Anti-abortionist uses baby's photo to emotionally manipulate people, gets shut down with facts

By now, we've seen every trick in the book and heard every twisted argument the anti-abortion movement has cooked up in its crusade against people's reproductive rights. Raising everything from religious claims to supposedly ethical reasons, they've gone to great lengths to shame and restrict those who would like a choice in the matter; the latest of which is the draconian 'heartbeat' bill that came into effect in Texas this month. As the nation attempts to defend itself in this forced return to a cruel and ignorant past, a netizen's blistering response to an anti-abortion meme a few years ago comes to mind once again.

The meme, originally shared on the Life Begins at Conception Facebook page, uses the picture of a smiling baby next to the words: "If you're pronounced dead when your heart stops beating, why aren't you pronounced alive when your heart starts beating?" It eventually made its way to other social media platforms where someone with the username fight-for-equality challenged its message with an informative and withering putdown. "Actually, you're not considered dead when your heart stops beating. This is why many medical professionals still try to revive those whose hearts have stopped," they wrote.

"Because medicine and science have found that death is not considered when your heart has stopped, but once all brain activity has ceased. Which is why they usually have around six minutes before there is no chance to revive. Because when the heart has stopped, your brain cells are deprived of oxygen and start to die," the netizen continued. "Fetuses do not have regular brain activity until 25 weeks. At this point in gestation, the only time an abortion would be performed is out of medical necessity to save the mother's life, or to spare the fetus from a short and painful life."

"These only make up 1% of all abortions. And therefore by this argument, but with the knowledge of what is actually classified as death, a fetus isn't 'alive' until roughly 25 weeks. Far after 99% of abortions are performed. Please do actual research before trying to use emotionally manipulative photos of babies that are born and NOT fetuses before parading it out and believing it as fact," they wrote. "Because you are only seriously misinforming yourself, and many others and further contributing to a movement that tries to control women's bodies when what they do with it does not affect you."

"If you are so adamant about helping lives, try doing things for those who are in need and are actually sentient beings. Volunteer at a soup kitchen, donate to an organization that helps feed children, support adopting of older children who are in foster care and are more likely to age out. But this? This does nothing," they concluded. The netizen's reply was a big hit on the MurderedByWords subreddit where several Redditors praised them for the perfect "murder with words." 

One Redditor also vulnerable opened up about their traumatic experience of going through an abortion following medical complications and how the anti-abortion movement never lets them forget the pain. "I'm actually pretty relieved they're using real babies now. My son died in the womb but my body wouldn't let him go, so they had to perform an emergency abortion to retrieve him before he started to... Anyway. It was really traumatic and I don't remember much from that month. It was two days before Christmas when they took him out. I don't remember anything about that Christmas other than crying over a first-time dad book that I bought for my boyfriend as a Christmas present," they shared.

"But I do remember the pain I feel every time I have to drive past one of those signs with the aborted, cut-up fetuses. I never expect it and I'm just trying to go out and live my life. Then a sign shows up, painting in detail the picture my OB rushed me into surgery to keep me from seeing," they added. "I really don't like those people."