It is always tragic to see the leftists when they are forced to confront a position other than their own. They have managed to establish monopolies inside academia, the federal government bureaucracy, the news media, many professions and far too many religious and charitable institutions. Thus, leftists tend to be dismissive of those who challenge matters they consider settled.
Sounding the Alarm
A charter member of the leftist media cabal is The Washington Post. From its editorial offices on K Street in the nation’s capital come articles that reassure the “wokesters” that their shared views offer the only reasonable opinion on world events. When they report on the right, their usual tone is sneering. They have contempt for any truth that might force them to reconsider their positions.
However, sometimes leftist certainties are shaken. One recent example is covered in a Washington Post article titled “Antiabortion Group’s ‘Baby Olivia’ Video May be Required in Some Schools.” The subtitle confirms liberal opinions, “‘Baby Olivia’ was created by Live Action, which said it shows the ‘undeniable humanity’ of a fetus.”
The telling point is in the punctuation—specifically, the scare marks around the words “undeniable humanity.”
Uncomfortable and Inconvenient Facts
Of course, the Post is quite willing to deny the humanity of a fetus. They would rather ignore Baby Olivia altogether. However, they cannot do so in this case because several states—Iowa, West Virginia, Kentucky and Missouri—are considering requiring the film to be viewed in their public schools.
This film is short, just over three minutes long, but it packs a lot into that brief period. This humanity is only one of the unwelcome truths leftists see in Baby Olivia. Only a few seconds into the film, liberals are forced to deal with an abundance of unwelcome realities.
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“This is the moment that life begins. A new human being has come into existence. At fertilization, her gender, ethnicity, hair color, eye color, and countless other traits are already determined.”
Unexpectedly Beautiful
It is impressive that a film with so much accurate scientific information could be so beautifully produced. There is nothing here of the sensational or the theatrical. The background music is subtle, and the narrator’s voice is calm and compassionate. The visuals encourage compassion.
Of course, when presented with genuine beauty, the leftists have to use an ugly word to describe it.
“‘In my opinion, it’s propaganda,’ said Iowa state Rep. Molly Buck (D), who was the lone vote against advancing that state’s bill out of subcommittee. ‘Their goal is to promote that life starts at conception.’”
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Indeed, that is the goal that no one denies because it is the truth.
Scientifically Accurate
Nancy Flanders of Live Action explains the film’s intent and how it presents these truths.
“Created by Live Action with the support of world class visual artists along with medical experts including accredited OB-GYNs, ‘Baby Olivia’ is the world’s most realistic and medically accurate animated representation of a child developing in her mother’s womb. The computer-generated 3D animation uses motion capture technology of real human movement, allowing this video to reveal the undeniable humanity of preborn children.”
Where the Post concentrates on the political, an Associated Press (AP) account of the same event resorts to quibbles of a pseudo-scientific nature.
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“The video also describes the animated figure’s motion and actions with words like ‘playing,’ ‘exploring,’ ‘sighing,’ and making ‘speaking movements.’ Those words assign human traits and properties to a fetus that are more sophisticated than medicine can prove, said Emily Boevers, a practicing OB-GYN in Iowa and co-founder of Iowans for Health Liberty, which advocates for reproductive health care…. [T]he video’s language implies ‘a level of intention that we just can’t say is present.’”
Fetuses are Human, Too
Of course, fetuses display human traits because they are human. No organism changes species as it develops. Every attribute that “Olivia” displays is one anyone was once capable of at that stage of development. The fetus of a chimpanzee, for example, never becomes human despite their many physical similarities.
Of course, to a pro-abort, “reproductive health care” is a euphemism for ending a child’s life before birth. Live Action reacted to the AP article by explaining that Dr. Boevers is “the only medical expert the AP could find who would go on record for the piece criticizing ‘Baby Olivia’ is the co-founder of a pro-abortion activist group in Iowa. This fact itself was disguised by the AP when they referred to her affiliation as the leader of a ‘reproductive rights’ group instead of disclosing the group’s main objective, which is opposing all abortion restrictions.”
Perhaps Dr. Boevers could gain perspective from one of her colleagues—one who examined her beliefs and found the courage to explain the result. This brief review appears on the Live Action website.
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“Olivia is a spectacular and medically accurate portrayal of the development of a baby girl within the womb. It is based on information from the Endowment for Human Development, a highly respected scientific source on embryology and fetal development. Olivia draws back the curtain on the womb, giving us a realistic glimpse of the baby within. As a retired Ob/Gyn, I wish this had been available for my patients. As a former abortionist, I would recommend this video to any woman contemplating abortion if she wants to be informed about what is happening inside her body before finalizing her decision.”—Kathi A. Aultman, MD, FACOG
Illusions of Political Power
The pro-abortion movement claims to be gaining political strength. However, two facts doom their movement. First, it is inherently evil, and Our Lord defeated evil about two thousand years ago on the Cross.
Second, like all evils, abortion’s apparent popularity is based on a lie. The pro-aborts assert, somehow, that embryos and fetuses are not human. Around that falsehood, they embroider ever greater illusions that some believe because they find such notions convenient. Sustaining their immoral lifestyles depends on freely available abortion. So, the pro-aborts have constructed a near-monopoly in America’s schools, convincing children that Planned Parenthood’s lies are reality.
Baby Olivia can destroy that monopoly in three minutes. It shows a child going through the most vulnerable stage in her life. To see Baby Olivia is to care about what happens to her. Indeed, compassion for the young and helpless is a permanent feature of human nature. The only way that the pro-aborts can succeed is to convince people that millions of aborted Olivias are less important than the stray dogs that the ASPCA displays in its fund-raising commercials.
Baby Olivia leaves out one crucial part of the story of new life. There is no mention of the fact that the baby has a soul. This fact is even more marvelous than the natural process. This child is destined for eternal life! Live Action deserves thanks for producing and distributing this important film.
Photo Credit: © wolterke – stock.adobe.com