Babyland
By Mike Houlihan
October 31, 2023
Halloween is finally here and my nine-year-old grandson is psyched. The kid is obsessed with All Hallows Eve, and not just because of the candy.
He’s obsessed with killers and murder.
Like his father, he is a film buff, except the films all feature creepy villains with names like Pennywise, Chucky, Leatherface, and Freddy Krueger.
Of course, being still a child, he’s been forbidden from ever seeing those actual movies, but kids have ways of finding stuff on the Internet.
In an attempt to dissuade his fascination with murderers I have taken him for rides through the local cemeteries hoping to assuage his thirst for the macabre.
But nope, he was fascinated with the huge populations of our nearby graveyards as well as many of the elaborate mausoleums.
I’ve told the lad as we explore the landscape of the lifeless, “Every one of them has a story to tell.”
Recently I discovered the most frightening section of one cemetery and have backed off from taking my grandson there.
It’s called Babyland.
Yes, Babyland. And they’ve got signs there to prove it.
I came across it this summer while riding my bike through our local cemetery, on the fringe of Chicago, out in the western suburbs.
It’s a quiet ride in the early morning and the fall foliage right now is glorious. But there is a distinct sadness to Babyland.
I came across the sign first along the edge of a section where the melancholia was most evident. I got off my bike and took a somber stroll through Babyland.
Each grave was for a child, many of them, or so it appeared, had died at birth. Or they survived for just a few months. Some of them were older, two or three years old.
Tombstones with inscriptions like “My Little Sister” or “In Memory of our baby Mary Beth June 5, 1955-June 13, 1955” “Beloved Son April 16, 1952-April 6, 1953” He lived almost a year.
But here’s the bottom line, these were people, human beings, loved by their families and remembered so. They did not survive very long but someone was affected, their parents, brothers, sisters. Many graves in a row, all babies, all babies.
As their voices called out to me from Babyland, I thought of all the babies killed by abortion, millions of dead children who could have changed this world for the better but were snuffed out by the pure evil of our time.
I’m thankful I guess that there is no cemetery, that I know of, for the victims of our modern-day abortion holocaust. Those who commit murder of the unborn don’t want to be reminded of what they’ve done. And on Judgement Day we’re all going to hear about it.
How did we let this happen?
Politicians without souls and sheeple who didn’t want to see the truth of it, so they looked the other way.
Inscriptions from loved ones, “Our Angel” “Of such is the kingdom of heaven, our baby. “Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for such is the kingdom of God”-Luke 18:16
Most of the graves are old, some from the
forties, fifties, only a few after 1973 when the Supreme Court legalized abortion in Roe vs Wade. I’d say there are probably less than a hundred babies buried in Babyland.
On one grave someone had recently set a little pumpkin on the headstone. Long dead children still remembered today. May God rest their lovely souls.
Voices calling out to me in Babyland, like the voices of the millions of children that have been aborted by people like Obama, Pritzker, Democratic bloodthirsty sons of bitches like Joe Biden and others who support abortion.
Out there, standing in the middle of Babyland, the graves are all around you so that you cannot look away. It’s so quiet. So sad. As the light hits their graves on an autumn afternoon, voices calling out to me from Babyland. Can you hear them Pritzker you fat f—?
If we need a villain for this story, it’s got to be that Monster JB Pritzker. He’s right out of Central Casting, waddling along behind the younger kids on a rainy October night, wolfing down Malo bars as he enviously eyeballs their plastic pumpkins full of candy.
But I’m not ready to show my young grandson the graves at Babyland. Try explaining abortion to a child sometime, as they figure out it is actually murder, and they look at you in shock.
And I don’t want my grandson to look at me that way.
I read a news story yesterday that mentioned Pritzker. “With Illinois already viewed as a safe haven for those seeking abortions, Pritzker has launched Think Big America, a tax-exempt issue advocacy nonprofit organization aimed at protecting and expanding abortion rights in other states.”
What’s the deal with this guy Pritzker? What planet is he from? Born on third base, thinking he hit a triple. Remember him on the wire-tap phone call with Blago as he reviewed his options for Senator or Congressman or whatever his money would buy his fat ass? Blago went to jail, why not JB?
Money, that’s why, lots and lots of money. Now he’s buying his way into more baby killing in the name of “women’s rights”. And he’s calling his big idea THINK BIG AMERICA? I can hear him chuckling, “Oh it’s funny see, cuz I’ve got girth!”
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker
Ain’t nothin’ funny about it, lard ass.
You can call it ‘reproductive health” or whatever bullshit euphemism works for your woke and preciously fragile brain, but it’s still the taking of a human life.
