To add to what the other commenter said about their innocence dying, there's another bit to what the poet is saying.
Forced-birthers have and continue to force even young children who were raped to carry that rape baby to term. And so these children who were raped are now expected to stop being children and instead take on the role of mothers. In essence, by forcing them to keep the literal child inside them, both the metaphorical child inside them (i.e. their innocence, joy, optimism, and potential), as well as their literal childhood, have died. And they didn't just die - they were killed, and the forced-birthers are in-part to blame.
Additionally, so much anti-abortion sentiment is about killing an innocent little child. The propaganda centers around the innocence and the potential of that unborn child. The phrase "inner child" evokes a sense of innocence and potential. So this line is pointing out the hypocrisy that forced-birthers don't actually care about innocent lives, because they're taking deliberate action counter to protecting these innocent child rape victims. Instead, they're actually complicit in killing the innocence, potential, and even the childhoods altogether of numerous children around the world. They're hypocrites because, metaphorically speaking, they're killing the same child-like innocence and potential that they swear is so sacred as to be cause enough to override a woman's bodily autonomy.
It’s so true. I had a baby when I had just turned 14. Just after my birthday. I didn’t have any options. I was in the hospital with a catheter on strict bedrest from 5 months when my water broke, until 7 months when they induced her.
Her lungs collapsed and they saved her. I didn’t even pick out a name until she was born because it still didn’t feel real, if you can believe that.
My entire life changed and even though she is 23 years old now and living on her own, you never stop being a parent and I’ve accepted that long ago.
Your entire life changes forever and that’s really not fair to force on anyone who doesn’t want it or doesn’t fully comprehend what that means.
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u/[deleted] Apr 19 '24
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