A July 14 Beacon News article on Pro-Life Action League's in-progress annual 2-week Truth Tour contains a balanced and extensive discussion on kids who see graphic photos of aborted babies. Check out page 2 for excerpt.
My bottom line: Forced to make a "choice," I'd rather a child see one of these photos than be one.
Excerpt from July 14 Beacon News story, "Abortion protesters hit streets":
.... Several people shook their heads in disagreement as they drove by the photo display. One woman got out of her car when stopped at the red light and yelled, "My kids are looking at your pictures right now!"abortion but decided to cancel it after seeing the posters, she said.[Ann] Scheidler [of Pro-Life Action League] said those types of reactions are typical, but she believes children don't get upset about the signs until they see their parents react adversely.
In fact, Scheidler has involved her children in anti-abortion protests since they were small. At the demonstration Wednesday, Scheidler's now-grown son, Eric, and his children participated.
Eric Scheidler, of Aurora, said he believes children naturally understand the "dependence" and "fragility" of babies, even if they might not quite grasp abortion until they are older.
He said he understands the concern about children seeing the graphic photos, but said the "extremist" measures are essential in informing those who are indifferent about the issue.
A Sugar Grove man whose wife and child drove by the demonstration said he was upset that the pictures could be displayed in public, especially as so many restrictions have been implemented to keep kids from accessing graphic movies and video games.
He said his 6-year-old son was asking questions like, "What's wrong with the baby's head? Why is he bloody?"
"I shouldn't have to explain something that graphic to my son of 6 years," said the man, who asked not to be identified. "It's like if someone was brutally murdered on the side of the street, I wouldn't want him to look at that."
Although the 28-year-old said he "doesn't stand on either side" of the abortion issue, he felt his family was "violated" by being subjected to such images.
The Pro-Life Action League suggests that parents calmly explain to children who see the pictures that the protesters are trying to stop people from hurting babies.
Scheidler said the posters have proved effective. Throughout a nine-day tour in 2003 of the Chicago area, the agency received about 20 comments and phone calls from people who said they had scheduled an
Comments:
My Daughter started seeing them when she was 7-8 yrs old. I told her what they were. She was more upset that a mother would kill her baby then the bloody pictures themselves. Kids are naturally curious, and seem to have a stomach for such pictures, why do parents and adults freak out more when pictures of murder are shown on tv?
I believe in telling her the truth, before society dishes her a lie! Parents who scream about protecting their kids usually have kids in public schools where they see and hear much worse!
First of all, I love the quote, "I'd far rather a kid see one of those pictures than be one of them."
And interesting -- I bought a copy of "A Child is Born" for my toddler daughter when I was pregnant with her brother. She pointed to the pictures and mourned, "Poor baby!" She realized that if they were taking pictures of babies that were so little that they needed to be inside the mom, then the babies were dead or dying when the pictures were taken. Nothing gory; just wisdom. Out of the mouths of babes.
Posted by: Christina at July 16, 2005 8:14 PMThe problem is, I don't want my kids to know that mommies sometimes kill their own babies. Not yet.
I don't watch Law & Order or CSI when my kids are awake.
And, btw, I homeschool.
Small children aren't ready for such graphic violence. At this point in their development all they need is to have their natural inclinations nurtured -- that babies in utero are already real people, and that all babies need love and protection.
My kids receive a pro-life education everytime I (or someone else in our family) get pregnant and we all oooh and aaah over the ultrasound or gather 'round to feel the baby kick. No need for their young minds to try to grasp the horrible reality of what some people do to their own children.
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Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.