And who needs Hollywood horror stories when we’ve got JB starring as the Monster Villain in his own blood-soaked thriller from “Babyland”?
Trick or treat fatso.
-30-
Known around town as “Houli,” he is former features columnist for The Chicago Sun-Times, Irish American News and currently Chicago correspondent for The Irish Echo. He began his career in 1973 as an apprentice with The American Shakespeare Festival, appearing in the classics there and in regional productions across the nation as well as Off-Broadway, on Broadway, on TV and in major motion pictures. He is a playwright and author of anthologies “Hooliganism Stories” and “More Hooliganism Stories” and the gonzo Mayoral campaign journal “Nothin’s on The Square”. Founder of the Annual Irish American Movie Hooley film festival each Fall at The Wilmette Theatre. He was honored as 2020/2021 “Irishman of the Year” by the Emerald Society, the Irish American Police Association. His Hibernian Radio Hour podcast can be found at hibernianradio.org and streaming worldwide on Sat. nights from 7-8PM on Global Irish Radio, GIR.ie.
His latest book ” Chicago Irish Mythology” is available on Amazon and wherever else you buy your books.
Comments 45
This is a masterpiece, Mike!
The monsters among us, political hacks like Fran Hurley in the Catholic 19th Ward, and bloated louts like the Illinois Governor are fueled by Personal Pac and the stooge media to commit murder euphemisms. Sadly, honest voices and the cries of innocents fall on the deaf ears of the dolts who cast votes for monsters.
The sheeple of GOP mince around the issue that demands strong voices to thunder against the American Holocaust.
Bingo ! Houli…you summed up the scariest monster this Halloween Season…a rich, impervious, insulated politician…pandering for votes and national reknown as “The Abortion Governor” He truly is a scary monster, planning and hoping for more innocent unborn lives to be destroyed as if this is a major political accomplishment…something to be proud of.
Sorry – ” the stooge media to commit murder cloaked in hygienic euphemisms.”
John keep telling the truth. This Governor must go like the rest of them. Democrats commit murder every day and do not seem to care about the unborn. They only care about Power, Greed and they are empty suits. Look as what is happening in America. Please write about free speech they call it? Whom are they kidding folks. I do not understand how we raised Generations of spoil kids that want to kill babies and have no respect or honor they only care about the money. So sad that our Society is empty of brains and full of idiots. Not much more to say no one seems to be listening. Hamas is here to destroy America and they are doing it through our young. So sad that we are so stupid folks.
Well done Mr. Houlihan. I’ll say this for ol’ JB, he has outdone his forebears: the biggest Pritzker associated disaster used to be the July 17, 1981 Hyatt Regency walkway collapse in Kansas City with 114 fatalities and hundreds injured. KC dealt with the issue for years. Now as IL Governor, thousands can lose their lives under his leadership. God forbid he’s ever elected POTUS!
Mike:
Thank you for taking up your pen to write such meaningful stuff. Glad you’re here.
Well said. As a native of 19, we were taught good values. Even the kids at Sutherland and Clissold and Kellogg made it to Church, maybe not every Sunday but often enough. I weep for the 30 somethings who have no sense of history about the Middle East. I fear the protests will devolve into much more. When the savagery of taking innocent lives as a method of birth control is deemed acceptable the slaughter of October 7 brushed aside by many as praiseworthy is right there. Our moral
Compass is almost non existent. Hamas is among us thanks to Obama Biden Pritzger et al. I fear for myself but more so my kids and grandkids.
Another superb guest column.
Mike,
Thank you for your passion, I love that observation that hardly a post 1973 grave. America lost its soul, with hardly thinking about it, sad.
Some day we will look back and realize the error of our ways.
Why the emphasis on Pritzker’s weight? Judging from your photo, you are not exactly svelte, and neither is your Lord and Master, Donald Trump. We’re given what we’re given, and nobody gets fat on purpose. Peace.
Nobody gets fat on purpose? Ha. That’s funny.
Mike, why is that funny?
actually I’ve lost 70 pounds. and now I’m too sexy for my shirt. I’ll keep it on though
but “nobody gets fat on purpose”?? what?
who carried the carbs to his lips? some fairy?
Congratulations on your weight loss, and you do look great! However, before you lost those 70 pounds, you had to have gained them. Did you gain them on purpose? And Mr. Houlihan, judging from his photo, is also overweight. Did he get that way on purpose? And does he hold himself in the same contempt that he holds Pritzker? As I said, we’re given what we’re given, and many people struggle with weight issues. And, let’s face it, as somebody once said, “This here eatin’s fun!”
