{"id":50487,"date":"2014-06-10T11:43:44","date_gmt":"2014-06-10T15:43:44","guid":{"rendered":"\/news\/?p=50487"},"modified":"2014-06-10T11:50:13","modified_gmt":"2014-06-10T15:50:13","slug":"children-are-innocent-and-faultless-once-theyre-born","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/children-are-innocent-and-faultless-once-theyre-born\/","title":{"rendered":"Children are innocent and faultless – once they’re born"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"immigration<\/p>\n

This timely political cartoon illustrates a major hypocrisy that all too many in America subscribe to: faultless, innocent children ought to be defended in all cases – as long as they are breathing on the outside of their mother.<\/p>\n

Immigrant children, fleeing their home countries – often brought over by their parents who want them to have a better and different life? Faultless. Innocent. Deserving of our protection.<\/p>\n

Abused children, subject to the cruel whims and heartless deeds of psychotic parents? Faultless. Innocent. Deserving of our protection.<\/p>\n

Bullied children, persecuted by their classmates for characteristics and traits they were born with? Faultless. Innocent. Deserving of our protection.<\/p>\n

Homeless, needy, hungry, street children? Faultless. Innocent Deserving of our protection.<\/p>\n

Six-week-old unborn babies, complete with measurable brain waves<\/a>, a heartbeat<\/a>, unique DNA<\/a>, and an individual personality? Not<\/em> faultless (we treat them like parasites<\/a>). Not<\/em> innocent (we say they’re invading their mother’s space<\/a>). Not<\/em> deserving of our protection (we’d rather suck their spines off of their bodies, rip them limb from limb, and decapitate them<\/a>).<\/p>\n

What is the disconnect, America? How do we have so much compassion and love for children the world over, but lack it to such a hurtful degree when it comes to our most helpless little ones?\u00a0 As Mary Elizabeth Williams, from Slate, wrote<\/a>:<\/p>\n

I have friends who have referred to their abortions in terms of \u201cscraping out a bunch of cells\u201d and then a few years later were exultant over the pregnancies that they unhesitatingly described in terms of \u201cthe baby\u201d and \u201cthis kid.\u201d I know women who have been relieved at their abortions and grieved over their miscarriages. Why can\u2019t we agree that how they felt about their pregnancies was vastly different, but that it\u2019s pretty silly to pretend that what was growing inside of them wasn\u2019t the same? Fetuses aren\u2019t selective like that. They don\u2019t qualify as human life only if they\u2019re intended to be born.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

At least the immigrant children described in the cartoon have a voice. They can speak. We see photos of them<\/a> in temporary holding pens.<\/p>\n

Abused children are often pictured in our newspapers. Bullied children become evening news stories. We can visit homeless children in shelters; we can see them on inner city street corners.<\/p>\n

But have you seen, have you really looked at<\/em> the unborn child? Have you noticed her humanity? Have you seen that he, too, has a body, a personality, and a lifetime ahead yet to live?<\/p>\n