he message spread on 80 billboards throughout the state of Georgia is causing quite a stir across the nation.

These billboards, put into place by Anti-abortion groups Georgia Right to Life and the Radiance Foundation, feature a picture of an adorable but rather sad looking black child and read: Black Children are an “Endangered Species.”

Before I go any further into this, I want to make a few things clear. This is not about whether or not I think abortion is right or wrong. It’s not about whether I’m anti-abortion or for abortion rights. Last but not least, this is not about whether or not I think that those who originally fought for reproductive rights were eugenicists who wanted to reduce the African American population.

This is about this particular ad, which simply happened to be about abortion.

That being said, I find these signs to be not only outrageous, but also offensive.

First of all, black children are not a species of their own. They are human beings, making them part of the human species. Referring to them as a “species” detached from the rest of humankind makes them sound like animals.

Secondly, they are not endangered. The black population is actually growing and is expected to continue on that path.

The black population is projected to rise from 35.8 million to 61.4 million in 2050, according to a 2004 release from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Finally, those responsible for carrying out the termination of black fetuses, their black mothers, seem like an unlikely group to working toward a racial genocide. Someone else might be facilitating and carrying out the actual abortion, but ultimately the mothers are the ones making the choice.

The bottom of the sign refers to a web site: TOOMANYABORTED.COM.

The site tells visitors that the number of black women who have abortions is disproportionate to the number of white women who do. It also urges black women to “get outraged” about this racial disproportion.

The site goes on to say abortion clinics are in “urban areas where blacks reside.” And suggests that they are strategically placed so because, “abortion is the tool they use to stealthily target blacks for extermination.”

I have no idea as to whether or not there is any truth behind those suggestions. For all I know they could be put in urban areas to encourage blacks to get abortions, although I doubt it. Even if they are, it doesn’t negate the fact that black women still have a choice and a brain.

Just because the clinic is there, doesn’t mean that women have to use it. They still have a choice, and I’d like to think that black women, or any women for that matter, aren’t so easily persuaded.

There could be a club of Nazis in my neighborhood, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to feel any more compelled become a Nazi.

Besides that, whether there is an abortion clinic in their backyard or one 20 miles away, if someone wants to get an abortion they’ll find somewhere to get one.

I highly doubt that anyone thinks to themselves: “Well since I’m pregnant with a child I didn’t really want and there is abortion clinic right here I guess I’ll just go ahead and get an abortion.”

Life just doesn’t work that way.

Rabab Al-Sharif is a sophomore magazine journalism major and columnist for the Daily Kent Stater. Contact her at [email protected].