Profiling the Pro Lifers

From Huffington Post:

"Drawing a stark contrast between himself and the Republican presidential candidates on the issue of women's reproductive rights, President Barack Obama released a statement on Sunday, the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, reaffirming his commitment to protect a woman's right to choose."

On the other hand:

"Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, the winner of Saturday's South Carolina presidential primary, last week reaffirmed his support for a fetal "personhood" amendment, which would criminalize abortion even in cases of rape and could ban some forms of contraception, in vitro fertilization and stem cell research. He has also pledged to strip government funds from Planned Parenthood, which provides basic health care and affordable contraception to millions of low-income and uninsured women across the country each year."

Once again conservatives are raising the abortion issue, both in the United States and here in Canada.  Prime Minister Harper has stated that he will not reopen the issue; probably because he knows that he and his party would take a drubbing, not because he truly supports a woman's right to choose.

In case it's not obvious by now, I am pro-choice.  Which does not mean I'm pro-abortion.  I agree with a sermon I once heard:  abortion is always an evil, but sometimes, it's the lesser of two evils.  

Nor do I believe that life begins at conception.  Or that sex is simply for procreation.  (I think I must do a separate blog entry on this).  

I also think that people who are already here are more important than a cluster of six or eight cells.  That is not a baby.  It is a blastocyst.  

Why do I bring this up?  

Because my mother has Parkinson's, one of the filthiest diseases on this planet.  

Stopping stem cell research, which would help my mother and countless others, because of such "babies" is an outrage and insult. It says that this clump of cells, no bigger than the point of a pencil, is more important than the suffering of those already here. 

I do believe that women are human beings and as such, are worthy of respect.  That would seem self-evident, but the actions of the extreme right-wing show that there are those that do not agree with my point of view.

I really have come to the conclusion that these people really don't care about women.  They weep crocodile tears for an clump of cells but actual people -- not so much.

I have a theory about this. 

It's easy to idolise the unborn.  They're not here yet.  They don't annoy you by taking up space, making noise when you have a headache, or creating nasty smells.  

You don't have to give up your hard-earned money in taxes in order to pay for their schooling or housing or medical care.  They don't hang around street corners and give you Looks when you walk by.  They don't demand outrageous things like decent jobs and livable homes. 

You can visualise them as sweet, adorable little babies who coo and suck their thumbs, not the wailing red-faced annoyances who are clogging up the emergency rooms and school system and taking attention away from your little upper class GOP and/or Tory angel.

They're the perfect fantasy child.  Unfortunately, this is not a fantasy world.