Randoms by Rach

Whose Body Is It?

Day Three - Does any government have a right to say what you can or cannot do with your body?

No. That's the short answer. No government has the right to force you to do, or prevent you from doing, anything with your own body (providing it's not something that affects someone else). Nobody has the right to enforce their desires onto you. Nobody!

I was trying to think of some examples of what this quote may be referring to, as it seems odd to question a government's right, rather than that of a loved one. The first thing that comes to mind is abortion and control over how many children you have. Abortion is a tricky issue. Personally, I feel a woman has the right to choose whether or not she goes through with a pregnancy. Nobody can force her to go through all the changes that having a baby brings. But then we reach the grey area of late terminations when there are medical issues. Whose right should be preserved: the mother or the baby? And when we are looking out for the baby, do we take steps to ensure they aren't born to a lifetime of pain, or do we force the parents to proceed with the pregnancy because they have no right to take a life? I don't know. Maybe I'm thinking a little too much into this. Maybe this wasn't what was intended with this prompt.

On a slightly lighter note: tattoos. I have some. I know many people judge those who choose to carry their life stories on their skin. But what right do they have? We are all different. We have different hair, different skin tones, we're different shapes and sizes. I hate the part of living in the "civilised" world that determines we should all look a certain way. Because I haven't ever looked that way. I never will. I don't wear make up, dress in designer gear, I'm far from skinny. I'm me. That's all. In my teens, things were very different, and I felt an enormous pressure to be thin, and I lost so much weight I got ill. That was because of society's pressures and, also, my Dad's pressures. But I'm digressing now.

There is one exception to these thoughts. There are times when we are hurting our bodies, and without the intervention of others, we could become very ill. Or worse. I still don't believe it's down to the government to say what you're doing is illegal. It's the place of your loved ones to try to make you safe and well.