Pennsylvania state legislator Rep. Wendy Ullman (D-Bucks) sparked national outrage when she referred to a child lost to miscarriage as “just some mess on a napkin.” Her comments were made during debate on Pennsylvania House Bill 1890, which would require the burial or cremation of fetal remains, similar to Texas legislation currently held up in court. Without such legislation, the bodies of babies killed in abortion or lost to miscarriage can legally be discarded as medical waste, winding up in sewage and landfills.
For pro-abortion legislators, like Ullman, treating babies’ bodies as waste is not an outrage because they do not view preborn children properly as human beings. Ullman reveals just how inhumane her position is with her insensitive assertion that a preborn child lost to early miscarriage is “just some mess on a napkin.” This could not be farther from the truth for countless mothers who have experienced the heartbreak of miscarriage. A loss at any stage of pregnancy is the loss of a unique and beloved child.
Ullman attempted to justify her comments in an “apology” tweet, but, as many people pointed out, she did not seem to offer a sincere apology. In response to the outrage, Ullman wrote, “In a discussion in the committee meeting earlier this week, I chose my words poorly and for that I apologize. Many women and families find tremendous comfort and solace in ritual burial or cremation in the case of early miscarriages, but others do not.”
One Twitter user replied, “This issue is also intensely important to me. Let me try to be clear so that you can understand. That ‘mess’ is a baby, a child, a human being. You callously disregarded human life in all its glory and the beautiful process we all go through till the end of our lives.”
Others called for Ullman to resign with one person writing, “Tell my mother, aunt, sister and sister-in-law that their miscarriages were nothing. Resign and disappear.”
Ullman’s callous dismissal of human Life is by no means unique. She simply said out loud what serves as the foundation of legal abortion in our country: the erroneous idea that a preborn child is not fully human or does not need to be recognized as fully human if his or her mother arbitrarily decides to end his or her Life. As one Twitter user replied to Ullman’s “apology,” “Your words weren’t chosen poorly. It was your principles that you chose poorly. Keep searching for the Truth. It’s there waiting for you.” While Ullman sidestepped the issue, the reality is that her assessment accurately reflects her view and the position of the abortion industry in America.
Ullman’s cruel comment came during October, which is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. This is a time to acknowledge the often silent grief of mothers and fathers who have lost children during pregnancy, through stillbirth, or shortly after birth. Dehumanizing those precious babies and trivializing the grief of their families is a stark reminder of how violent abortion is. Legal abortion has robbed families of the ability to fully grieve for their lost babies because our society has chosen no longer to recognize the magnitude of that loss.
This grief occurs not only after miscarriage but also very often in the decades following an abortion. Many mothers and fathers come to realize the full weight of their decision to end their child’s life and experience grief and regret. While the abortion mob ignores these stories and discredits grieving parents, the Pro-Life movement has offered true compassion and support.
Abortion activists have lied by saying preborn babies are not human beings with the Right to Life; they have lied by saying abortion is the same as miscarriage. An elective abortion and a miscarriage are two very different tragedies, but they both result in the loss of a child. The Pro-Life movement must speak truth about abortion and miscarriage, calling attention to the humanity of the child.
Texas Right to Life extends our most heartfelt prayers and condolences to those who have experienced the loss of miscarriage. For more resources, visit MyMiscarriageMatters.com. If you or a loved one is suffering after an abortion, you are not alone. Contact Silent No More or Rachel’s Vineyard for more information about resources in your area.
