Thoughts on Hypocrisy …

Posted on by under Global Issues, Social commentary

The right to life is a moral principle based on the belief that a human being has the right to live and, in particular, should not be killed by another human being. The concept of a right to life arises in debates on issues of capital punishment, war, abortion, euthanasia, justifiable homicide and, by extension, public health care.

It seems to me that those who vociferously claim to be “pro-life” would cherry-pick the instances in which they support another’s right to life.  For example, pro-lifers are against abortion … in all cases.  Yet, once a child is born to a mother who does not have the wherewithal to provide for that child, then the same pro-lifers who forbade the mother from having an abortion, turn their backs.  They are unwilling to have their tax dollars used to support the child, to provide medical care for the child, or a free education.  So in essence, they are crueler than those of us who would support a woman’s right to choose, since they have insisted on this child being born, but are now willing to allow it to live in abject poverty, without his basic needs being met.  Listening to the song In The Ghetto, originally by Elvis Presley, one stanza in particular jumps out:

People, don’t you understand

The child needs a helping hand

Or he’ll grow to be an angry young man some day?

Take a look at you and me

Are we too blind to see

Do we simply turn our heads, and look the other way?

Rather than making it harder for women to have abortions, why not make it less necessary for a woman to need an abortion?  Ever hear the saying, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”?  But instead, the very same ones who decry abortions, have routinely and consistently spoken out to de-fund Planned Parenthood, an organization that provides counseling, health care and contraceptives to women.  And many who consider themselves ‘pro-lifers’, are also against contraceptives.  Think about the Hobby Lobby and other similar cases.  So, they want to deny women a right to birth control, but also deny her the right to do what she feels is best in the case of an unwanted pregnancy.

Those same people who unconditionally oppose a woman’s right to seek an abortion, are by large the same who support capital punishment, seeing no problem with taking a man’s life for a crime he may have committed, even when his guilt may be in question.

And almost to a person, those who claim to be pro-life see no problem with advocating for every person in the nation, regardless of mental state, emotional health, capability, or temperament, to own and carry a firearm.  They applaud when somebody takes the life of another, claiming it was “self-defense” … even though more often than not, it was not self-defense at all.  They also applaud when police brutally murder a black man, frequently without reason.  Just don’t kill a small pocket of cells within a woman’s womb, but kill all the people who might have committed crimes.

Where is that moral outrage on the part of pro-lifers when Trump is threatening to ban refugees because they are Muslims … how do they justify that they are anti-immigration?  Do not the lives of those men, women and children living in conditions whereby bombs are being dropped over their heads over night matter?  Do not the lives of Syrians, Iraqis, Afghanis, and Yeminis count in the ‘pro-life’ ideology?

Let us speak for a moment of drones dropping bombs on unsuspecting civilians in the Middle East.  Or what of the “mother of all bombs” recently dropped in Afghanistan, or the Tomahawk missiles in Syria?  Each of these took lives.  If you support any of these, especially in the cases where civilians were killed, you cannot claim to be pro-life.

Let me tell you what I think.  I think that in order for a person to be honestly considered pro-life, that person must be:

  • Pro-immigration
  • Against capital punishment
  • Pro-national health care
  • Pro-social services for the poor
  • Anti-discrimination of every type, including religious
  • Pro-gun regulation, including at a minimum, a ban on assault-type weapons
  • Anti-war

There are others, but I think you see my point.  Nobody is truly pro-life … perhaps Mother Teresa was, or perhaps Pope Francis is, but for the rest of us, there are circumstances in which we are in support of ending a life.  Right?  Wrong?  I do not pretend to know.  I know only what my own conscience tells me.  And my own conscience, while not a fan of abortion, believes in a woman’s right to choice because I am not inside that woman’s mind, I cannot know her circumstances.  It may be that she knows she cannot take proper care of that child for whatever reason.  That is not mine to judge.  But I believe there are far worse examples of taking a life than to take the life of a fetus whose life would quite possibly be a tragedy from day one.

One final note:  The population on earth is 7.5 billion people and counting.  So far this year, 2017, there have been some 48 million births, and fewer than 20 million deaths. The world is already overpopulated, and some would deny a woman birth control???

Next time somebody claims to be ‘pro-life’, ask them if they support capital punishment, random killings in the Middle East, or if they wish to repeal ACA which provides health care for those who would otherwise have none.

I do not ask that you agree with this commentary, but merely that you think about it.

52 thoughts on “Thoughts on Hypocrisy …”

  1. I agree that many people do not give this subject thorough logical thought. Claiming to be strictly pro-life in one case and then pro-death in another does not make much logical sense. I believe that that taking of any life should never be done without much consideration proceeding it. Also that it should not be just to make the one who is doing the killings life easier. As you say, An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”

    I am afraid though that while there may be some cases where abortion may be warranted I do not believe that it should be done on the scale that it is. I have met people who have had multiple abortions which to me means they are using abortion as a after the fact form of birth control.

    Also the same logic that has been applied to the pro-lifers can be applied to pro choice folks as well. Planned parenthood’s beginnings were not the noblest with it’s founder being a Eugenicist. Look up some information on Margaret Sanger:

    “Sanger’s eugenic policies included an exclusionary immigration policy, free access to birth control methods, and full family planning autonomy for the able-minded, as well as compulsory segregation or sterilization for the “profoundly retarded”. Sanger wrote, “we do not believe that the community could or should send to the lethal chamber the defective progeny resulting from irresponsible and unintelligent breeding.”

    Those do not sound like the words of an compassionate person.

    Liked by 1 person

    • You do pose some thought-provoking commentary. I agree with you fully, that while there are valid reasons for abortion, women who have multiple abortions seem to be using abortion as a form of birth control, and that is not acceptable in my book.

