PAD: On the Idea of “Pro-Life” & the concepts of “Freedom” & “Abortion”
There is a huge movement that must be feeling quite elated over the notion that they are going to be able to snuff out the concept of abortion in our time. For those who feel this way, one can only wonder if they do not understand the past or have no concept of what the future may bring.
We are living in a science-based world, with a reliance on the wonders of modern technology. And yet, the people who feel the need to celebrate the backwards march of time, with the notion of preventing not only abortion, but also the concept of birth control or the evils of premarital sex, are living in a delusional vacuum.
There is no need to condemn those who feel all abortion is evil, or that their religious beliefs are driving them to staunchly ‘pro-life’ positions. And yet, these same people are also the ones who have been guilty of hypocritical stances on many other positions within their rigid belief system.
Guns are not a god-given right that is guaranteed-even in the Constitution! And assault rifles are evil when they are being abused as they are. They should be condemned and highly regulated and outlawed for the general public.
Masks are not evil and anti-freedom. Vaccines are not evil and anti-American. Ask the soldiers who were required to take all types of vaccines before traveling overseas. Or the school children who have had shots given to them routinely for decades.
And for those who would like others to at least not knock over the stands and yell at those who wore masks, we need to understand the concept of freedom. Freedom is not always the same as just disregarding the public good and doing whatever the heck makes you feel good. And because there are among us those who prefer their freedom with a dose of realism when COVID strikes, then we need to step back and assess the real meaning of ‘pro-life”
For those who have worn this proudly as a badge of honor for decades, it is not a true indicator of what you really believe. Personally, I feel I am pro-life and pro-choice. And that is not a contradiction. You cannot love life and then condemn others to believe in something that might kill or harm many others. “Pro-life’ is just a meaningless phrase they throw out like ‘Freedom Fries.” It means nothing.
I know this because too many personal friends and family members have had to make a difficult choice that involves terminating a much-wanted pregnancy. No one would want a screaming banshee standing over them in judgment to tell them what they should think or feel. Especially when forced to make a difficult and most painful and personal decision.
I think back on Janis Joplin. Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose…For these people who think they are ‘pro-life’, Freedom is just another word. Full Stop. They use it to pull out a country song about being proud to be American. And yet they are not proud. They are ashamed of their country because their own belief system doesn’t allow them to accept any foreign policy or any type of global decision that is not part of their world view. It has allowed many to become twisted and bitter in their tunnel-vision of how the world should be. I feel sadness for these people. But there is nothing free about their thought process.
Freedom can occur for those who have an unfettered conscience. The man in a prison cell is freer in spirit than those who are so restricted in their world view. In reality, the lives and the deaths that are weighing heavily on the many millions who have brought us to this shameful moment in our history gives us pause. And I am fearful for the women who may die because of this horrifically shameful decision by a small group of Supreme Court elites.
Recently, someone mentioned that the Supreme Court Justices may be surprised because a decision they thought was behind them would be suddenly thrust onto their agenda. But rather than be surprised, they should all be students of history and realize that Prohibition was also a terrible law and it lasted 13 years. This Dobbs ruling is one that I would like to predict is going to go down in the annals of Dred Scott territory in less time.
Freedom is not always free in this country. We need to fight for our freedoms and now is the time to do so.
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