Orwell’s ‘1984’: Almost Here

EDITOR’S NOTE: Dr. Raymond J. Adamek, 89, passed away in September 2024. Since 1972, he and his wife were not only active in the Catholic Church but in the pro-life movement as well. He wrote extensively about family and other pro-life topics, participated in the Life Chain movement, counseled women in front of abortion facilities, and served on the Advisory Committee of The Human Family Research Center. Just prior to his death, he served on the board of Right to Life of Northeast Ohio. In that capacity, he wrote and researched dozens of articles and gave pro-life talks about the sanctity of life. The Celebrate Life Magazine staff was honored to publish several of Dr. Adamek’s articles over the years. They can be found on our website at clmagazine.org. The piece below is the last one he wrote for us. We have lightly edited it and updated it with some recent information. We hope that he is happy with the final product. Our prayers are with his family, and we pray for the repose of his soul.

In 1949, English author George Orwell published 1984, a book that described what he thought the political world might look like 35 years into the future.¹ He saw the world divided into three major world governments. Oceania was made up of North and South America, the British Isles, Australia, and South Africa. Eurasia was dominated by the Soviet Union and stretched from Portugal to the Bering Strait, and Eastasia included China, Japan, and the Pacific islands. 

The totalitarian government of Oceania had eliminated all religious beliefs, with leftist thought called “Ingsoc” being the governing ideology promulgated by “Big Brother.” All citizens were under constant surveillance, as two-way “telescreens” were everywhere. Citizens of Oceania could be arrested for “thoughtcrime,” which was any thought not in tune with the ideology of the government. Thoughtcrime could be detected through the government’s constant monitoring, in both private and public spaces. It might be revealed by facial expressions or what one said, whether awake or asleep. In addition, the government had numerous spies, which could include one’s friends and family.

Thoughtcrime in the UK

Although later than Orwell predicted, individuals in some communities in the British Isles have been arrested for their private thoughts. In late 2022, some jurisdictions passed Public Spaces Protection Orders, which drew a zone of 150 meters around local abortion facilities. With some variation, persons within the zone are not allowed to inform, advise, influence, persuade, pray, hold vigils, offer help, or express an opinion regarding abortion.² In October 2024, the UK government created “safe access zones” that extended these restrictions to all facilities and hospitals in England and Wales that offer abortions.³ Scotland passed a similar law a month earlier.⁴

Since these restrictions were first passed in 2022, several pro-lifers have been arrested for what amounts to thoughtcrimes.

In November 2022, in Bournemouth, a town on England’s southern coast, Livia Tossici-Bolt met with a friend to pray quietly in a public space outside of a local safe access zone.⁵ Patrol officers warned Tossici-Bolt and her friend that their prayer could cause “intimidation, harassment, or distress” to others and asked them to leave. 

In 2024, Tossici-Bolt was again accused of violating the law because she held a sign that said “Here to talk if you want” outside of a Bournemouth abortion business.⁶ In April 2025, she was convicted of breaching the buffer zone.⁷ She was ordered to pay £20,000 to cover prosecution costs and given a conditional discharge, meaning she will only be punished for the crime if she commits another offense during the next two years.

“This is a dark day for Great Britain. I was not protesting and did not harass or obstruct anyone. All I did was offer consensual conversation in a public place, as is my basic right, and yet the court found me guilty,” Tossici-Bolt said after the verdict. “Freedom of expression is in a state of crisis in the UK. What has happened to this country?”

Adam Smith-Connor was another victim of Bournemouth’s laws.⁸ In November 2022, he stood silently outside of an abortion mill with his back to the building to respect the privacy of visitors. When officers approached and asked what he was doing, the British veteran stated he was praying for his preborn son, who had died in an abortion he had helped procure over 20 years ago. An officer expressed sorrow for his loss but noted that he was in breach of clause 4a of the PSPO that forbids prayer and acts of “disapproval.”⁹ Alliance Defending Freedom International defended Smith-Connor, but he was convicted of the charges in October 2024, given a conditional discharge, and forced to pay prosecution costs.¹⁰ In Orwellian fashion, ADF noted, “The court reasoned that his prayer amounted to ‘disapproval of abortion’ because at one point his head was seen slightly bowed and his hands were clasped.” 

Similarly, in Birmingham, Isabel Vaughan-Spruce has been arrested twice for praying silently to herself near an abortion facility and is currently facing charges for a third time.¹¹ She carried no signs, did not display a rosary, and did not speak to anyone until she was approached by patrol officers. She was questioned, searched, photographed, and arrested. In August 2024, Vaughan-Spruce was awarded £13,000 in a suit against the local police for these incidents.¹² After the verdict, she stated, “Silent prayer is not a crime. Nobody should be arrested merely for the thoughts they have in their heads—yet this happened to me twice at the hands of the West Midlands Police, who explicitly told me that ‘prayer is an offence.’” She continued, “There is no place for Orwell’s Thought Police in 21st-century Britain.”

