An interesting move from a Lawrence, KS Birthright center has angered some.

A Christmas tree that a pregnancy counseling organization provided to a women’s fitness center prompted three people to cancel their memberships because the tree is decorated with plastic figures meant to represent fetuses.

"This is insidious," said Kelly Jones, one of the women who quit Body Boutique last week. "This is in my gym."

She said the fitness center is a place to promote physical and mental health, not to confront a polarizing issue such as abortion.

Lorinda Hartzler, co-owner of Body Boutique, said that when Birthright of Lawrence asked about providing the tree it said it had no political agenda and wanted only to assist pregnant women in their decision-making process.

"It’s not like the babies are morbid," Hartzler said of the tiny figures in the tree. "It’s not graphic at all."

The tree had about a dozen blue and pink stockings, each stuffed with a plastic figure and attached card that labeled the dolls as being "between 11 and 12 weeks old."

I don’t know if this fitness center is one near the university and is particularly trying to reach students. It strikes me it might have been less polarizing, as they say, to make the tree one of success stories – with permission, to hang, in little ornament -type frames photos of moms and babies born because of the help of Birthright…Or something.