Swedish teen climate activist Greta Thunberg has weighed in on the ongoing American abortion debate, and her take has left people applauding.
Thunberg took to social media to bluntly attack the controversy over a woman's right to choose.
Using a graphic showing the "reasons why women have abortions," Thunberg dismantled the debate with just a simple tweet.
See it below.
@GretaThunberg/Twitter
The tweet features a pie chart that purports to outline the most common reasons women have abortions, along with the percentage those reasons. The pie chart is meant as satire, of course, but the subtext is anything but light-hearted.
The chart lists the following reasons for having an abortion:
- "Personal choice," at 60%
- "Not your concern," at 10%
- "Mind your business," at 8%
- "Fu*k off," at 22%
Thunberg's tweet comes in the wake of the state of Texas' draconian (and unconstitutional) new abortion law, which is the most restrictive anti-abortion legislation in decades. The bill bans abortions once medical professionals can detect a "heartbeat," which is typically around week six of a pregnancy.
But that terminology is a misnomer. A six-week-old fetus does not have a heartbeat, because it does yet have a heart--or any other organs for that matter. Rather, what proponents of the bill call a "heartbeat" are merely electrical impulses among fetal cells that will eventually, several weeks later, become a heart and other organs.
More importantly, most women do not yet know they are pregnant at six weeks. And given that a pregnancy's duration is estimated starting from the date of a woman's last period--which is usually two weeks before conception even occurs--it is very common for pregnancy tests to still come up negative at six weeks or before.
Add this together with the fact the bill provides exceptions only for life-threatening health complications but not for rape and incest, and the bill essentially constitutes a total ban on abortion in the state of Texas, in practice if not on paper.
The bill also allows for private citizens to sue women who obtain abortions and anyone who helps them obtain one--including rideshare drivers who bring them to a clinic, provisions that have struck many as terrifying and absurd.
Taken together, "fu*k off" pretty perfectly sums up many people's responses to the Texas bill, and Thunberg's blunt response to it drew several rounds of applause on Twitter.
Here is the true answer. pic.twitter.com/Wr0Dx36Xs7
— אַנוואַקסאַנייטיד קעז (@vivere_svizzera) September 4, 2021
This is the best thing I have ever seen on abortion
Greta, you impressed me when I first found out about you when you were about 12 or 13. You continue to impress me.
Thank you for all your hard work, for our planet. ❤
— Jennifer Linn (@JenniferLinn17) September 3, 2021
Texans hate big brother government up until they want a state sanctioned officer to peek into your private health matters.
— The Renegade Opinion 🇧🇴 (@TheRenegadeOp) September 3, 2021
A woman's healthcare is between her and her doctor, not politicians with no medical experience.
— nanmorand Equality & Justice (@nanmorand) September 3, 2021
A quick scan of the responses - 99% of the ones objecting to this are men.
— Sterling Rose 💉💉 (@SterlingRose62) September 3, 2021
The entire pro-life stance has no legs to stand on bc it's against saving lives in every single other way.
❌M4A
❌Living wage
❌Helping the poor
✔️Bombing clinics, killing people
✔️Death penalty
✔️Guns/Stand your ground
— Zuzu ⚖️ FreeSpeechFreeAssange (@Suzanmonkey) September 3, 2021
If conservatives want to cut down on abortions they should actually be pro file, and provide healthcare for all including mother and child, provide paid leave for both parents, provide education for all including the mother and child. You would see much less abortion.
— HardMarkinson (@HardMarkinson) September 3, 2021
BEST. TWEET. EVER about reproductive rights! Thanks @GretaThunberg. Now if only we could figure out why men think nobody should tell them to wear a mask or get vaccinated to save lives.
— Kristina Stockwood (@K_Stockwood) September 4, 2021
The numbers check out.
— The Hoarse Whisperer (@TheRealHoarse) September 3, 2021
Your level of badassery is underappreciated
— Burns Like Whisky 🇺🇸 (@Scotch_Rox) September 3, 2021
According to a press release from U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, the Justice Department is exploring ways to challenge the Texas abortion law.