In February 2023, Fr. Sean Gough, a Catholic priest, was standing near a closed abortion mill, carrying a sign saying “Praying for freedom of speech” to protest the previous arrests of pro-lifers.¹³ He had also parked his car, which displayed a small sticker saying “unborn lives matter,” within the restricted zone. Fr. Gough was searched, arrested, and interrogated by police. His charges were later dismissed.

In a speech in February 2025, Vice President JD Vance drew attention to Smith-Connor’s case.¹⁴ He also mentioned a recent letter sent by the Scottish government to residents within safe access zones. It warned that “activities in a private place (such as a house) within the area between the protected premises and the boundary of a zone could be an offence if they can be seen or heard within the zone and are done intentionally or recklessly.” It also directed residents to use an online form to report groups or individuals who might be breaking the law. Though some said Vance’s claims were exaggerated, Scottish politician Gillian Mackay seemed to accidentally confirm them in an interview.¹⁵ When asked if standing at a window and praying with your hands in a posture of prayer within a zone could be considered an offense, she said that it “depends on who’s passing the window.”

Thoughtcrimes in the US? 

Thus far, we are unaware of anyone being arrested for harboring outlawed private thoughts in the US. However, there have been many instances of Big Brother Woke barring persons from public spaces or shouting them down for their expressed thoughts. For example, two cases occurred after the March for Life in January 2023 and affected persons who displayed their thoughts on their clothing.

Students and their chaperones from Our Lady of the Rosary School in Greenville, South Carolina, decided to wear light-blue caps to attend the march.¹⁶ Groups often wear distinctive clothing so they can keep track of their members in the large crowds. The caps had the words “rosary” and “pro-life” on them.

After the march, a group of students and chaperones decided to visit the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum. Shortly thereafter, they were approached by security guards and told they would have to remove the caps or leave. They were told the museum was a “neutral zone” so they could not express such thoughts. Museum staff mocked the group, using expletives. A male security guard rubbed his hands together with a big smile on his face, saying, “Y’all are about to make my day. . . . You’ve been told multiple times to take your hats off, and you have not taken them off. You need to take them off or leave.”¹⁷ Other visitors had clothing displaying slogans or words on other topics but did not receive similar instructions.

The group left, and some of their members contacted the American Center for Law and Justice, a national legal organization. It initiated a lawsuit against the museum, indicating that it had violated their rights under the First (speech) and Fifth (equal protection) Amendments to the Constitution, as well as the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

After he received a letter signed by several US House Republicans demanding an explanation of what had occurred, Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III responded, “This was an aberration and not reflective of Smithsonian values and practice of welcoming all visitors regardless of viewpoint.” He also said, “The instruction to visitors to remove their pro-life hats was a mistake—a misinterpretation of what was permissible. It was not a willful violation.”¹⁸ The ACLJ reported that the Smithsonian agreed to a court order that prohibits it from discriminating against future guests because of their beliefs, provided a settlement of $50,000, and apologized to the students.¹⁹

In a similar incident, three unrelated groups wearing shirts, buttons, or hats with pro-life messages on them visited the National Archives after attending the 2023 march.²⁰ They were told to take off or cover up the pro-life attire or leave the museum. Four of these pro-lifers then contacted the ACLJ and filed a lawsuit against the museum. 

On December 18, 2023, the National Archives and Records Administration settled the religious discrimination lawsuit, promising not to target pro-lifers in the future. Acting archivist Debra Steidel Wall said the incident was contrary to NARA policy and that the security supervisor responsible for the incident was a contractor who had been fired.²¹ The National Archives issued a statement acknowledging that the pro-life visitors did not break any policy or rules, saying, “As the home to the original Constitution and Bill of Rights, which enshrine the rights of free speech and religion, we sincerely apologize for this occurrence.”²²

While these cases show that the law is still on the side of religious freedom in the US, the persecution in the UK suggests Orwell’s imagined dystopian future is perhaps less fictional than once thought and that we must be vigilant of our rights so that our children and grandchildren do not live in a world envisioned by an author of disturbing fiction.