This point of the article was to criticize Pritzker’s stance on abortion (I have some thoughts on that, but I’ll spare you), but I feel that the constant cruel remarks about his weight detracted from that point. Another example: years ago Al Franken wrote a book about Rush Limbaugh, and on nearly every page there were cruel remarks about his weight, which I also felt detracted from the points he was trying to make.
Peace to you all, and enjoy that leftover Halloween candy!
And how far away are we from the “taking” of the elderly and infirm? Who will be the advocate to protect those who have lost their ability to protect and provide for themselves?
It is a slippery slope and I fear we are falling very fast.
Agreed, Mr Koss. We’re headed down that slippery slope in a rocket car on greased wheels, and our speed is increasing exponentially.
If I weren’t firmly grafted into the Vine, I’d be scared spitless.
Houli,
Somber and thoughtful piece highlighting the plight of the unborm. I don’t get it either, other than the fact that the left is full of evil doers, and evil, Godless people. Not all of them, but it seems, most of them of late. They sit idly by while the nation disintegrates into a hell on earth. Perhaps this is our punishment for not standing up to – and voting for -this socialist swing to the far far left. The Lord works in mysterious ways, and you never know, maybe gov maximus will drop of his own accord. We can only hope….Trump may not have been liked or loved, but at least he was a God fearing Christian, which is more that we can say about our current lot of “leaders!” We must have patience, or as we say in Greek – “eepomoni!”
Please stop Cecelia Kafer–he’s an obese cowardly ghoul who will be known for abortions and castrations of children.
https://www.illinois.gov/news/press-release.26081.html
Yes. And if we are unlucky enough (a plausible state of being these days) he will be known as the first Jewish President of the United States (if you have not noticed, that is clearly his goal).
Fine job. BJ justifies being a “Welcoming State” because the population is decreasing. Duh. I wonder why. People are so far in debt from overpriced and overrated colleges that they can’t afford to have kids. This is replacing his declining current population that won’t be paying taxes with people living off the ticket, and voting you know which party!
That being said, just how difficult is it to adopt a child these days? Maybe if that was explored and made easier, people wouldn’t have to go to foreign countries to adopt kids, and maybe abortion rates would drop. Maybe the foster system wouldn’t be so overloaded. My father was placed in a Church orphanage for a few years, lots of horror stories from him.
I am fundamentally not in favor of abortion, but I am not a woman and I don’t have the right to make that decision for any of them. That is a decision that they have to make for themselves. Rape, incest accident, whatever. Not my choice.
That being said, I don’t think Commodus Maximus has the right to offer it tax-free to outsiders either. Now, I know I will hear a lot of disagreement, but that’s what I feel.
HAND.
Whatever they call it in a vain attempt to obfuscate the truth, it is in fact the wholesale torture and slaughter of innocent, defenseless babies for profit. Now the same evil scum are calling for infanticide of babies after their birth.
We may take comfort that one day all will face God’s righteous judgment, but we may well face His wrath as a nation long before judgment day.
Mike, your usually full of lighthearted tales of Chicago but not today. Thanks for reminding us if those who were defenseless against pure evil. Pure evil as defined, go to YouTube and look up “Busy Phillips abortion speech”. Evil personified. Strangely enough YouTube has censored comments about the ranting of a lunatic self congratulating herself for killing her baby at 15. She has it all. A nice car, money, career. She has everything she ever wanted. Everything except her sanity. The leftist media trots out the usual dog whistles every election cycle. Racism, voter suppression, police brutality, abortion ( womans reproductive health, reproductive justice, or whatever euphimism they assign to ABORTION this year. Such a negative connotation ya see?) Maui elected such Democrat incompetents they now have no place to live but they can still kill their babies. My body, my choice, but I choose to sleep in a tent cause my town burned down. Chicago? New York? Democrat run. Same shit, different day. Abortion is very important to your average college educated voter. It has been promoted as a sacrament. Yes you’ll pay 5 bucks for a gallon of gas. Milk is 4 bucks a gallon. You’ll struggle to pay your bills but you can still kill your unborn child. See? That’s the benefit for voting Democrat. The real hilarious part is that Biden, Pelosi consider themselves Roman Catholic. They must be. They get an audience with the Pope and leave with his blessings. Let’s not ignore JumBo Pritzker funding abortion clinics on a national scale. JumBo knows if a girl gets an abortion in Wisconsin and he pays for it means a vote in his pocket. Just one drop in the bucket for his presidential run. We all know he’s one of the worst governors of Illinois history and surely voters couldn’t be stupid enough to vote for this entitled imbecile. Could they?
surely voters couldn’t be stupid enough to vote for this entitled imbecile. Could they?
