Horton Hears an Abortion Protest

Posted by Christy Hardin Smith, Firedoglake at 7:41 AM on March 15, 2008.

Funniest story I saw all week was this blip from TMZ about anti-choice protesters infiltrating the Hollywood premiere of Horton Hears a Who to chant anti-abortions slogans at stars and their children as the credits rolled. (H/T Feministe) Never mind, of course, that the real Dr. Seuss told them to knock it off the last time the anti-choice folks tried to twist his words to their own agenda -- or that the book was written as:

...a quiet statement against political isolationism and, in the McCarthy era in which it was written, it seemed to be a plea for political tolerance. (Geisel cried foul, however, when the anti-abortion movement appropriated and politicized the central phrase from "Horton" -- "A person's a person no matter how small.")

Guess the wishes of the author and his tiny fans don't matter. Or, in the alternative, that making a public spectacle of yourself in front of a crowd of non-comprehending children and the author's widow can apparently become an addictive yet weird pastime. (Although I do wonder if the anti-choice folks dragged their own children along to the premiere as "kid props" to gain entry, don't you?)

In any case, we are hoping to take The Peanut to see the film later on today. She loves to see movies in theaters, and the Horton books are some of her favorite Seuss of all time -- she loves the Whos and the elephant who works so hard to protect them -- so it should be a fun time for the Smiths today.

What has made you laugh this week? Anything silly or amusing or just plain bizarre? Doing anything fun this weekend -- watching a good movie, reading a great book, buy yourself a great new album or toy or what-have-you? Let's talk diversions this morning, because it's been a long week and we have all earned a break after yesterday's FISA vote in the House. Pull up a chair...

Tagged as: seuuss, abortion, horton hears a who, film

Christy Hardin Smith is a former attorney, who earned her undergraduate degree at Smith College, in American Studies and Government, concentrating in American Foreign Policy. She then went on to graduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania in the field of political science and international relations/security studies, before attending law school at the College of Law at West Virginia University, where she was Associate Editor of the Law Review.