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1. George Orwell, 1949, Nineteen Eighty-Four, London: Secker and Warburg.
2. AC Wimmer, “English Town Forbids Prayer, Making Sign of the Cross, and Using Holy Water Near Abortion Facility,” National Catholic Register, October 19, 2022, ncregister.com/cna/english-town-forbids-prayer-making-sign-of-the-cross-and-using-holy-water-near-abortion-facility.
3. Home Office, et al., “Abortion Service Protection Zones in Place in England and Wales,” Government of the United Kingdom, October 31, 2024, gov.uk/government/news/abortion-service-protection-zones-in-place-in-england-and-wales.
4. “Abortion Services: Safe Access Zones,” The Scottish Government, February 20, 2025, gov.scot/publications/abortion-services-safe-access-zones.
5. Lois McLatchie, “Council ‘Community Safety’ Officers Confront Women Praying in Bournemouth, Even Outside of Abortion ‘Censorship Zone,’” ADF International, January 11, 2024, adfinternational.org/en-gb/news/bournemouth-prayer-ban.
6. Cassy Cooke, “British Woman to Stand Trial for Holding Sign Outside Abortion Facility: ‘Here to Talk, If You Want To’,” Live Action News, February 8, 2025, liveaction.org/news/british-woman-trial-sign-abortion-facility-talk.
7. Sofia Hörder, “Christian Woman Convicted for Offering Consensual Conversation in Abortion Facility ‘Buffer Zone’, Ordered to Pay £20,000 in Prosecution Costs,” ADF International, April 4, 2025, adfinternational.org/en-gb/news/livia-convicted-buffer-zone.
8. Ashley Sadler, “British Police Slap Army Vet With Fine for Praying Silently Outside Abortion Facility – LifeSite,” LifeSiteNews, January 24, 2023, lifesitenews.com/news/british-police-slap-army-vet-with-fine-for-praying-silently-outside-abortion-facility.
9. Nananka Randle, “Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, Section 59 Public Spaces Protection Order,” Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole Council, October 11, 2022, bcpcouncil.gov.uk/Assets/Crime-safety-and-emergencies/PSPOs/Ophir-Road-and-surrounding-area-Public-Spaces-Protection-Order-PSPO.pdf.
10. Lois McLatchie, “GUILTY: Army Vet Convicted for Praying Silently Near Abortion Facility,” ADF International, October 16, 2024, adfinternational.org/en-gb/news/guilty-army-vet-convicted-for-praying-silently-near-abortion-facility.
11. Paul Sapper, “THURSDAY: Christian Woman Criminally Charged for Silent Prayer to Appear in Court,” ADF International, January 27, 2026, adfinternational.org/en-gb/news/christian-woman-charged-for-silent-prayer-to-appear-in-court-thursday. 
12. Cassy Cooke, “UK Pro-life Activist Awarded £13k after Repeated Arrests for Silent Prayer,” Live Action News, August 20, 2024, liveaction.org/news/pro-life-activist-13k-repeated-arrests-prayer.
13. Steven Ertelt, “Police Arrest Catholic Priest for Silently Praying Outside Abortion Clinic,” LifeNews, February 13, 2023, lifenews.com/2023/02/09/police-arrest-catholic-priest-for-silently-praying-outside-abortion-clinic.
14. Stephen Kokx, “JD Vance Calls Out ‘Crazy’ British Arrests of Pro-Lifers Silently Praying Near Abortion Centers,” LifeSiteNews, February 14, 2025, lifesitenews.com/news/jd-vance-calls-out-crazy-british-arrests-of-pro-lifers-silently-praying-near-abortion-centers.
15. Jonathon Van Maren, “Praying at Home Could Be Illegal Under Pro-Abortion ‘Buffer Zone’ Law, Scottish Lawmaker Admits,” LifeSiteNews, February 27, 2025, lifesitenews.com/blogs/praying-at-home-could-be-illegal-under-pro-abortion-buffer-zone-law-scottish-lawmaker-admits.
16. Steven Ertelt, “Outrageous: Smithsonian Kicks Out Students for Wearing Pro-Life Hats,” LifeNews, February 1, 2023, lifenews.com/2023/01/27/outrageous-smithsonian-kicks-out-students-for-wearing-pro-life-hats.
17. L, et al. v. National Air and Space Museum, 1:23-cv-00335, (2023), media.aclj.org/pdf/Complaint,-L.-v.-NASM_Redacted.pdf.
18. Matteo Cina, “Smithsonian Air and Space Museum Responds to House Republicans Demanding Answers for Booting Pro-life Students,” Fox News, February 23, 2023, foxnews.com/politics/smithsonian-air-space-museum-responds-house-republicans-demanding-answers-booting-pro-life-students.
19. “ACLJ Obtains Victory in Lawsuit Against Smithsonian – One of the Largest Reported Settlements Against Federal Government in First Amendment Case – After It Unconstitutionally Kicked Out Christian Students for Wearing Pro-Life Hats,” American Center for Law and Justice, March 19, 2024, aclj.org/pro-life/aclj-obtains-victory-in-lawsuit-against-smithsonian-one-of-the-largest-reported-settlements-against-federal-government-in-first-amendment-case-after-it-unconstitutionally-kicked-out-christian-students-for-wearing-pro-life-hats.
20. Dan Mangan, “Abortion Opponents Settle Suit With National Archives Over ‘Pro-Life’ Clothing Ban Incident,” CNBC, December 27, 2023, cnbc.com/2023/12/19/abortion-foes-settle-national-archives-lawsuit-over-pro-life-clothes.html.
21. Ashley Sadler, “National Archives Security Officer Fired After Telling March for Lifers to Remove Pro-life Attire,” LifeSiteNews, February 23, 2023, lifesitenews.com/news/national-archives-security-officer-fired-after-telling-march-for-lifers-to-remove-pro-life-symbols.
22. “Press Statement on Incident at the National Archives Museum and Related Lawsuit,” National Archives, February 10, 2023, archives.gov/press/press-releases/2023/nr23-009.