It's a Baby When We Want it to Be

How else to explain these ads that the Sierra Club is running throughout the D.C. subway?

The small print begins, “Mercury pollution from our nation's coal-burning power plants is harming pregnant women and their unborn children.”   So, when it's politically advantageous, they're not “fetuses,” they're “unborn children,” and they need to be protected now from mercury poisoning, that can harm them in the womb.  Sierra Club's produced three different ads like this, which you can find here.

Of course, there are plenty of other examples of this mentality.  These British National Health Service ads looks like they was put up by pro-lifers, until you read that they're about smoking and drinking.

The first one says,  “Smoking will seriously damage the health of your unborn child.  For their sake, stop today!”  

Once again, he's an unborn child, not a fetus; and once again, we have a responsibility to protect them now, while they're still unborn.

The second one has a similar message, as part of the “Best for Baby” campaign.  It reads, “Drinking causes damage you can't see,” with subtext that reads, “Avoidance of alcohol is the safest thing for you and your baby.”  

Don't get me wrong: I'm glad that groups are speaking up about the various risks to unborn children.  I hate that children are viewed as an inconvenience and an imposition, rather than the newest members of a family and the next generation in society.  What I don't like is how exploitation and hypocritical they are -- it seems like unborn children are just being used here as an emotional ploy to support public health and environmental movements.

After all, if we're really concerned about the health and well-being of unborn children, let's address the elephant in the room.  You know what harms unborn babies more than smoking, and drinking, and coal-producing power plants combined?  Abortion.  Abortion is harming pregnant women and their unborn children.  Abortion will seriously damage the health of your unborn child.  Abortion causes damage you can't see.  And avoidance of abortion is the safest option for you and your baby.  Those are some ads I'd love to see Sierra Club or the NHS run.  If we're going to talk about how much we care about the health and well-being of unborn children, let's do it forthrightly.