How is pointing out that 50 MILLION Americans have been murdered in the past 35 years “ridiculous hyperbole”?
That's not what the headline said. It talked about "friends I never knew". It's silly as heck.
Yes, this can be taken to odd logical conclusions. For example, what about her friend Alicia, who never would have been born if her mother had carried John to term back in college—deciding not to have any more children, or not to marry the same man, or whatever?
Or how about the billions of fetuses that are lost before mothers even know they are pregnant—why do we not think about them as potential friends?
Etc.
It’s a good emotional technique, but we should recognize it for what it is. The popularity of scenarios such as “It’s a Wonderful Life” demonstrate the mass appeal of the technique of such speculation, but let’s not fool ourselves that these exercises are complete, logical, or close to rigorous.