Grace Browne argues that there’s no logic in how society views unborn babies.
Denial has always been a necessary defence mechanism in Scottish politics
The bubble of cognitive dissonance is rarely burst.
Yet, SNP MSP John Mason did just that when he courageously called out the glaring contradiction of those who support abortion in Scotland abortion regime, which permits abortion before 24 weeks whilst simultaneously supporting a memorial book for unborn babies taken by miscarriage before 24 weeks.
Abortion activists branded Mr Mason ‘disgusting’ and ‘disgraceful’ when he said that he ‘welcomes the launch of a Baby Loss Memorial Book’ but also called for ‘equality for all unborn babies… whether because of miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal death or abortion’.
Former First Minister’s Nicola Sturgeon’s memorial book is a welcome and kind initiative, which allows for unborn babies lost to miscarriage to be recognised and remembered. Hopefully, parents in Scotland who have suffered the loss of their child through miscarriage will take solace in knowing their names are memorialised and officially recognised.
It is impossible, however, not to notice the glaring hypocrisy present.
During her eight-year tenure as Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon was her fierce supporter of the further liberal of abortion law.
Among other things during 2017, the Scottish Government encouraged women from Northern Ireland to travel to Scotland for abortions free of charge.
Now, Nicola Sturgeon has launched a baby loss memorial book, which is receiving widespread support amongst the same activists who forcefully back those abortion policies.
This brazen contradiction makes clear what we already know to be the case: a wanted child is adored as a ‘baby’ worthy of love and care, but an unwanted child is degraded as a ‘clump of cells’.
The memorial book makes clear that a wanted child lost to miscarriage can be mourned but an unborn child lost to abortion can be celebrated as ‘a woman’s right to choose.’
This cognitive dissonance is present all around us. We have a duty to call it out, as John Mason did.
Society deems it responsible to brand cigarette packets with slogans such as ‘smoking can harm your unborn child’ but also thinks it acceptable to end the life of the same unborn child.
This illogical approach to how we view unborn life cannot continue. The value of human life cannot be determined by how ‘wanted’ a person is by family or wider society.
All unborn babies, from the very moment of conception, are worthy of love and should be valued, regardless of how ‘wanted’ they are deemed to be.
Grace Browne is a Communications officer at SPUC.