Taking children from their parents is wrong – whether they’re born or unborn. But many in Hollywood and the media are accusing pro-lifers of only focusing on the unborn while, at the same time, they only focus on the born.
Following reports of children separated from their parents after crossing the border illegally, many celebrities and media attacked the pro-life movement for caring about unborn babies but not “actual” and “living” children. Everyone from actress Lena Dunham to feminist writer Danielle Campoamor chimed in – but not without a few holes in their arguments.
Comedian Lizz Winstead, a staunch abortion supporter who mocks pro-lifers and hosts telethons to fund abortion, bashed pro-life Americans for ignoring “ACTUAL” children.
“Just think if all those people protesting outside of abortion clinics decided they cared about ACTUAL kids and put their efforts to protesting Trumps child prisons,” she tweeted Tuesday.
A day earlier, Lena Dunham, who once wished she had an abortion, also slammed pro-lifers who neglect “living children.”
“I know this is basic knowledge at this point, but my mind simply can’t comprehend that the same people who claim to care so much about embryos care so little about living children,” she lamented.
Planned Parenthood supporter and actress Clementine Ford wanted to know, “Yo, #prolife peeps, where you at now?” while another Planned Parenthood supporter and actress Elizabeth Banks added, “I’m taking back pro-life.”
As producer and correspondent of Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, a show that pokes fun at pro-lifers, Allana Harkin chimed in about pro-lifers who supported the president.
“The crazy part is that his [presumably Donald Trump’s] supporters are still on his side because of his pro-life agenda,” she said. “They don't want abortion but they are cool with brown babies in cages.”
Celebrities weren’t alone. Feminist media agreed.
Guardian columnist Jessica Valenti suggested pro-life groups “don't give a shit about actual babies” while Romper editor and Bustle columnist Danielle Campoamor mocked, “Maybe if we all start calling migrant children ‘embryos’ the GOP will start caring about them.”
Like the celebrities, Valenti and Campoamor are staunch abortion supporters. Valenti claims pro-life conservative women can’t be feminists, while Campoamor argues that abortion is “pro-life” and says there’s “no difference” between a miscarriage and an abortion.
It might be useless to confront so much contempt and partisan point-scoring with facts and reason, but it’s worth a try. Their arguments overlooked several problems, including:
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The pro-life movement says the unborn are “living” just as much as the born (and science teaches that embryos contain a full set of DNA, unique from the father and mother). It’s also worth noting that the pro-life movement stresses that babies’ lives end when they are separated from their mothers in abortion.
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Many in the pro-life movement actually have condemned the separation of parents and children as it’s currently happening. That includes pro-life politicians like Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., pro-life leaders like Live Action President Lila Rose, pro-life media like National Review editor-at-large Kathryn Jean Lopez, and pro-life religious leaders like Pope Francis. The list goes on.
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For those looking for consistency, or accusing the pro-life movement of not caring about “brown babies” – it's there and they do. One need look no further than the pro-life outcry when “Jane Doe,” a 17-year-old immigrant who entered the country illegally, obtained an abortion.
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It goes both ways. Imagine the argument made by media and celebrities put in reverse: “You don’t care about babies if you don’t care about the unborn” or “if you care about separating children from their parents, then you should care about separating the unborn from their mothers in abortion.” Imagine media accusing the pro-choice movement of opposing choice because they are against a baby's choice to live. That's the equivalent.
But no, too often the media and Hollywood see only one way. And instead of investigating solutions, they’re pointing fingers.
