Listen, the thing

Listen, the thing
we need to understand is
prenatal privilege (called
“fetal privilege” by its
offensive detractors)

ends at birth!

After that, parental privilege
reasserts itself. In olden times
the right of a parent over its
children was absolute - until
death or majority!

Postnatal abortion was never
considered murder in those days,
but a necessarily regrettable discipline
- a powerful deterrent to other children,
who might otherwise contemplate such
childcrimes as disobedience and backtalk.

Today, we look on that scene with horror
in our modern eyes, yet the specter of wise
Tradition bends over our shoulders to whisper,

“Pluck them out, maybe?”