Believe It

A person's beliefs are very personal, and not to be scoffed at. Unless someone has been brainwashed, their beliefs come from their attempts to make sense of an event, of themselves, or of the universe. So, I respect other people's beliefs. Even if they are bats**t crazy. However, if anyone tries to push their beliefs onto my kiddo, that's another thing.

The kiddo and I went to a local festival. There was music, dancing, vendors, lots and lots of food, and booths occupied by certain interest groups. I was trying to find someone in particular, so the kiddo and I strolled slowly down the row of tents and booths, checking them all out. There was one that we should have passed by very quickly...

The booth in question was for pro-life interests. They are typically very passionate about their beliefs, which is admirable. Many of them, though, choose some extreme ways of presenting their beliefs. The lady who accosted us (yes, accosted--she came out of the booth to where we were walking in order to talk to us) offered the kiddo one of their promotional items. It was...I'll just come out and say it--it was a plastic, "toy" fetus! To say that I found that inappropriate is an understatement. The lady told the kiddo that the toy fetus was the same size she was when she had been in my tummy for 12 weeks. Now, my kiddo knows that she was in my tummy, and she knows that for part of that time, she was quite small. There are pictures of me where you can't really tell I was pregnant, and I will ask the kiddo, "Where are you in this picture?" and she will point to my tummy. She gets it. In an acceptable, 6-year-old kind of way. This toy fetus resembled a typical baby doll the same way a real fetus resembles a newborn after it has been washed off and wrapped up. Slightly, but not much.

So while I respect everyone's beliefs, and life in general, and I agree with their most basic tenet (don't kill babies), I do take issue with the way a lot of pro-lifers represent themselves and their beliefs. I take issue with the way so many of them disregard so many other important issues in order to push their own agenda. They need to keep the craziness away from my kiddo. Handing out plastic fetuses is not acceptable, and downright freaky. I was disgusted, even though I understood the point they were trying to make. My kiddo was confused, hesitant, and yes, freaked out by it. I could see it on her face. I asked her if she wanted to take the "baby" being offered to her, and she vehemently shook her head and said 'no'.

My kiddo loves babies. She does not understand that there are women in this world who should not have children because they are ill-equipped to care for them. She doesn't realize that there are women who should not have children because they are or would be terrible mothers. (That last one might be a credit to me--I'll take it!) In my kiddo's reality, all babies are wanted and all mommies take wonderful care of their children. She is the ultimate pro-lifer (Don't even get me started on animals. That's for another post.) And yet this ultimate pro-lifer thinks that the "official" pro-lifers are scary and gross.