Harry Shannon
Many U.S. politicians, especially Republicans, like to proclaim their ‘pro-life’ stance. But while they’re keen to oppose abortions, the rest of their politics don’t match what they say.
If they were really pro-life:
- They would cut military aid and weapons sales to regimes that assassinate their opponents and engage in wars. An example: the Saudis and their killing of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi and their involvement in the war in Yemen, home of one of the great humanitarian crises of our time.
- They would make sure all precautions are taken to limit deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic, e.g., by not insisting that they should be allowed to hold church services that could become super-spreader events or ensuring that people follow guidelines not just to protect themselves but also to prevent infecting other people.
- They would ensure that COVID-19 vaccines are available worldwide and join the international effort to save lives in all countries.
- They would not prosecute people for trying to save lives, e.g., the No More Deaths group.
- They would take a tiny fraction of their military budget and use it to expand programs around the world that have been proved to save lives. Just one example: malaria prevention
- They would work to reduce consumption of fossil fuels that are far deadlier than sources of renewable energy: per unit of energy produced, the death rate from accidents and air pollution is many times higher for oil and gas than for hydro, wind, or solar power (and the cost of the energy is lower!)
Of course, I could go on … and on and on. You can see examples of the hypocrisy in the news almost daily.
Imagine how much better things would be … if they really were pro-life.