Parents Magazine’s Tortured Omission of the Term “Baby”
Parents Magazine dates back to October of 1926, the golden age of print publications. Originally titled, “Children, The Magazine for Parents,” issues focused on the practical side of raising children.
While the print publication transitioned to an all-digital format earlier this year, the periodical boasts that its main audience is women, and topics will continue to include health, nutrition – and pregnancy.
Given that, it’s not surprising that a recent article on the site was titled, “Your Pregnancy Symptoms Week by Week.” Written by Nicole Harris, the piece is subtitled, “What to expect while carrying a baby.”
“A baby” – not a fetus. In fact, Harris goes on to mention “baby” nineteen times in the one article.
Juxtapose Harris’ piece with another just a few weeks later on the same site by Sara Cottrell. That one is titled, “This Organization Is Extending Services for Those Who Need Transport to Abortion and Gender-Affirming Care.”
Care to guess how many times the word “baby” was mentioned?
You probably guessed it – zero.
The article went on to discuss a new group of volunteer pilots “who volunteer their time, skills, and planes to transport anyone who needs abortion care access or gender-affirming care.”
So much for flight for life.
The tortured Parents.com article highlights how desperately and coldly the Left attempts to disconnect painful facts from the subject of abortion. They must be thinking it will be easier to justify or rationalize killing the child if they don’t ever refer to it as a baby.
It’s the same reason why Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers have been known to cover the screen of the ultrasound from expectant mothers. They know that if a woman actually sees the baby inside her, she is much more likely to want to carry her child to term.
Confusion or the downright disconnect is even found on the nightly newscast. When a woman and her pre-born baby are in a car accident, we hear about the baby – but when they’re talking about an abortion, it’s a fetus.
But getting back to Parents, why would a magazine site dedicated to helping parents help their children actually lend article space to an organization whose primary purpose is to help parents abort their children? It’s diabolical.
Sadly, the Left has made a regular habit of using soft words to describe dark deeds. Phrases like “abortion care” and “gender-affirming care” are just two examples of the vacuous and evil lies some are trying to peddle these days. Don’t fall for it. There is nothing “caring” about killing a baby or surgically scarring a sexually-confused child. It’s abuse.
One of the best things we can do is to continue to use the proper words and phrases to describe the situation.
It’s not a “fetus” – it’s a pre-born baby or baby.
Supporting abortion doesn’t make you “pro-choice” – it makes you “pro-abortion.”
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits,” we read in Proverbs (18:21). In The Message paraphrase, the late Eugene Peterson put it even more bluntly. “Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit – you choose.”
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Paul J. Batura is a writer and vice president of communications for Focus on the Family. He’s authored numerous books including “Chosen for Greatness: How Adoption Changes the World,” “Good Day! The Paul Harvey Story” and “Mentored by the King: Arnold Palmer's Success Lessons for Golf, Business, and Life.” Paul can be reached via email: [email protected] or Twitter @PaulBatura
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