When was the last time you relaxed with a cup of tea and a Dr. Seuss book? I have such fond childhood memories of reading tales like the Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The clever rhymes and storylines kept my interest for hours on end. I continued reading these time-honored classics of Dr. Seuss to my own children, not realizing that one day the beloved author I cherished would be censored.

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On March 2, 2021 Dr. Seuss Enterprises announced they would no longer print six of his previously published titles because of what they call “hurtful” racial stereotypes. The books targeted are And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, If I Ran the Zoo, Oh Beyond Zebra!, Scrambled Eggs Super!, McElligot’s Pool, and The Cat’s Quizzer.

Some are saying it’s a product recall, not censorship. But fans of Dr. Seuss are pointing to none other than cancel culture itself. The debate will continue from this point forward, but the messages in many of Dr. Seuss’s books will live on. Interestingly enough, there is an important message that can speak to us right now.

I thought I’d read all of Dr. Seuss’s books, but recently a friend introduced one that had somehow slipped by me. It’s called Horton Hears a Who. I purchased the book in November 2020. As I read it, I couldn’t believe how much the content applied to the times we were facing at that very moment during the national election. The story of Horton the elephant was a reminder of how we often battle a mob of voices who want to silence us.

As cancel culture reared its ugly head, this book came to mind once again because the message seemed even more relevant. Here is a summary, in case you haven’t read it.

Horton Hears a Who is the story of a curious elephant named Horton, who happens upon a speck of dust while splashing in a pool in the jungle. He hears a faint sound coming from the speck and after some investigation, he realizes there is an entire community of microscopic people living on it. Horton vows to protect this tiny, somewhat invisible community called Whoville. His reasoning is summed up in this quote from Horton himself–“A person’s a person no matter how small.” He realizes the people of Whoville may seem non-existent, but they are still just as important as anyone else, and are worthy of his protection.

This task would prove to be quite problematic as Horton realizes not everyone shares his views or passion for saving Whoville. He encounters scoffing to no end. Sarcastic kangaroos and meddling monkeys taunt, heckle and insult Horton as he faithfully tries to keep the Whos of Whoville safe.

At one point, the speck of dust is snatched from Horton by an eagle, in an attempt to bring an untimely end to the elephant’s noble quest. To his enemies’ dismay, Horton finds and saves the nearly shattered community that was carelessly dropped into a field of clovers. Vowing to stick with his small friends through thick and thin, Horton once again promises to protect the Whos.

Unfortunately, Horton is in for greater trouble as even more animals team-up to get rid of the speck of dust. They become an angry mob who beat, maul and tie up the weary elephant, placing him in a cage. Next, they threaten to completely destroy Whoville by boiling the speck of dust in Beezle-Nut oil.

A desperate Horton tells the people of Whoville they must seize the moment and let their voices be heard. Thus far, it’s only Horton who can hear their tiny pleas. To the mob, they are non-existent and insignificant. He encourages the Whos to make as much noise as possible by banging on pots, blowing on horns and creating the loudest ruckus ever heard in Whoville history. This way, the mob will finally hear their voices.

A great noise-making effort is made, but to no avail. The mob cannot hear a thing. Horton asks if every single Who in Whoville is making a sound. He reminds them that every voice counts. A search is made and it’s discovered that there is one tiny Who just standing around and he is certainly not making a sound! It’s this one extra voice that is needed at this important moment in time. The Mayor of Whoville says, “We’ve got to make noises in greater amounts. So, open your mouth, lad! For every voice counts!”

And do you know what happened? That one voice is what made the difference. The mob could suddenly hear the people of Whoville. They realized these tiny people really did exist.  They now understood, as Horton had already said, that “a person’s a person no matter how small.” The jungle animals went from being a destructive mob to protective friends.

