Picture a fetus in a disembodied uterus. Pan to a sperm fertilizing an egg. A British female voice softly narrates “[t]his is where life begins.”[1] The animated video “Meet Baby Olivia” is the latest attempt by the far right to weaponize education in our public schools under the guise of “parental rights.”
The use of anti-abortion, anti-science propaganda in the classroom by the right-wing extremists is rapidly expanding. North Dakota and Tennessee have already enacted “Meet Baby Olivia” laws mandating that schools screen the video or something similar. Eleven states, seven of which banned abortion, have introduced similar laws.[2]
Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Georgia, Hawaii, Michigan, Rhode Island, South Dakota, and South Carolina are among the states that have introduced “Meet Baby Olivia” bill this year.[3] Five mention “Meet Baby Olivia” by name.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, representing over 60,000 physicians, issued a statement denouncing “Meet Baby Olivia” as “designed to manipulate the emotions of viewers rather than to share evidence-based, scientific information about embryonic and fetal development”.[4]
“Meet Baby Olivia” laws are a naked attempt by right-wing extremists to control what can be taught by injecting theocratic ideology into the educational process. Parental rights advocates rage over mythical “grooming” in schools but are perfectly fine mandating their religious orthodoxy in public education.
While “Meet Baby Olivia” is rife with misinformation the most chilling element is the phrase “life begins at conception.” The “life begins at conception” mantra is based on personal belief, and theological doctrine and canon. It is not based on human biology, genetics, embryology, or any other field of science or medicine. [I leave the theological debate to others but refer readers to Genesis 2:7 – life begins at first breath.[5]]
The U.S. Constitution protects every individual’s right to their own religious beliefs.[6] However, it does not create an obligation on the part of others to accept or endorse such religious beliefs.
The First Amendment also states that the government "shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.” The principle of separating church from state was integral to the framers’ understanding of religious freedom.[7]
But the backers of “meet Baby Olivia” laws seek to circumvent such prohibitions through parental rights arguments that are based on religious bias and prejudice.
Believe what you want. That is your right.
Provide your children with religious education in the home or at church. That is your right.
It is not your right, however, to use the force of law and government coercion to compel religious indoctrination in our schools as the “Meet Baby Olivia” laws seek to do.
The far right wants to protect their parental rights, but not yours. Weaponization of our educational systems by religious extremist is anti-democratic and anti-American. It must be rejected in all its forms.
[4] https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2024/03/28/north-dakota-iowa-baby-olivia-video-fetus-bill/1451711563174/
[5] “Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” New American Standard Bible. Genesis 2:7.
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