OPINION:
One of the most hypocritical and downright diabolical facets of the pro-abortion lobby is the penchant some of its adherents have for exulting pro-abortion narratives, lionizing these stories into hero narratives while excluding divergent experiences.
Many on the left love to relish these macabre accounts under the guise of opening the floodgates for women to tell their stories, yet other females who regret their abortions are almost always left in the dust.
It seems only some people are worthy of having their stories told, while others — simply by virtue of having had a different experience — are denigrated, downgraded or ignored.
The latest example of this ideological madness surrounds “Blonde,” a film about Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe streaming on Netflix. The movie’s handling of abortion has enraged some pro-choicers, leaving them lamenting.
At the center of the furor are depictions of Monroe’s purported abortions. Rather than portraying relief, she is presented in the fictionalized version of events as having struggled with these decisions (this is all conjecture, as no one knows much about this area of Monroe’s life).
One scene, in particular, shows Monroe’s unborn baby speaking to her — something that apparently crosses a line for some critics. Caren Spruch, Planned Parenthood Federation of America’s national director of arts and entertainment engagement, apparently isn’t a fan of “Blonde’s” handling of these images.
She responded by proclaiming that TV and movies have a powerful impact on “people’s understanding of sexual and reproductive health” and stressed the need for such entertainment to “accurately portray women’s real decisions and experiences.”
“While abortion is safe, essential health care, anti-abortion zealots have long contributed to abortion stigma by using medically inaccurate descriptions of fetuses and pregnancy,” Ms. Spruch told The Hollywood Reporter. “Andrew Dominik’s new film, ‘Blonde,’ bolsters their message with a CGI-talking fetus, depicted to look like a fully formed baby.”
There’s much to unpack here, and perhaps the quotes included in The Hollywood Reporter don’t fully encapsulate Planned Parenthood’s views on the matter. But for anyone who stops at the aforementioned line of argumentation, one must ask: Why can’t Hollywood also “accurately portray” the stories of women suffering for days, months, years and even decades from their post-abortion experiences?
Abortion is almost exclusively framed by Hollywood in a positive light. And the complaint about pro-lifers using “medically inaccurate” descriptions is just surreal.
How could we, with a straight face, ignore the vast dehumanization of the unborn — the endless claims that these human beings with distinct DNA are mere “clumps of cells” unworthy of anything other than being willfully discarded?
How could we, without any sort of revulsion, ignore Stacey Abrams’ recent claim that the pulsing sounds of the unborn on a sonogram aren’t human heartbeats?
Ms. Spruch said that “every pregnancy outcome — especially abortion — should be portrayed sensitively, authentically and accurately in the media.”
“We still have much work to do to ensure that everyone who has an abortion can see themselves onscreen,” she added.
But that’s just the thing: Many people have never seen themselves on screen, as they’re forced to suffer in silence. Women and men are compelled to hide their pain while the “shout your abortion” faction of the pro-choice movement pretends their hurt and trauma are abnormal, nonexistent or simply unworthy of recognition.
It’s far past time to dismantle the lie that everyone is content with their decision to abort. Countless ministries serve those who are suffering, and ignoring their torment is inhuman.
• Billy Hallowell is a digital TV host and interviewer for Faithwire and CBN News and the co-host of CBN’s “Quick Start Podcast.” He is the author of four books, including “Playing With Fire: A Modern Investigation Into Demons, Exorcism, and Ghosts,” and “The Armageddon Code: One Journalist’s Quest for End-Times Answers.” He was formerly the director of content and communications at Pure Flix and the former faith and culture editor at TheBlaze.
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