The Child consumes many of Frog Lady’s precious eggs throughout the episode. Even after the horrifying events of “The Passenger,” it ends with Baby Yoda eating one final egg that he had hidden away. Some people have recognized this as a dark running joke throughout the episode; however, many people on the internet were furious, calling for Baby Yoda to be “canceled” for committing “genocide.” Should we be concerned about Baby Yoda’s actions, with the possible extinction of an alien species being treated as a joke?
This Is NOT the Way
While we viewers recognize that it was wrong for Baby Yoda to eat Frog Lady’s precious eggs, The Child is practically a toddler (although he is fifty years old!), and does not understand the implication of his actions. As the show’s creators have explained, the eggs were unfertilized, and Baby Yoda eating them is similar to humans eating chicken’s eggs. Thus, to call Baby Yoda’s actions “genocide” is wholely inappropriate, as he was not killing any living creatures. Although, chickens are not in danger of becoming extinct, like Frog Lady’s species, so it is understandable why people would be upset over Baby Yoda’s actions.
Now, suppose Frog Lady’s species were not endangered. Would it still be wrong for Baby Yoda to eat her eggs? Recall that the eggs were not fertilized. What is the harm of Baby Yoda eating a few? Yet, it still seems wrong, given that Frog Lady is a rational, personal being. Chickens are not; therefore, we don’t think twice about eating their eggs. But eating the eggs of a personal or rational being seems wrong.
What if Frog Lady’s eggs were fertilized? Baby Yoda would be eating tiny, developing frog aliens. Surely, that would be even worse, wouldn’t it? In the next episode, The Child is amazed to experience the miracle of life, as he watches one of Frog Lady’s eggs hatch. How horrific would it have been if he had then eaten the newborn? No matter how adorable Baby Yoda is, he would have been canceled, for sure.
Real-Life Slaughter
So far, we have been discussing a fictional television show and the outrage over immoral actions by an innocent, alien child. But, we must wonder if the same angry people would be just as outraged about the actual slaughter of a species’ youngest and most vulnerable by mature, knowledgeable, medical professionals through the act of abortion. Unlike Baby Yoda eating Frog Lady’s unfertilized eggs, abortion brutally ends the lives of tiny, living humans. Embryology makes it definitively clear that a pregnant woman is carrying within her a unique, living human. Terminating a pregnancy is far worse than eating an egg; it ends the life of a developing human. Shouldn’t this deserve all the more outrage?
The pro-life case is made through various philosophical and scientific arguments that can be succinctly summarized as follows: 1) It is wrong to take the life of an innocent human being. 2) Abortion takes the life of an innocent human being. 3) Therefore, abortion is wrong. If our culture believes that eating a fictional creature’s unfertilized eggs is immoral, then surely we can recognize the horror of killing unborn humans.
Conclusion
In the pilot episode of The Mandalorian, the titular character chooses to save the life of The Child instead of allowing him to be killed. Mando then takes in the youngling and protects him. Like Mando, we viewers intuitively knew that this was the right thing for him to do, that the innocent and vulnerable must be protected. Mando has thus become a pop culture icon for the pro-life crowd, even inspiring signs at the 2020 March for Life.
In season two, some fans have had an equally strong reaction in defense of life, this time for Frog Lady’s eggs and the continuation of her species. The outrage over a fictional television program shows that we know deep down that life is sacred. We can recognize that Baby Yoda eating Frog Lady’s precious eggs is wrong. Yet, how much worse is it to take the life of an innocent, defenseless human? Clearly, this is what occurs during an abortion. A pregnant woman is not carrying a mere mass of cells, but a precious, distinct, living being. If we can be outraged over Baby Yoda eating unfertilized eggs, surely we should be even more outraged at the slaughter of tiny, innocent humans.
Like Mando, let us protect life at all costs. This is the way.
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