Dr. Seuss’s genius stolen by the anti-abortionists!

It wasn’t until recently that I actually read (well, was read) Dr. Seuss’s Horton Hears a Who. Now, in case you need a refresher, the book (first it was a book!) is about Horton the elephant, who spends the book trying to save the creatures that live on a speck of dust. The idea that runs throughout the story is “A person’s a person, no matter how small.”

Now, as someone who is a firm believer in the dignity of all people, tolerance, and equality, and who, by the way, measures a startling 5′0″, this quote really struck me.

I did some Internet searching and found that Dr. Seuss had a print to go along with this idea (and many other beautiful pieces of art, by the way):

They’ve Proved They Are Persons No Matter How Small

BUT while I was finding all of these gems, I also found something troubling: Lots of anti-abortion groups have taken to using the phrase “A person’s a person no matter how small” to justify their views. Now, I don’t want to get entirely entrenched in the abortion debate, but I do want to point out (however controversially) that there is no clear consensus in the scientific or medical world about when “life” begins or when a person becomes a person.

For the record, Theodor Seuss Geisel (yup, he had a real name) wrote this book in 1954, well before 1973 when abortion was legalized and this became a common issue in American society. But, while we’re on the subject, Geisel and his wife were liberal Democrats who believed in women’s rights. Usually, women’s rights involve a woman’s right to make decisions about her own body, which is a foundation of the pro-choice argument.

But wait, 1954! That sounds familiar. That was the year of the landmark decision Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka, KS, which declared that separate was not equal, at least not in the area of education. It makes sense that a liberal children’s author would incorporate this idea into his work, and here we see it (lots of Dr. Seuss books include commentary on equality and tolerance (many featuring Horton again, and his own website states that “Throughout Seuss’s books, Horton represents loyalty, equality and faithfulness.”), as well as the environment (see: The Lorax) and other important issues).

It is a shame that Seuss’s message of tolerance, celebrating the idea that we should appreciate everyone, despite whatever differences we may all have (at the time, the focus may have been on skin color, though I bet Seuss would support many types of tolerance), has been overshadowed by the pro-lifers.

Let’s take it back! “A person’s a person, no matter how small” should be used once again to remind us to respect everyone, despite our differences!

(With thanks to http://www.prochoicetexas.org/news/headlines/200803191.shtml)

(And finally, I can’t help but take this a little bit too literally and direct you to the idea of heightism.)

~ by martie on August 31, 2008.