In “The Handmaid’s Tale,” Margaret Atwood writes, “Nothing changes instantaneously: in a gradually heating bathtub you’d be boiled to death before you knew it.”
The U.S. is based entirely on the diversity in which we reside. We live in a melting pot, a place where our ideas and culture fluctuate as diverse ideologies intersect one another; however, when the pot starts to boil, prevalent issues start to appear. If you think of us as different foods, then you’d assume items like cheese or butter would liquify first.
Apply that same idea to minorities across the U.S. Individuals who are a part of the LGBTQIA+ and feminist movements would slowly dissolve first, which is what is happening. Republicans are slowly turning up the heat in the U.S., and it’s apparent that it’s creating concerns.
In “The Handmaid’s Tale,” Atwood explores the idea of the U.S. becoming a theocracy that exploits fertile women for means of reproduction. Atwood used real-life events in history to build the basis of the fictional land Gilead, along with the events displayed in the novel. Atwood explains “The Handmaid’s Tale” is not a prediction of the future; however, it sheds light on a possible one.
A future where women are restricted from civil liberties and queer individuals are hanged for their sexuality. While this is not our reality, we see democracy and religion gradually sticking together.
Kim Davis, a county clerk from Kentucky, was jailed for six days after not issuing a marriage license to a same-sex couple. Recently, Davis has started to advocate for the overturning of Obergefell v. Hodges, the Supreme Court case that allowed same-sex couples to marry. Overturning it would remove this freedom from 9.3% of the U.S. population.
Davis introduced the appeal to the Supreme Court in August, and the court has yet to review it. It’s clear the temperature is rising, and the melting pot may soon be brought to a boil by people similar to Davis.
In June 2022, the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization overturned Roe v. Wade, removing the constitutional right to abortion and allowing states to decide further policies on the topic. This sparked outrage across various communities across the nation because what was once a simple freedom became a restriction. Again, “Nothing changes instantaneously.”
In March, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to essentially dismantle the U.S. Department of Education. He believed that it would return power to the states; however, it’s apparent this is simply a mechanism to defund essential programs funded by the government.
Amid the government shutdown, he removed the department that oversaw special education. This department ensured that children with disabilities, such as autism, were provided the proper resources to thrive among their peers.
While Trump has most likely never cooked a meal for himself, he sure knows how to set the stove to high.
Similar to “The Handmaid’s Tale,” Trump and others affiliated with the Republican Party are using Christian beliefs as the basis behind most of their actions. These beliefs are relayed in Project 2025.
House Representative Sheila Cherfilus McCormick believes Project 2025 is a 920-page manual on how to turn our democracy into a conservative, authoritarian nation. The project would not only boil the melting pot but also evaporate it.
During Trump’s campaign, he denied any affiliation with Project 2025; however, only 10 months into his term 48% of the project has been implemented.
While we aren’t at a full boil, Project 2025 has preheated the U.S. for an eventual one. These previous instances may seem like minor events; however, they gradually build into something substantially larger. It’s something that can destroy any fragment of democracy we once believed in.
Religion has no place in democracy. Individuals' beliefs are authentically theirs and implementing them into a country where various religions coexist removes any credibility of the First Amendment. No specific religion is represented in the Constitution. Therefore, it shouldn’t be represented in modern government.
Adam Gerber is a freshman studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note the opinions expressed in this column do not represent those of The Post. Want to talk to Adam about their column? Email them at ag967424@ohio.edu
