“Sesame Street” just added a new character, and her message is more than “inclusive.” It’s subtly pro-life.
Last week, the PBS show announced that it was introducing Karli, a child in the foster care system, to its list of characters. Karli lives with her “for now” parents, Dalia and Clem, and she explains to Elmo that having a foster family helped her “heart grow.”
It’s pretty adorable, and important, too: “Sesame Street” has been steadily adding characters such as Karli to depict diverse backgrounds and experiences on screen. In 2017, the show included an autistic character, Julia, in its cast.
But Karli is not just representative of the hundreds of thousands of American children in the foster care system. Her presence also makes a strong case against abortion.
Karli tells Elmo that her mom “can’t be with me right now,” which is why she lives with her foster parents. Her situation could be the start of an argument against abortion, one that says children’s lives are still worth saving even if a birth mother isn’t equipped to take care of them herself.
Pro-abortion activists have been increasingly using rhetoric about “unwanted” children, with one state lawmaker recently arguing that “some kids are unwanted, so you kill them now, or you kill them later.” Alabama state Rep. John Rogers said if “you bring them in the world unwanted, unloved,” children will only end up with unfortunate outcomes.
Lawmakers and activists like Rogers will cite an overflowing foster care system as a reason to get rid of children before they’re born, but facing adoption or foster care doesn’t mean a child can’t have a good life.
The makers of “Sesame Street” probably had no intention of broadcasting that message, but the truth remains. Life is worth preserving in and out of the womb, and children who will go through the foster care system are no less worthy of our love.
Karli’s presence is also a reminder to pro-life activists: In addition to focusing on anti-abortion legislation, they should encourage laws that make it easier to take care of the children who are born.
