Pro-Life, Pro-Choice...Nay, Pro-Politics

I was listening to NPR yesterday morning and they were discussing the murder of late-term abortion doctor George Tiller and they introduced Nancy Keenan, President of NARAL and Tom McClusky, Vice President of Family Research Council's Legislative Group to the show to discuss the murder.

At first I thought, how silly, of course both of these groups will agree that the death of any already born person is horrific, even though they disagree on the pre-natal term "life" and whether or not that life can be killed and whether or not it's choice...you know the arguments.

Unfortunately I found out very quickly how wrong I was.

Now, I realize that these two people were asked questions, and that their answers were probably spliced and edited and all of those things that sneaky people do in order to get a good story.

But neither the "Pro-Choice" side or the "Pro-Life" side stated that there was anything upsetting about the murder of this man.

Instead what I heard was this:

"I hope those Pro-Lifers understand how their nasty rhetoric caused this death" and "I hope those Pro-Choicers realize that their 'choices' caused this death"

As well as this:

"I hope those Pro-Choice people don't use this as amunition to get bills passed against the Pro-Life movement" and "I can't wait to use this as amunition to get bills passed agains the Pro-Life movement".

(Paraphrase, of course).

(I should also point out that there was one Pro-Life individual who did express some sorrow over the death of the doctor, but in the same breath preceded to talk about how it will indeed spur the "child-killing movement" to move against the pro-life movement).

Now, I happen to believe that what Dr. Tiller was doing was wrong. But I also happen to believe that what Scott Roeder did was wrong.

And I realize that Nancy Keenan and Tom McClusky do not speak for both sides of the entire movements they represent, but in that NPR interview neither side won. And humanity didn't win. Politics won.

In the constant battle between the pro-life and pro-choice movements women don't win. Babies definitely don't win. Humanity doesn't win. Politics fight in order to try to win.

And I wonder if we forgot politics and made it about people if everyone would win more. If the pro-choice side sought better adoptions laws and better standards of care for the children that we have instead of fighting for the right to keep abortion legal then children would win. And if the pro-life movement raised money to care for mother's after they have their children, and built networks to help support them during pregnancy then women would win. *

Besides seeking, raising and building are better options for all humanity than fighting...

*I realize that both sides have members who do those things...I just wish it was more like everyone...