#1 ABORTION MEMES AND COMICS RELATED TO POST-NEWTOWN GUN CONTROL
Like this one:
FROM: https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/184636_439426209461184_1135296535_n.png
Or this...
FROM: https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/397486_471295912929945_1663445956_n.jpg
Abortion may "kill" more children a year than died at Sandy Hook and in other mass shootings in 2012, but that doesn't make abortion a greater tragedy. Wanting to protect the lives of children from mass murders does not necessarily require wanting to save the lives of all fetuses. Honestly, I can't believe how many people seem to think abortion is even an equal tragedy.
The pro-life argument has two basic assumptions: that human life begins at conception (or, in the opinion of a minority of pro-life advocates, sometime shortly thereafter), and that all human life is of equal value. In science, a hypothesis is examined through an experiment in a lab. Similarly, in philosophy, a hypothesis (in this case, the lives of zygotes are just as valuable as the lives of children) is tested with a "thought experiment." A good thought experiment moves a controversial issue outside of the controversial context into a context that is "safer" and has fewer biases, but without making any morally relevant changes to the real issue, in order to examine the issue at hand more objectively.
Conveniently, this hypothesis (that the lives of the unborn are just as valuable as the lives of children) already has a well-known and frequently used thought experiment: the "burning fertilization clinic," by Jane Hamsher. It goes like this: You are in a fertility clinic, a fire starts, and, through a series of circumstances, you alone are able to save one child or some fertilized eggs, but not both. Which do you save? (see YouTube for a better version)
Like the speaker in the YouTube video, I think the answer is obvious. In fact, I would go as far as to say that I seriously question your moral compass if you would allow a very much real, breathing, living child to die to save any number of fertilized eggs. Therefore, either life does not begin at conception from a moral stance, or not all human lives are of equal value. Either way, it is clear that zygotes (and probably embryos and young fetuses too) are not of equal moral value to children.
#2 IMAGES DISTORTING WHAT ABORTED EMBRYOS AND FETUSES LOOK LIKE
Like this:
While the above image is possible, it is unlikely. Although the dimensions and facial features are roughly correct, this fetus above is at least 3 inches, if not 4 or 5, which is rather long for a 12-week gestational age (age calculated since the mother's last period) fetus, which a caption with this image claimed it was. My guess is this fetus is 13 to 14 weeks. In addition, some basic math, 12 weeks equals 3 months equals one trimester, and while the abortion of this fetus is legal, most abortions occur before this point. One-half of abortions occur before 8 weeks gestational age (by the end of the second month), before the emotionally-appealing facial features develop completely and the embryo looks rather fish-like. As most of us eat fish, I don't think many people could be discussing the right to life of a 6-week embryo in a universal and morally consistent fashion unless they were also very concerned with the right to life of salmon, trout, tuna, and bass.
#3 DISCUSSION OF, OR ATTEMPTS TO, MEMORIALIZE ABORTION "VICTIMS" LIKE HOLOCAUST VICTIMS OR U.S. SOLDIERS
Like this , Or this .
I think, given the above, this is obviously ridiculous and, frankly, disgusting. But just in case you think it isn't, lets think about the "real" atrocities of the modern world, the real killers.
Like heart-disease, stroke, COPD, HIV/AIDS, and cancers
Like hunger
Like thirst
Unbelievable numbers of children die from malnutrition, lack of access to safe water, and minor illnesses, and this isn't even considering the plights of children forced to work under unsafe conditions, made sex slaves, abducted to be soldiers, genitally mutilated, or married off far too young (which, in turn, results in physical risks to the mother during a teenage childbirth, risk to the fetus for low birth weight and underdevelopment, and high infant mortality, as well as risks of abuse of all sorts from an older spouse on the child bride). Where are the analogous Holocaust museums for these children? Where are the fields of crosses for all this stolen innocence? Where? Where? These are the children in the burning fertility clinic, but the religious right and the ultraconservatives are wasting valuable time, energy, and monetary resources saving the embryos and early fetuses. They are saving the agar plates of zygotes and leaving millions of children to die. Jesus would have saved the children.
[#4 CITING AN INSTANCE OF EXTREME EMOTIONAL DISTRESS POST-ABORTION AND ADVERTISING IT AS THE NORM
I am not going to give a specific example simply out of respect for true trauma inflicted upon an individual. Almost an appendix, I want to briefly state that severe psychological ramifications are not the typical result of abortion. In every sense, abortion is a safer medical procedure than vaginal childbirth or C-section. Most women feel relief after their abortion, and those who do not suffer at about the same rate as new mothers suffer from post-partum depression. Psychological trauma is more likely is the woman is forced into the abortion (usually by medical situations, but a very small percentage by parents or sexual partners) or if the woman's family, friends, and sexual partner(s) do not support her choice. Please click here for a review on the literature.]
I think, given the above, this is obviously ridiculous and, frankly, disgusting. But just in case you think it isn't, lets think about the "real" atrocities of the modern world, the real killers.
Like heart-disease, stroke, COPD, HIV/AIDS, and cancers
Like hunger
Like thirst
Unbelievable numbers of children die from malnutrition, lack of access to safe water, and minor illnesses, and this isn't even considering the plights of children forced to work under unsafe conditions, made sex slaves, abducted to be soldiers, genitally mutilated, or married off far too young (which, in turn, results in physical risks to the mother during a teenage childbirth, risk to the fetus for low birth weight and underdevelopment, and high infant mortality, as well as risks of abuse of all sorts from an older spouse on the child bride). Where are the analogous Holocaust museums for these children? Where are the fields of crosses for all this stolen innocence? Where? Where? These are the children in the burning fertility clinic, but the religious right and the ultraconservatives are wasting valuable time, energy, and monetary resources saving the embryos and early fetuses. They are saving the agar plates of zygotes and leaving millions of children to die. Jesus would have saved the children.
[#4 CITING AN INSTANCE OF EXTREME EMOTIONAL DISTRESS POST-ABORTION AND ADVERTISING IT AS THE NORM
I am not going to give a specific example simply out of respect for true trauma inflicted upon an individual. Almost an appendix, I want to briefly state that severe psychological ramifications are not the typical result of abortion. In every sense, abortion is a safer medical procedure than vaginal childbirth or C-section. Most women feel relief after their abortion, and those who do not suffer at about the same rate as new mothers suffer from post-partum depression. Psychological trauma is more likely is the woman is forced into the abortion (usually by medical situations, but a very small percentage by parents or sexual partners) or if the woman's family, friends, and sexual partner(s) do not support her choice. Please click here for a review on the literature.]
People neglect logic and evidence in favor of emotional maniipulation. Powerful blog post.
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