Have you ever been in the middle of a sound, warm sleep, completely undisturbed in absolute darkness and comfort? Has anyone ever unexpectedly shone a bright light on you as you slept? How did you react? Were you startled? Did you wake up and stretch your arms or legs?

That's exactly what happened to a little baby the other day, but the baby wasn't sound asleep in a crib, or wrapped up in a blanket and napping in a playpen. The baby was inside its mother's womb and the light that shone upon it came from a sonogram machine. Along with the perfect and rapid beating of the baby's heart, its mother and father could see the peanut—shaped child stretch its little legs and arms when sleep was interrupted for the first time. But that wasn't so surprising upon further reflection. After all, if you were in a nice warm place for nine weeks and four days and somebody woke you up, you'd probably be a bit startled as well.

If you have been fortunate enough to see such a thing in person, arguments about abortion — about whether a "glob," or "blob, or "a "tissue mass," or "thing," or whatever rationalization supporters of abortion reach for to let them sleep at night is a living thing — suddenly pass from the realm of the theoretical abstract to the certainty of truth. Seeing is believing, even for people who really didn't have any doubt to begin with. There is no denying the beating of a heart, no matter how big or small.

All of us have heard the arguments that support the availability of abortion. There are socio—economic factors — wouldn't it be more punishment for many babies to actually be born into poverty and apparent hopelessness? It is true that some babies are born into less—than—nurturing situations, and it is always will be true until the end of time. No government program or magic wand will change that. It is long past time to consider that these babies did not "choose" to be placed in those particular circumstances no more than it is the right of their mothers to choose to stop the beating of their baby's heart. The termination of a living thing is just that. What about rape or incest? Sometimes out of tragedy comes a miracle.

What about women who are in college or are unmarried? Again, these babies did not choose to be created. Those choices are made by the mother and the father, wittingly or not, and do not factor into the equation of whether a fetus is a living being. When society encourages and advances the notion that a baby can be an inconvenience that can be remedied like a wart, that society is adrift in many ways. Actions often have consequences, and those consequences sometime appear in the form of difficult obstacles. Obstacles can be overcome — sometimes they must be overcome, even if your perfect figure takes a bit of a hit for a time.

Public schools who wish to make an impression with students in sex education classes don't necessarily need to stop at the fruit stand for class props. Rather, it would be nice if enterprising teachers and administrators would link up with a local hospital and bring in a sonogram machine, have the doctor explain how it works, and show the kids some pictures of babies with beating hearts, perhaps even have a live demonstration of a baby's beating heart right in front of their eyes. That is the time to talk about choice — the choice of abstinence, the choice of being smart, the choice that can lead to the creation of a human life. That's not propaganda. It's the truth.

People who scream that the 'right' to an abortion is as sacrosanct as the Bill of Rights probably shake their heads or scream or cuss when they see some of those pro—life bumper stickers on cars. You know the ones; they are all over the place no matter where you live and maybe even on the back of your own car. 'Life begins at conception'; 'It's a child, not a choice'; and the most damning of all, 'Abortion stops a beating heart.'

These bumper sticker phrases are not political statements designed to inflame — although they do. These phrases are undeniable truths and they are indeed self—evident after seeing the beating heart and the moving limbs of a fetus inside its mother's womb. Those who argue otherwise are being willfully ignorant. Perhaps they should be made to see the beating heart of a fetus not ten weeks old. Perhaps they would see that there is nothing pro about their brand of choice. Perhaps they should wake up.

Matt May can be reached at matthewtmay@yahoo.com; his blog is mattymay.blogspot.com