What is the difference?
One of the strangest things that always perplexes me when Democrats and Republicans decide to argue with each other is the role of the sanctity of human life. I've always believed that since God is the only one who can and does create life that really only God should be the one to decide when to take life away.Republicans love to sound like they believe that, too, especially since they also like to pretend God is registered in their party. And they back that up by being against abortion and against stem cell research - which they seem to think is the same thing as abortion (that is, taking life and not allowing it to live).
Democrats also like to sound like they are on the side of life, because many of them oppose the death penalty, which is, of course, another example of humans deciding to take life away from other humans.
I can't really see how Bush thinks he is on God's side of protecting and preserving life at all, though. He says he opposes abortion, but he doesn't oppose all abortion - he's okay with it if it was rape or incest. Well how are those unborn children any more of a "life" in God's eyes than any other not-yet-born child? He opposes stem cell research - no, wait - he only opposes certain levels of it. Some of it he supports. But he opposes expanding it to even include unused specimens in fertility clinics that will never be used to actually make a child. He LOVES the death penalty - check out his record as governor of Texas - it was like a regular Friday night event then. And he clearly doesn't see war as something that takes away human lives. Maybe he does - though he did say two years ago that he didn't think there would be any casualties when going into Iraq. One must assume he was only thinking of U.S. casualties (but what does that say about his real thoughts on the value of an Iraqi life) or that he has absolutely no business deciding anything related to war. I suppose when your life or any of your family members or friends are not on the line, there really is nothing at risk to starting a war.
Okay, that's enough cynicism for now. But getting back to my original thought - why is there no political party willing to say that actually ALL life is valuable and only God should be making decisions about life and death and humans doing it in relationship to abortion, death penalty, or anything is wrong. Life is a precious gift from God and we don't have the right to take it from another - ever.
posted by gurufrisbee @ 5:21 PM
