"Think of the children" (or "What about the children?") is a phrase which evolved into a rhetorical tactic. Literally, it refers to children's rights (as in discussions of child labor); in debate the plea for pity, used as an appeal to emotion, is a logical fallacy. Art, Argument, and Advocacy (2002) argued that the appeal substitutes emotion for reason in debate. Ethicist Jack Marshall wrote in 2005 that the phrase's popularity stems from its capacity to stunt rationality, particularly discourse on morals. "Think of the children" has been invoked by censorship proponents to shield children from...

Nedward "Ned" Flanders, Jr. is a recurring fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Harry Shearer, and first appeared in the series premiere episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire". He is the next-door neighbor to the Simpson family and is generally loathed by Homer Simpson. A devout Evangelical Christian with an annoyingly perfect family, he is among the friendliest and most compassionate of Springfield's citizens and is generally considered a pillar of the Springfield community. He was one of the first characters outside of the immediate Simpson...