They are and they did.
Is Commodus Maximus OK with Trans Creatures cause his relative is one? Hmm, sad. Is he PUSHING the butchering of the next generation of babies growing in their mother’s womb cause some relative did it? Hmm, even sadder.
Never forget that during the so-called pandemic, gov. big boy closed our churches and schools but deemed liquor stores and abortion clinics essential, no covid here.
It still irks me that the lefties give a pass to the founder of planned parenthood, margaret sanger, one of the biggest racists in history who’s goal was to abort as many black babies as possible.
I guess he doesn’t care for Jesus, but Pritzker thinks pot stores and abortion clinics are essential. he’s a fat ghoul
Yianni,
And the village of Niles has finally forced Graziano’s, a well known and loved restaurant for decades to close, having been deluged year after year with inspections and nit picking “violations!” Guess what’s going up in its place? A marijuana dispensary! Right on Touhy, across from all those homes in Wildwood, and nearby schools. Great leadership by gov “Gourouni!” Follow the money, always!!!
So sobering isn’t it? Our society has fallen into the depths of demonic ungodliness – If you don’t want to be pregnant, kill it. Utter selfishness and any lack of spirituality. That’s what happens when you throw God out of a culture and its schools. No moral standard, no right and wrong, if it feels good, do it. The corruption of human nature. In my 19 years working in an OB/GYN office, I’ve seen such heart rending “choices” time and time again. Our doctors would not do abortions, but gave references to clinics that would. I would say 95% of pregnancies that are “terminated” are due to careless sexual habits – abortion is often used as birth control. I remember a woman coming in for an ultrasound – 2 months along, strong heartbeat. What did she do? Had an abortion. WHY? Because her kids were almost teenagers and she didn’t want to start again. Why the hell didn’t she or her husband take permanent measures? Despicable.
Mike makes a brilliant defense for all those condemned to die without anyone having been allowed to speak on their behalf. And indictment of the evil in the bloodthirsty bullies who place their power above humanity, and all else.
Looking at our fit as fit Governor, and with all that cholesterol and triglycerides coursing through his blood system, one can only hope they do their job, and quickly.
I find it interesting that whenever I argue about abortion with a pro-choice person, they cannot call it what it is: murder, in no uncertain terms. Instead, the pro-choice crowd always calls it “women’s reproductive health care” or something similar. It all sounds so cheery and upbeat. I’ve always told the pro-choice crowd that they should just refer to themselves as “pro-death.” It’s a much more accurate assessment.
Many years ago when my son was a wee tot, somehow he heard of abortions and asked about it. He’s adopted and a couple of the best people in the world decided not to make him a fatality of convenience. While explaining that, among others, wrongful physicians and nurses were involved he stopped me and asked, “how do I know which ones they are? They all seem so nice.” I assured him that the ones he knew were no those people.
Too many other babies meet the other ones.
It’s obvious the Pritzker family sent JB into politics to keep him away from the family business.
We are afraid to call out evil, unless it’s popular. We must call it out. The murder of babies, the innocents, is evil. Ask Hamas.
This a bit too black and white for me.
I’m not a pro-abortion person, there are times however when it may be necessary.
Incest, rape, an incurable and deadly birth defect in the fetus.
Abortion should be a personal, family decision guided by law.
Your argument for “tolerance” holds no water.
What are the stats on incest/rape? Go look them up. I’ll wait.
In my work with families, I had the privilege to work with two women who gave birth to children who were the results of rape. One family placed the baby for adoption. They have followed her life, and she is a joy to her adoptive family. The other mother chose to keep her baby, a most delightful young man who is a credit to his loving family.
While you’re still looking up those stats on rape/incest, your “incurable and deadly birth defect” argument is permeable, as well.
My sister was told that her pregnancy should be terminated immediately, that the child she was carrying in her womb would be — at best! — hopelessly retarded, living on machines if he didn’t die immediately.
Being a woman who trusts God, who believes strongly in His will, she refused to murder her baby.
My nephew was born completely healthy, holds a Bachelor Degree, and is a loving, productive member of society.
Now, could the result have been different? Absolutely. Could the Medical Experts have been correct, and my nephew born to live only a short time? Of course. But we would have loved him still, however short his life or limited his mental capacity.
Abortion is murder. Period.
First of all, I have two, infant brothers buried in Osceola, Iowa in a section of the cemetery called “Babyland”. I know that many cemeteries do not have part of their cemeteries dedicated to infants and young children, but when I am moved to visit my relatives in the Osceola cemetery, it is humbling that my brothers have their special place. Amongst some of the things that I have are receipts for the cost of the burial plots in Babyland for my brothers, Roger and Walter.