Does this story speak to you right here and now? I have heard elephants in the wild trumpeting with their trunks and I must say that this story blasts out a message we can all apply to our lives. Like the jungle animals in Horton Hears a Who, there are mobs of people who accuse, mock and silence the voices of conservatives. It didn’t begin with Dr. Seuss and it won’t end with him either. Let’s consider one particular area where this is happening on a grand scale.

When Horton says, “a person’s a person no matter how small,” I immediately think of all the innocent babies who have been aborted because they have been considered “non-existent” or “too small” to be valued. The mob in the story considered the people of Whoville invisible and unimportant, even as Horton begged for their lives to be spared. The more Horton plead, the more they tried to silence him.

As Christians and conservatives we should fight for the lives of all persons, no matter how small!  Speaking out against the Covid-19 relief bill, which would allow tax dollars to be used to fund abortions, Senator James Lankford (of Oklahoma) stated, “We have such a divide in this nation, where some people see every child as valuable and some people see only some children as valuable.” The people of Whoville were so tiny they could not be seen or heard. But Horton knew they existed. He knew they were important. This humble elephant didn’t care that he was ridiculed, harassed and beaten. He understood there was a greater purpose at stake and it would affect an entire community of people.

This week I was encouraged when I saw a story from Live Action, describing the Arkansas Unborn Child Protection Act. This bill would ban all abortions, except where the mother’s health is in danger. There are other shining examples of fighting the mob in places like Gorman, Texas, where an ordinance was passed prohibiting abortion. It was the Christian community who led the charge in making sure the unborn were protected. Other cities have passed similar ordinances such as Waskom, Naples, Tenaha, Gilmer, Joaquin, Westbrook, Rusk, Colorado City, Gary, Big Spring, Wells, Whiteface, East Mountain, New Home, Morton, Ackerly, Grapeland, Goldsmith and Carbon.

Recently this webcast from IFA featured Mark Lee Dickson, who spoke about the importance of creating sanctuary cities for the unborn. This pastor faces continual threats to his livelihood, but it has not stopped him from helping 21 cities to become places of refuge for those who do not have a voice.

Right now, we are in the middle of an important time of prayer and fasting known as the Forty Days for Life. The 40 days began February 17 and will continue through March 28, 2021. Non-stop, round-the-clock prayer vigils are taking place outside Planned Parenthood and other abortion clinics around the United States. Thousands of people are praying for those who cannot speak for themselves.

If we sit back and stay silent, we might as well be boiled in Beezle-Nut oil. Where are the voices in our nation who can make a great ruckus? As Horton reminds us, we need as many voices as possible. We need that one tiny person who thinks their opinion doesn’t matter. We need every single voice we can get!

Some may ask, What can I do as a tiny Who? For starters, reach out to your representatives both nationally and locally. This can be done via email by simply going to the website for your state representative. In addition, IFA offers opportunities to take action through its website, which includes prayer forums, action items and prayer resources. There’s even an interactive map where you can pray for our nation’s leaders. You can also let your voice be heard through social media platforms by sharing links, blogs and information. You can share with friends, family and anyone you think could be a voice for change. Of course, prayer is the most powerful tool of all. Imagine the clamor of voices we can create as our nation prays to Jesus on a daily basis.

Horton Hears a Who was published in 1954 and the issues facing our nation at that time were different than today. Nonetheless, the story stirs our hearts to take action. This action will vary in purpose, place and time. Even so, the point remains that within each person there is a Horton who can stand up for the smallest of them all. Wouldn’t you like to be that person? As followers of Jesus, let us be bold in trumpeting the truth, especially for those who cannot speak.

Reflections and opinions relating to the book Horton Hears A Who belong to the author and are not the opinions or intent of Dr. Seuss, or any organization affiliated with his works.

How can we stand up for the smallest of them all? Share in the comments below!

Angela Rodriguez is an author, blogger and homeschooling Mom who studies the historical and biblical connections between Israel and the United States. You can visit her blogs at 67owls.com and 100trumpets.com. (Photo Credit: Unsplash.)