For the past nine months, suspense has tinted international headlines as we await the birth of the British royal baby. Questions about the baby’s sex, hair color, eye color, and even facial features have produced debates and costly bets.
But wait, shouldn’t we have been talking about the “royal fetus”? After all, just a week ago, the very media outlets now celebrating the birth of the royal baby boy were condemning Texas legislatures for banning late-term abortions (For example see, see MSNBC correspondents speak on the “royal baby” on June 24 yet “fetus” on July 17). This double standard highlights the rhetorical maneuvering pro-abortion radicals use to dupe people into accepting their agenda. They use language necessary to make their platform look more appealing.
Americans see past the veiled language of “choice.” Heck, I’m “pro-choice” when it comes to choosing my doctor, where I go to school, or what religion I practice. But when it comes down to the facts, there is only so much truth that language can cover up. What is the so-called “choice? The choice is to end the life of another human being. Label it what you want, but this is simply not a “choice” afforded by the U.S. Constitution.
Discussions and speculations about the royal baby have drawn attention to the beautiful and much-forgotten intricacies of human development. From the very moment the baby was conceived, he was a unique individual. Already nine months ago, the sex, the eye color, the hair color, and yes, even the facial features, were set in place for this individual. Back in November, the tiny heart began to beat, the lungs began to form, and the tiny arms, legs, nose, and mouth took shape. Back in November/ early December the baby’s brain divided into three parts, his nerves connected, and he began making reflexive movements. Back in February the baby “practiced” breathing, his vocal chords formed, and he began making facial expressions. Although carefully protected from the eyes of the outside world, the baby is already a precious individual that will never be replicated.
William and Kate have already been the proud parents of a royal “baby.” But it’s not the royalty that makes this little child merit the basic, dignified title of “baby.” It is his humanity—from his very earliest beginnings—that qualifies him for such basic respect.
