The term “Orwellian,” meaning reminiscent of the author George Orwell’s dystopian novels, gets thrown around loosely in modern politics. But a disturbing incident that just took place in the United Kingdom really does deserve Orwell’s famous label of a “thought crime.” 

A 51-year-old British man and army veteran named Adam Smith-Connor was just convicted of a crime for a 2022 incident where he silently prayed outside of an abortion clinic. Yes, seriously, that’s his “crime”: praying silently.