We live in a country that claims to protect us, to provide Liberty and Justice for ALL… Just as long as you ALL don't have a uterus. We need to vote and voice our disgust at this blatant disregard to 51% of our population's freedom. Take back control by showing up at the polls. Register to vote, and elect pro-choice, pro- women, pro-diversity, and pro-LGBTQ+ candidates. This has gone far enough. Stop the apathy, get out this November and VOTE! –Jennifer Winslow, Local 695 Women's Committee Chair The overturning of Roe v. Wade is something out of a nightmare for women and girls in this country. I suppose in my youth while not exactly taking it for granted, I didn't ever expect it to happen. What this says to me is that our government doesn't care about women. We don't matter. We're incapable of minding our own bodies and lives. It's inhumane. What's even scarier are the other attacks and setbacks that are coming under the guise of doing what's just and best for Americans. We all work so hard. Now we must work and fight harder to change this nation into what it should be; a place where we all have freedoms to live our lives as we see fit and to all be treated fairly and with dignity. That's not too much to ask for, is it? –Heidi Nakamura While living in South Africa, I personally witnessed a 12-year-old child, who was raped by an "uncle" (no charges were ever filed), have to endure a full-term pregnancy. I watched as she went from someone I would ride bikes and climb trees with to a quiet, confused, scared little human who was forced to endure something that even adult women have a hard time with. As if the rape wasn't bad enough. In my young mind, I couldn't wrap my brain around how her little body could give birth to another human. Wasn't this meant for grown-ups? In South Africa, where abortions are legal in cases such as this, most couldn't afford it even IF a woman had access to a doctor who would agree to perform the procedure. It was hard enough as a white South African, but this and so many other young girls who are rape victims were black, just as my little friend was. She also had the added pressure of the church and their view on abortion. Women, especially black women, had no rights in South Africa, especially Black females. I remember my mom trying to explain this to me. We were both disgusted and saddened by this, but there was nothing we could do. Sadly, not much has changed. And so she gave birth. It destroyed her little body, after which they took the baby away for adoption since her family could not afford to care for another child. The little girl I played with became a shell of her former self. I can't even begin to describe the effect this had on me. It made me angry at the adults who allowed this to happen, angry at the churches who allowed this to happen, and angry at the medical professionals who allowed this to happen. I have not stepped foot inside a church except for a wedding or two since then. Surely this can't happen in the USA? Right? And yet, here we are. How is that possible?? That experience has always stuck with me, and after immigrating to the States, I never would have believed this would become our reality. And yet, here we are, giving away our rights, quietly shaking our heads in disgust while we ponder on what will happen next. It saddens me. It makes me very afraid for not only the women in our country, but for all our human rights here. Where do we go from here? –Yvette Marxer It's incredibly alarming that a 10-year-old (child) victim of rape had to travel from Ohio to Indiana to receive an abortion. That's really gut-wrenching. A huge middle finger to Amy Comey Barrett especially. You're a woman for f**k's sake. And Clarence Thomas is a piece of work. He now wants to remove the right to have access to contraception, the right for consenting adults to enjoy the privacy of their home, and the right to same-sex marriage. He however omits Loving v. Virginia (the right to interracial marriage) as he is married to a white woman. While I wholeheartedly would hate for ANY of these rulings to be overturned, his selective self-serving process is pretty insidious. I suppose it's too idealistic on my part to feel that our Supreme Court should rule from a place of compassion and empathy. MoveOn.Org has issued a petition to have him impeached. I have signed it. We really cannot move backward, but it's pretty frightening to feel as though we are. –Misty Conn The day Roe was overturned was an exceptionally hard day on set. So many of us just lost human rights in this country in between camera setups. When the abortion debate arises, we relive our trauma & that of our loved ones who've gone through it. I learned some co-workers had been raped and had abortions because they needed someone to talk to. Then they sucked it up before being called into set. The crew asked for someone to say something, simply thanking us for working through a challenging day, but we