Anti-life
Today’s comic is sure to unleash the angry dragon that sleeps dormant in the hearts of otherwise kind and moral people. But before you go all apeshit on me with your e-mails, please listen to what I have to say: I’m a scientist, and I’ve been that ever since I erupted out of nothing into this world as a crying fetus. I even had a bunsen burner with me, in there, in the uterus. So naturally, when I learned about this “pro-life” movement, I was baffled. That was last week.
Since then all I’ve been able to think is, “are they serious? This is absurd.” I can’t really imagine how anyone can randomly decide that when some cells join together, at some point they magically become precious enough to yell about. And just human cells, at that. Have you ever watched a plant give birth? That’s pretty special. Where’s the anger over kids kicking budding dandelions?
The truth is the world isn’t black and white. Every single situation you can possibly think of falls into a grey area. To somehow decide that your truth is the only truth, and applies in all situations is incomprehensible to me. There’s no logic in that, there’s not even rationality.
To be honest, I actually don’t hold a strong opinion about abortion; it’s your body, do whatever you want. But I do hold a strong opinion about large crowds chanting about removing choice from others. You can be all crazy in your own home, and you can even write about it all you want. But when you lobby a government to enforce your ideals on others, well then you’re not only ignorant, but also dangerous.
In the end, it feels like a classy 1600s witch hunt, so I guess it just needs to be said: Welcome to the 21st century, same as all the other centuries.
I read your post, but before I did, it seemed like your comic was specifically drawn up to light a fire under the pro-choice crowd. Not only are you referring to them as “anti-life”, but you seem to be making them out to be some manner of lemming. Now, your post seems far more rational, and, in fact, betrays a preference against pro-life, so forgive me if I’ve missed the point of the comic entirely.
this is a well written comment. yes, i can see how it would be confusing. it’s difficult to summarize the post in a comic, but that’s what we went for. hopefully others do not find it so confusing without the backing post.
It’s certain people following ancient traditions that conditions them from a young age to be imposing and close-minded. They live to bend the world to their will, and thus they lobby to governments to achieve their agenda.
fetusi cry?
Tears of birth-joy
is it really fetusi? fetuses? feteese?
fetii??
fetusauruses?
gotta agree with Lapper; not sure I understand. “Anti-life” ? they jump off cliffs? At least the “Pro-lifers” say something that bears some semblance to things Pro-lifers say.. portraying the Pro Choice movement as “Anti Life” is exactly the way the pro life movement smears pro choice. So I get a little confused when I’m reading the comic… also, he joins anti-life and dies at the end? I’m not sure I get this comic, even with reading the post.
I am highly interested in this debate; it’s like a black hole of argument because all of our existing standards break down inside it. Categorizing your stance as “it’s your body, do whatever you want” and also saying you have no strong opinion is interesting to me; the famous Roe vs. Wade that established abortion precedence and “right to choose” was built specifically around privacy rights and the limitation of government “jurisdiction” (if you will) inside a citizen’s body- essentially, “It’s your body, do whatever you want.” So, in a way, you *do* have a strong opinion. :p
all that aside, this is definately one of my favourite comics from a visual standpoint. I really like panel 1/2, and panel four looks great. The strange smile and tears keep me thinking about this one; as I wrote, I’m not sure I get it, but damn if it’s not making me think. AND TYPE, even.
also, I vote for “fetuae”
Thank you for the kind comments. I have always striven for substance and meaning in the illustrations, whenever possible. It’s too bad that lack of time restricts me from being able to unleash my full artistic abilities. I hope that with your continued support, we’ll grow big enough to allow that to happen.
I get the feeling todays post is gonna start a big tiff among us fans so, before the flood of comments, i might as well throw my two cents in early
I think abortion isn’t a religious vs non-religious issue, contrary to popular belief, its a moral/human rights issue. Ok, life clearly dosen’t begin at conception, nor does it begin 40 weeks later. Somewhere inbetween, the fetus(es) becomes a freethinking organism in the womb, with its own conciousness, separate from its mother.
at that point (whenever it is) the commentary in the first panel becomes irrelavent; once it’s “alive” only the child itself can decide whether life is worth living, even if thats in a poverty-sticken, desolate world. Judging by the exponetial growth rate of the percentage of young adults i can only assume they’ve all decided life is worth living.
Also i feel the need to point out that the majority of patients receiving abortions aren’t philosophically conflicted, well-meaning adults, but rather, children who had unprotected sex and are too immature to accept the consequences of their actions.
COWER IN FEAR, FOR MY DRAGON IS UNLEASHED!!!
oh shit son
“To somehow decide that your truth is the only truth, and applies in all situations is incomprehensible to me. There’s no logic in that, there’s not even rationality.” — And yet the only thing more illogical and irrational is to believe that there is no such thing as a truth.
I can almost kinda sorta somewhat maybe understand the spirit of the pro-choice argument, to an extent — but this is what I have never understood about the liberal viewpoint: How can you be against capital punishment because you believe in human potential, yet be for abortions? Does a fetus not have human potential?
Though, understand that, at this point, my ramblings are hardly directed at anyone in particular. Well, other than this:
“I can’t really imagine how anyone can randomly decide that when some cells join together, at some point they magically become precious enough to yell about. And just human cells, at that. Have you ever watched a plant give birth? That’s pretty special. Where’s the anger over kids kicking budding dandelions?”
1. I can’t really imagine how anyone can randomly decide anything, either. It would seem that “random” and “decision” would form almost form a paradox. Luckily for pro-lifers encountering such sentiment, they usually have a very exact point at which a human becomes a human.
2. … Eh, I have to stop. I cannot earnestly respect the opinions of someone who believes that human beings and plants are on an equal playing field in value.
i like this
“I cannot earnestly respect the opinions of someone who believes that human beings and plants are on an equal playing field in value.”
you somehow think humans are special, and not just the animals that we are. we are such an arrogant species.
Of course I think humans are special. And to deny that is irrational. Saying otherwise is just high-and-mighty posturing, “Oh, yes, I am more righteous — because I am so humble about humanity and believe plants should have the same rights.” The fact that you can have that thought and plants cannot should attest to specialty. Why is it so offensive to you to believe that human beings have value? Or, at least, more value than plants? Should I be in soul-crippling mourning every time I mow my lawn? Or are you saying that plants and humans are equal by insinuating that neither form of life has any value whatsoever? If so, how is *that* not stupid?
irrational to suspect that humans are special? that we aren’t just another form of life?
prove to me, how our species is special, without using “god.”