They are obsessed with BABIES,

[HockeyMom]

and of course fetuses, who LOOK like babies. This is the conclusion I have come to reading all their posts with pictures of "adorable, smiling infants". What is the obsession with babies? I just don't get it. Yes, even as the mother of two daughters, who are both now in their 20s.

My sister-in-law once said to me when my daughters were infants, "Too bad, they cannot stay babies FOREVER." HUH? I told her to go buy a DOLL if she wanted a baby forever. There was nothing "adorable" about my younger daughter who turned beat red from screaming with 9 months of colic. There was also nothing "adorable" even about my "good" older daughter who just lay there like a lump for 9 months either.

Personally, I could not WAIT until they passed their infancy and could walk and talk. I wanted to see who these little PEOPLE really were. I NEVER assumed that they would be clones of either me or my husband, but individuals with their own wants, needs, likes, and dislikes. I couldn't wait to "meet" my children.

Is this must a matter of control? They want to control everybody? Babies can be controlled. Children, teenagers, adults cannot. Am I wrong?

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. I think they use babies in their ads and commercials

because they want the general public to think that that is what a zygote looks like. And I'm sure there are some who really think there is a miniature baby, with hands, toes, and cute little eyes, growing inside the mother from the moment of conception.

On the other hand, I also see your point about wanting to keep children as babies, because they can be controlled. Personally, I always preferred teaching kids that were 8 or 9 years old; I have also worked in a daycare and taken care of infants; give me the older kids any day of the week.

[FloridaPat]

2. It's a natural reaction most people have so that they want to have

more babies. Something mother nature added to make sure there is enough commitment from the parents to raise their children for all those years.

[Tool Fan]

3. It's the Hypocrisy....

I know I don't want children, so I'm kind of biased on that, I'm convinced this whole world is obssessed with babies.

The problem is that the same people you speak of that are all about protecting the life of the unborn child are the same people who won't take care of the people we have alive now. They want to ensure above all every conceived child is born, but once they are born, they don't want to fund the social programs necessary to maintain all these wonderful babies. These babies then become adults that fall through the cracks of the system while the government stretches it's last dollar to support what? more babies...


good thinking, HockeyMom, thansk for raising the issue

[classof56]

5. Welcome to DU, Tool Fan.

Glad to have you on the board.

Tired Old Cynic

[Erika]

6. Welcome to DU Tool Fan

If they care so much about life and its conception point, let them take of their own conceptions and leave the rest of us alone!

[boolean]

19. RIGHT ON

While I still have issues with abortion due to the whole life killing aspect of it, I can't stand those conservative asshats that say they care so much about life, but then have no problem with war, the death penalty, and social programs to protect our most vulnerable.

[Mad_Dem_X]

21. Well said!

Welcome to DU.

[Warpy]

4. I'm with you. I just never had any kind of a thing for

infants and toddlers. When friends had kids, I could barely wait until those kids were old enough to walk and talk and turn into real kids. I always got a kick out of mouthy school age kids. I even like recalcitrant teenagers. I just don't like babies and toddlers.

That makes me the opposite of most maternal types, I guess. I've met quite a few more women like me, but we're a definite minority.

I've always said that the problem with the pro reproductive slavery folks is that they sentimentalize everything from an ovum to a fetus into a 3 month old baby, which they are definitely NOT.

I have no idea whether or not it's a matter of control. They certainly want to control the bodily processes and medical decisions of complete strangers, from lying to kids about abstinence to trying to reinstitute reproductive slavery. I think something else is at work with the craziness over babies, though, since not all the baby besotted are antichoice.

[HawkerHurricane]

7. Evolution in action.

People (well, women, actually) who are 'obsessed' with babies have more children than those who aren't. Thus, the 'baby obsession gene' gets passed on, while the 'babies, who needs them? gene' does not.

[kestrel91316]

12. I think I have that 'babies - who needs them?' gene, lol.

[HawkerHurricane]

13. Which, by definition...

you are unlikely to pass on

[kestrel91316]

14. Oh, well.................

My sister has the maternal instincts of the family. She can be the gene-passer.

[classof56]

8. I have some familiarity--actually a lot--with the horrors that some

babies and children go through at the hands of those who are supposed to care for and protect them. And as the safety net programs for these children are decreased, the evil and pain perpetrated on the youngsters will increase. And who cares about that? Unfortunately, not the people obsessed with the "unborn" they are committed to saving. If only they were equally as committed to protecting those abused, neglected and forgotten children already among us...the world might be a much different place.

Shame on all of them. If they truly were obsessed with babies, they would do their best to save the already-born who are lost and desperately needing help instead of cutting the programs that aid help them. As you say, they are into control but sadly, not into compassion.

Tired Old Cynic

[Castilleja]

9. Love your post!

And I could not agree more. I think it is my job as a parent to help my kids become successful people, and I definitely find them more fascinating as young adults. They are no longer so dependant upon us, and it is interesting to hear them forming their own opinions, and just the growth as people in general.

The only time I recall ever preferring them at a younger age was in the checkout line of a grocery store, while holding one on my hip and wistfully remembering when they were in the womb and I did not have to use my arms to hold them. Seemed much less tiring at the time. ;-) So, i think you have hit on something with the control idea.

