NBC Drama Surprises with Pro-Life Argument After Rape Victim Wants To Abort Baby: 'Not Their Fault'
A recent episode of the longtime NBC drama “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit” showed a character making a pro-life argument.
According to PopCulture, the show’s April 4 episode, “Dearly Beloved,” revolved around an investigation into a rape claim made against a man on his wedding day.
Kitty Bennett, played by Shiri Appleby, accuses a character called Dr. Joshua Hensley, played by T.J. Thyne, of raping her during a therapy session.
Over the course of the investigation, Bennett finds out that she became pregnant when Hensley allegedly raped her.
Although Bennett used to dream of being a mother, NewsBusters reports that she tells Lieutenant Olivia Benson, played by Mariska Hargitay, that she “could never love a baby who was conceived by a monster.”
Hargitay’s character gives a notable defense of the unborn baby’s innocence.
According to NewsBusters, when Bennett asks Benson if she thinks Bennett should keep the baby, Benson replies, “If it was me … it’s hard for me to be objective. But I think that you’re raw right now, and with some distance you’ll realize that … that this baby is half yours.
“And no matter what happened to you, he or she … it’s not their fault,” Benson continues.
While Benson doesn’t condemn abortion, she does advocate for the baby’s right to life.
Arguments for the innocence of a baby who was conceived by rape are rarely given a voice on TV.
The response is unusual for Hollywood and for the show itself, which often leans liberal.
Hargitay’s character expresses pro-life views again in a later scene.
Bennett tells Benson that when she felt the baby kick, “It really reminded me of what you said, you know, what happened to me is not this baby’s fault.”
“That doesn’t mean that it’s not gonna be hard,” Benson replies. “You know, I’ve known women in your exact position who have decided to raise their daughter or their son. And some days, they don’t even think about it, and other days …”
“You know, even though your baby was conceived in an act of violence, your baby is innocent and deserves to be unconditionally loved,” Benson continues. “Promise me that if you decide to become a mother, that you’ll remember that.”
Again, Benson doesn’t condemn abortion. But the show still uses the character to address the innocence of unborn children, no matter how they were conceived.
It is worth noting that Hargitay’s character was conceived from rape, so it is especially meaningful that the “SVU” writers made her sympathetic to the unborn baby. Good for them for going against the typical Hollywood tide by giving a platform to an often ignored argument against abortion.
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