Think of the children

Think of the children! or "for the children!" is a common refrain among handwringers. It is an appeal to emotion and can be used to support an irrelevant conclusion (both logical fallacies) when used in an argument. The phrase may also be seen as a valid appeal to a moral value that may be the basis for logical argument or action.

Reasoning

 * 1) P is good for children
 * 2) Children are good
 * 3) Therefore, anything good for children is good
 * 4) Therefore, P is good

Logical fallacy
"For the children" suffers from the logical fallacies of appeal to emotion and irrelevant conclusion. This argument can simply appeal to the listener's emotion by connecting an argument to innocent children that many people feel an instinctual need to protect. It also can contain an abdication of responsibility of "think of the children, so I don't have to", or be ironic in as much as any degree of actual thought would rapidly reveal that the children would be best served by doing something else entirely. Thus: "We need a helmet law! Think of the children!"; given the likely effect of deterring a healthy and carbon-neutral form of transport, actually thinking of the children reveals that this is the very last measure we should apply.

Examples

 * "Won't someone think of the children?", a critical essay from USA Today.
 * The phrase "Won't somebody please think of the children?" is a running gag on The Simpsons.