[SheilaT]

10. Personally, my two sons were quite

adorable as babies, and I totally loved the early infancy. But that's just me. And even with that good experience, I don't believe in forced child-bearing.

[Nobody]

11. The first article about the abortion ban in SD

quoted a woman crowing about the fact that she had nine kids. She seemed to think that because she had nine kids, everyone should have nine kids and that the pro-choice crowd seems to disapprove entirely of motherhood. Having a huge number of kids is a choice.

No one forced her to have any kids, and no one who thinks abortion should be legal would ever dream of telling her she can't have Kid Number Ten if she so chooses. Most people who only want one or two at a time of their own choosing (or none at all) would never accost a pregnant woman with six kids in tow yelling at her to abort the one on the way.

[Katherine Brengle]

15. I liked my daughter as an infant, but...

she is sooooo much better now!

She is nuts--running around and talking and showing off her new little personality (which is really quite big, lol) and jumping off the furniture and playing with other kids and brushing my hair with a shovel...

It rocks, and I can see it getting better and better as she gets older.

I think that a lot of people like the simplicity of dealing with a baby--a baby has basic needs, but doesn't demand a lot of thought--you don't have to compromise with a baby, or take a baby's opinion into consideration...

[musical_soul]

16. I wish babies would stay babies forever too.

Or at least stay kids. They are easier to deal with than adults (the big babies IMHO).

I don't think any of this has to do with politics.

[lies and propaganda]

17. they stop caring way before youre of war age.

Just for that nine months are you their shining beacon. :puke:

[Iris]

18. I recently read the term "personhood" on another discussion board

relating to abortion rights. And that is what pro-life people just don't seem to get. They act like a baby is in some way better than another person. Your s-i-l's comment kind of drives it home - these people don't care about a PERSON, they only care about something they consider defenseless, pliable, and, well, not even really a person.

I don't know if this makes sense. But, to me, people who think babies should stay babies forever are being very disrespectful of an infant's "personhood."

[novalib]

20. They are also DISRESPECTFUL

You are DAMN RIGHT, Iris!!

People who think babies should stay babies forever are being disrespectfulo of an infant's personhood.

But, just as important, people who think fetuses are babies are DISRESPECTFUL of the personhood of the WOMAN!!

It's NOT a BABY -- it's just a damned fetus!!!

[Quantess]

23. Compare it to....

calling a lump of clay a sculpture. More like, screaming IT'S A SCULPTURE! when anyone points out that it's still only a lump of clay.

[novalib]

24. GREAT Comparison!!!

Thank you for that GREAT comparison!!!

[Nobody]

25. And this

If I invite them to my place for a chicken dinner, I will serve them scrambled eggs. They better not complain.

[Iris]

27. lol

that's perfect!

[Quantess]

28. Uh...........

:eyes: yeah something like that.

[Ellen Forradalom]

22. I have what some may consider a hands-off approach

to parenting my seven-year-old.

Of course he gets lots of guidance. He goes to gymnastics, tennis and we take Spanish lessons together at home. We feed him nutritious food, bathe him, make sure his homework gets done, hustle him to bed on time, get him to the doctor and dentist. I'm very proud of him, but I don't derive my worth as a person from him or his accomplishments. I just relate to him as a person. Well, insofar as a mom can, and still do her job as mom.

[HappyWeasel]

26. What would be funny...

Is that these wing nuts put toddlers in the fetal position and had them scream "Right to Life". I wonder if anyone would buy it...

[Quantess]

29. Are you meaning: wouldn't it be funny if....?

Or, are you saying that was funny?

[Name removed]

30. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Crunchy Frog]

31. So is it wrong to like babies?

I mean, I'm very pro-choice, but I like babies. Does that make me somehow suspect?

Actually, most of the anti-choicers couldn't give a flying fuck about babies. They're obsessed with control over female sexuality.

[PeaceNikki]

32. This thread is like a hundred years old and kicked by a SPAM bot

(the deleted post just above yours)

Not that that changes the discussion... just wanted to point that out.

[Control-Z]

33. Was it really?

How do you know? Did you see it before it was deleted?

I'm just curious, btw, not challenging you. :hi: (Sad that I would feel the need to qualify myself, but it seems necessary these days.)

Anyway, are you talking about a person/new poster trolling pro-choice and women's forums? Or a program that crawls/searches by key word and then leaves a programmed message?

[PeaceNikki]

34. Yeah, I saw the SPAM and alerted on it.

It appeared to be a bot as it read like the crazy emails you get. The user had 3 posts and they were all in weird sub-forums and each kicked really old threads. Yes, I also think it searched for specific keywords and attached to those.

[HockeyMom]

35. I started this thread YEARS ago

Amazing that it is still alive and kicking. Yeah, I am still around here and I am a REAL PERSON.

BTW, I still feel the same as my OP. I will leave you all with the words of my Mom, born 1920. I am an only child born in 1948, by the CHOICE of my parents. Mom said this to me when I married in 1974. "Your right to NOT be a mother, trumps any "right" I have to be a Grandmother". I told both my daughters what their Grandma said to me, and I repeated it to THEM when they came of age.

It is very sound advice from a woman born in an another time, yet it certainly applies today. My Mom was way ahead of her times.