Lessons From "Law & Order: SVU"

This is probably on my television more often than it should be.

I will admit to anyone that I enjoy watching the television show "Law & Order". Of course, my favorite spin-off of this show is "Law & Order: SVU". Olivia, Elliot, Fin, Munch, and I have solved a lot of crimes together over the years, especially back when living with the Protagitron and we had very limited television in English. Sure, Captain Cragen and I have had some disagreements in the past, but all in all he is a tough, but fair and loving boss. He's got our backs.

Look at him! He loves you, too!

I like to look at "Law & Order: SVU" not so much as a show for entertainment as a learning experience. Just like I enjoy documentaries and The History Channel, I watch "Law & Order: SVU" to gain more knowledge. It is not a show that feeds on societal fears! It is here to inform us!

While I have learned many things from this educational program, tonight's lesson deserves to be discussed. If you plan on watching the episode and don't want it spoiled, you should probably stop reading now.

A middle aged woman spent her life single, working on her career. She decided to start a family, and so adopted adorable Baby Jasper. While this woman was on a business trip, Baby Jasper was found in an alleyway. As usual, this was a somewhat deceptive opening. The actual topic tonight was "reproductive abuse". Reproductive abuse could be poking holes in a condom, not swallowing the pill, or whatever to intentionally sabotage birth control and with the end goal of an unplanned baby.

The "reproductive abuser" in the show was a former ADA who had knocked up some forty-seven women across the state, promising each of them that they were the only one, he would marry them, he loved them, etc. Other than paying child support, however, he was an awful father - never around. But anyway, he was engaged to the woman from the beginning of the show and - shocker - he knocked her up! And even more shocker, Baby Jasper was his baby as well!

The thing is, none of these women saw this man for what he really was. They all believed he was madly in love with them, he was the perfect man, and that indeed they should keep their babies and raise a family with him.

Usually what I learn from "Law & Order: SVU" is that I am lucky not to be dead right now (especially since I have a cat! Cats make women more of a target, or so I've gathered from this accurate, educational television show.). Tonight, however, I learned that even if I fall in love again and someday get engaged and my life seems all hunky-dory, it is probably a lie! Especially if I somehow end up pregnant before the whole marriage thing! Now I know that there are "reproductive abusers" out there having dozens - dozens - of children and pulling the wool over each mother's eyes.

It is a wonder I don't have more bad dreams, or that I even manage to get out and about. If I took everything from my beloved "Law & Order: SVU" to heart, I would be curled up in the corner rocking back and forth to calm my nerves after locking the twenty padlocks on each of my doors.