Protecting sensibilities at Harvard

If you read this article in yesterday's Harvard Crimson, you'll see that, as part of the abortion debate, Harvard students are being assaulted with an atrocious image:

“I personally find the image disgusting and don’t want to walk past it everyday,” said Nichele M. McClendon ’06, who said she did not tear down any posters. “It doesn’t have to do with abortion as an issue or free speech; it’s about being decent and not being disgusting.”

Of these same posters, another student characterized the image as a "shocking picture." As I type this, I can hear you asking, "What are these images?" Are they posters from pro-Life groups showing dismembered fetuses in garbage cans? Are they posters from pro-Choice groups showing dead women in puddles of blood, with coat hangers protruding from between their legs? Well, no, although they're being defaced and removed as rapidly as if they were. Here's a little more information about the poster uproar at Harvard:

Posters depicting in utero fetuses raised eyebrows and a small uproar last week. One of the posters, the second in a series created by Harvard Right to Life (HRL), featured the picture of a fetus named Elena with the words, “I’m 25 days old...and my heart already BEATS!!”

Whatever your position on the abortion debate, it strikes me as profoundly bizarre when college students characterize as disgusting and shocking a picture of a living fetus. I still remember when I had my first ultrasound for my first child and saw for the first time the delicate string of pearls that was her 16 week old backbone. It was many things -- moving, stunning, beautiful, etc. -- but it certainly wasn't shocking or disgusting. Hat tip: Suitable for Mixed Company Talking to Technorati: Fetuses, Ultrasounds, Abortion, Pro-Life, Pro-Choice, Advertisements, Harvard, Free speech