Antiabortion Groups Claim Dr. Seuss Film Supports Their Message

Main Category: Abortion
Also Included In: Women's Health / Gynecology
Article Date: 18 Mar 2008 - 8:00 PST

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Demonstrators handed out fliers promoting antiabortion messages earlier this month at the Los Angeles premier of the children's film "Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who," saying that the premise of the film supports the idea that life begins at conception, NPR's "Morning Edition" reports. In the film, the title character sets out to protect a town of "Whos" living on a tiny speck of dust, repeating the immortal words,  "A person is a person no matter how small."

Karl ZoBell, an attorney representing the interest of Dr. Seuss, whose real name was Theodor Geisel, and his wife, Audrey Geisel, said the Geisels do not want Dr. Seuss characters used for political purposes. He added that Audrey Geisel "doesn't like people to hijack Dr. Seuss characters or materials to front their own points of view."

Members of a Colorado group supporting a ballot initiative to define a fertilized embryo as a person and extend to it rights and protections under the state constitution plan to gather signatures during screenings of the movie at Denver theaters, according to Kristi Burton, who heads the group. Burton said members of the group do not plan to disrupt screenings but do plan to wear T-shirts bearing the quote, "A person is a person no matter how small." Burton said, "Regardless of anyone's particular position, the statement 'A person is a person no matter how small' certainly affirms our amendments in defining a person from the very beginning stages" (Masters, "Morning Edition," NPR, 3/14).

Reporter Kim Masters on Friday also wrote about the antiabortion groups' demonstrations in the online magazine Slate (Masters, Slate, 3/14).

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