I have always felt “different” for never knowing my brothers, who died years before I was born. Dad had it much worse. He was fighting in World War II and receiving letters/telegrams from Mom that one, then the other was dying. He must have been an emotional wreck.
After the war, Dad would work in a scrapyard-very dirty, back-breaking work-then come home to do things with me that would normally be done by an older brother. I would never know what it was like for a brother to “stick up for me” or break ground for me at school and sports. I would have to do that on my own.
Back then, Life; especially infant life was precious. Births were a big deal. There were no abortions.
When my oldest sister married her high school sweetheart and became pregnant, the families were so excited/so joyous that a baby would bless both families. But, the baby was stillborn and sadness crushed my sister and brother-in-law. They would not get a second chance, because my brother-in-law died in an industrial accident just months later.
That’s how it was back then. Pre-marital sex was a big taboo, because the “sex act” was an expression of love that ended in a pregnancy and birth of a child.
Abortion was also a big taboo. Abortion would be used among poor nations to control populations. It was never intended to be a solution for “an unwanted pregnancy”. In fact, it wasn’t legal in this country until 1970 when New York legalized it.
Abortion is very personal for me. I am unapologetically opposed to it. Period. Some will say: “it’s not your body, your choice”. So let me ask this group: have you gotten your girlfriend pregnant while she was still in high school; the daughter of upper crust society? Well, I did. Unfortunately, I was poor folk. Oh, that was fine, because I was also from a family of “good people” and it was all good, as long as there was no evidence of sexual intimacy. But, that was the problem. She and I were sexually active and I got her pregnant. I wanted to do the right thing and marry her, have the baby and live happily ever after. No chance. Her parents and especially her dad, would have killed me if he could have gotten away with it. For me; that might have been less painful than what he did. He forbid me from ever seeing her again, got their plane tickets for New York, had the baby aborted and lives would be changed forever. I was completely removed from any decision-making. I mean; I had a role in her getting pregnant. Should I not have say in what should be done? I was 19 years old. I knew how to work hard. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but I had always had a hard life filled with pain and disappointment. That I was not given any say in the decision to abort the baby was a pain unlike any that I had ever felt before. A hatred was starting to grow inside of me and once the now ex-girlfriend described the way that the baby was taken, I knew that abortion was wrong. Yeah, we can talk about “exceptions”, but understand that I am not in the camp that believes that it’s only the woman’s choice.
Thanks, Houli.
You struck a nerve.
Mr Goodrich, I am so terribly sorry for the loss of your child.
Art,
You are not alone. I recently visited the grave of my uncle Gioachino, who died before his second birthday about 102 years ago. He is buried in the same grave as his mother, our Grandmother Rosalia, who died from Tuberculosis, and probably a broken heart, less than a month after his death.
Forget about his weight, he has no soul.
The columnist’s views are certainly heartfelt if stridently presented. I recommend the book Choose Life: Answering Key Claims of Abortion Defenders with Compassion.
This book, written by several contributors from a variety of backgrounds, offers real choices to those who feel they cannot continue a pregnancy—real choices rather than the death of an unborn child. The book addresses tough situations in a compassionate way rather than discussion-ending name-calling. I challenge the columnist to check out this resource.
There is a National Day of Remembrance each year to mourn the loss of aborted children. I attended one year at Queen of Heaven cemetery in Hillside, Il. There is a special section for the discarded children. The event humanizes these children and allows us public witness to the sanctity of life. Thank you for the article.
https://nationaldayofremembrance.org
My paternal and maternal family members are buried at Queen of Heaven. My mother’s plot is just in front of where Queen of Heaven’s “Babyland” is–though, of course, it’s not called that. I had no idea that Queen of Heaven had a National Day of Remembrance. Thank you for the information.
The only abortion i would be for is J.B.
And let us not forget the Catholic Church and its help in giving so called Catholic pols space to push infanticide , murder . Starting with Biden and going on to Pelosi and others , these pols should not only be excommunicated , but denounced , by anathema . From the pulpit , whenever they come out from under their rocks , the Church should denounce their hideous hypocrisy . Stop them at the doors , pointed them out in the pews , with only a little of charity , but denounce them . Instead ….. photo ops with some swarmy bishop on St Patrick’s Day pancake breakfast : Instead , Anathema, denounce them
Art,
You are not alone. I recently visited the grave of my uncle Gioachino, who died from Myocarditis before his second birthday about 102 years ago. He is buried in the same grave as his mother, our Grandmother Rosalia, just 23, who died from Tuberculosis, and probably a broken heart, less than a month after her child’s death.