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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWhy I Am Pro-Life By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
HARD-LINE conservatives have gone to new extremes lately in opposing abortion. Last week, Richard Mourdock, the Tea Party-backed Republican Senate candidate in Indiana, declared during a debate that he was against abortion even in the event of rape because after much thought he came to realize that life is that gift from God. And even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that it is something that God intended to happen. That came on the heels of the Tea Party-backed Republican Representative Joe Walsh of Illinois saying after a recent debate that he opposed abortion even in cases where the life of the mother is in danger, because with modern technology and science, you cant find one instance in which a woman would not survive without an abortion. Health of the mother has become a tool for abortions anytime, for any reason, Walsh said. That came in the wake of the Senate hopeful in Missouri, Representative Todd Akin, remarking that pregnancy as a result of legitimate rape is rare because the female body has ways to try and shut that whole thing down.
These were not slips of the tongue. These are the authentic voices of an ever-more-assertive far-right Republican base that is intent on using uncompromising positions on abortion to not only unseat more centrist Republicans Mourdock defeated the moderate Republican Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana in the primary but to overturn the mainstream consensus in America on this issue. That consensus says that those who choose to oppose abortion in their own lives for reasons of faith or philosophy should be respected, but those women who want to make a different personal choice over what happens with their own bodies should be respected, and have the legal protection to do so, as well.
But judging from the unscientific borderline crazy statements opposing abortion that were hearing lately, there is reason to believe that this delicate balance could be threatened if Mitt Romney and Representative Paul Ryan, and their even more extreme allies, get elected. So to those who want to protect a womans right to control what happens with her own body, let me offer just one piece of advice: to name something is to own it. If you can name an issue, you can own the issue. And we must stop letting Republicans name themselves pro-life and Democrats as pro-choice. It is a huge distortion.
In my world, you dont get to call yourself pro-life and be against common-sense gun control like banning public access to the kind of semiautomatic assault rifle, designed for warfare, that was used recently in a Colorado theater. You dont get to call yourself pro-life and want to shut down the Environmental Protection Agency, which ensures clean air and clean water, prevents childhood asthma, preserves biodiversity and combats climate change that could disrupt every life on the planet. You dont get to call yourself pro-life and oppose programs like Head Start that provide basic education, health and nutrition for the most disadvantaged children. You can call yourself a pro-conception-to-birth, indifferent-to-life conservative. I will never refer to someone who pickets Planned Parenthood but lobbies against common-sense gun laws as pro-life.
more ... http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/28/opinion/sunday/friedman-why-i-am-pro-life.html?smid=fb-share&_r=0
lamp_shade
(14,839 posts)The Doctor.
(17,266 posts)Being against a given piece of gun legislation does not make someone 'Pro-Death'.
Other than that small fallacy, I agree with him entirely.
LeftInTX
(25,464 posts)TahitiNut
(71,611 posts)AngryOldDem
(14,061 posts)I know, because I have basically made the same argument, and here is the reply I've gotten from those who claim to be God-fearing and righteous in this fight:
Until the babies in the womb are respected and allowed to live, nothing else matters. Respect for life begins in the womb, and everything else will just have to wait until we all agree on that point. Once abortion is banned, the fruits of that will extend to everything else, and we will be living in earthly paradise. Or, at best, they say that other life issues are basically someone else's problem, never mind the fact what Christ Himself commanded ALL of us to do for the least among us. (I seem to recall that commandment as being pretty much nonnegotiable, but they see it differently.)
In other words: Ban abortion, and every world ill will suddenly take care of itself.
"Zygotiots" is the **perfect** description of these myopic, stupid people. They do the most harm to the true "pro-life" movement with their obvious unconcern for any other life issue, be it poverty or the death penalty, or access to basic health care. Their apparent, total indifference to the already-born is truly shocking and frightening. I often have an image when I read their crap of someone stepping over a poor, homeless, or starving person as they march their way to a clinic.
And they can all go straight to hell, as far as I'm concerned. They make me sick.
Dark n Stormy Knight
(9,771 posts)out of the womb. Let's take care of the basic human needs of those who are among us. Once we get that straightened out, we can talk about the zygotes.
eShirl
(18,496 posts)is what I call it.
rhiannon55
(2,671 posts)He has said some pretty stupid things in the past. I seem to recall him being a cheerleader for the attack on Iraq, for example. But with this article, he has partially redeemed himself.
K&R!!!!
Fumesucker
(45,851 posts)Sometimes known as FU's.
ErikJ
(6,335 posts)Last edited Sun Oct 28, 2012, 02:25 PM - Edit history (1)
Thom Hartmann said Pro-life was the name used for anti-death penalty organization 100 years ago. Today's anti-choice co-opted it in the 60's/70's. I tried googling it but couldnt find much. Probably been scrubbed from the internet by RW ers. GOod we have people like Thom Hartmann to actually remember the past as the internet slowly loses our history. m
scarletwoman
(31,893 posts)but he did all right on this one.
Just goes to show how intolerably batshit crazy the Republicans how become - even frikkin' Thomas Friedman has been shocked into writing something sensible.
sw
ErikJ
(6,335 posts)I used to love his anti-SUV opeds about increasing gas mileage. Seems like he was the only one hitting it hard. If we did what he said we wouldnt even have had to be in the mid-east -at all.
WillyT
(72,631 posts)Jumping John
(930 posts)are OK with such laws if it is based on the teachings of their Christian religion.
ErikJ
(6,335 posts)DFW
(54,417 posts)Do you eat meat?
Do you favor retaining the death penalty?
I have YET to meet ONE person describing themselves as "pro-life" who has answered "no" to both questions.
Once they answer "yes" to one of the two questions, I say, "then you are NOT pro-life. You are just against abortion rights."
They usually get angry, sometimes very angry.
I do not care.
ErikJ
(6,335 posts)yet support Rreopublicans who want to cut food stamps for single mothers. Satan loves RW Christiaans.
underseasurveyor
(6,428 posts)Also posted to FB.
pampango
(24,692 posts)Zalatix
(8,994 posts)[img]:large[/img]
And he supports Scott Brown, too.
The dude is a Plutocrat. With what he hails as his own army. With a track record of beating the hell out of protesters.
Bad example, Mr. Friedman. Bad example.
Response to proud2BlibKansan (Original post)
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arcane1
(38,613 posts)I'd like to see for myself.