      I do support Planned Parenthood, but I also admit ignorance about the nature of its beginnings and know very little about Margaret Sanger … I shall need to look into that more. But what they have become today is a provider of healthcare and counseling for women, and abortion is actually a very small part of what they do. So, in that sense, I feel they are providing a valuable service that many women would not otherwise be able to afford.

      Again, you have given me some things to think about and look into. Your comments are always appreciated!

      Liked by 1 person

      • Planed parenthood performed 329,000 abortions in 2014. Eugeniest belive that the lower undesireable classes breed much faster than the higher classes of people. So they were looking for ways to control the birth rates of the lower classes. If you combine that idea with the fact that the majority of that 329,000 were minorities it gets a little scary. Although many people do not know the roots of planned parenthood, even people working there and minorities, finding this out should give them some pause.

        I know that planned parenthood does not advertise itself as such but I don’t think that alone solves the problem. I have heard Neonazi’s claim that they are not against other races, they are just “for” the white race. This is usually not beleived because of their roots and history are based on Naziism.

        Can you really say that ones history counts and the others does not? That would seem somewhat hipocritical to most fair minded people.

        Liked by 1 person

        • Well, I would likely take the more moderate idea that the reason the majority of abortions are performed on the poor, or lower classes, is because those are the ones most likely to end up with unwanted pregnancies. Less access to birth control, to education, etc. I am not discounting your idea of ‘eugenics’, but since I know little about it, and since I DO know that the lower income people are the most likely to have unplanned and unwanted pregnancies, as well as being the most susceptible to using drugs, etc., I pose that as an alternative to the eugenics theory. However, I will do some research as time permits.

          The other thing for me is that I would prefer to see a woman get an abortion than to have a child she either does not want or does not have the means to take care of. That child will suffer either abuse or neglect for much, if not all, of its childhood and will be at high risk for an early death. People argue that there is always adoption, but do you know how many children are either awaiting adoption or are in the foster system until they reach 18 and then have nowhere to go? So, there are some arguments pro choice in addition to health-related.

          Just something to think about …

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          • There is no disputing that minorities have more abortions all the statistics back that up. The question I am posing is should the history of these organizations matter? I dont think supporting planned parenthood today makes you the same as Mary Sanger. Because most people today have never even heard her name. I also dont thonk that just because someone also believes that white peoplevhave rights it makes them a Neo Nazi.

            The big difference here is that neo Nazi’s embrace there history. Will someone who knows the history of planned parenthoods origins do the same. I am sure if minorities were handed a planned parenthood history pamphlet they might think twice about entering. It isnt about if they should or shouldnt get the abortion. It is about if they should get it at planned parenthood and if others should support a organization with a history like this. There are other alternatives.

            Lastly on if kids are better off not being born into poverty. All I can say is no on truly knows. There have been many people who were born into poor families and then went on to do great things for the world. So the truth is we really dont know that it is better. Maybe it would be better to focus our attention on elemanating the poverty that is at the root of the problem. Take care!

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            • I would not necessarily say that kids are better off not being born than being born into poverty. But my point was more of kids who, being not wanted in the first place, are born into a home where they are likely to be abused, even to the point of eventual death. And even if they are removed from an abusive home, they are placed into “the system”, where they are almost certain to be subjected to even more abuse. It is true that even some of those kids go on to do great things, so it’s a slippery slope, and not an argument I take lightly, but every time I read about a child being beaten to death or starved to death by its parents, I wonder if it would have been better had that child never been born.

              As to Planned Parenthood … I don’t necessarily think that its past history needs to negate all the good it does now. By that standard, we would have to say that Germany should be judged today by its past from the 1930s-1940s, even though they are now a much different nation. Naziism is an ideology that will always be about racism, anti-Semitism, but Germany and Planned Parenthood are organizations that have overcome their past. At least, that’s how I see it.

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  2. Maybe if some of the pro lifers were forced to see India as I did recently did and experience for themselves the adverse effects of overpopulation, a few might change their minds.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. I love that people March, but do it because it’s what you believe in not because it’s the thing that will get you more likes on Facebook… I was paralyzed three years ago and cannabis saved my life, I was always against recreational and medical cannabis until I did the research and learn the truth for myself. You’re probably wondering why I just threw that in there it’s because I’m also actively involved in trying to get legislation process in Idaho, probably the last date that will go legal but I will never give up because it’s what I believe in and if that’s why people go do what they do

    Liked by 1 person

    • I fully agree with you. The only reason to be an activist is to fight for what you believe is right, which is the reason I write the topics that I do. Some march, others write, still others are more actively involved in various levels of government and with agencies such as ADL, NRC, etc. Welcome to my blog, by the way … I mostly write about politics and social injustices around the world, but every now and then I just write fun things. I am so sorry to hear about your paralysis, and am glad you are making a difference for what you believe in.

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      • I am currently following you… 🙂 and if you had a couple sentences of advice you could give to a new blogger what would it be? I am blogging about why life is worth living! Even when times seem to be their Darkest or even impossible you can not only overcome adversity but thrive while doing it!

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        • The simplest things are sometimes the most important. Take time to respond the each and every comment, even if it’s only a smiley-face or a few words. Check out other people’s blogs and leave comments. Pay great attention to detail. Formatting, correct spelling, etc., are very important. Use pictures, but just don’t overdo. People like cute cartoons, or relevant pictures to break up the monotony of endless text. And keep it fairly short. I shoot for 800-1200 words. Anything longer becomes tedious to the reader, no matter how interesting the topic. More later! 🙂

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  5. People don’t want to hear that it takes hard work to effect change, they’d rather make themselves feel and look good by simply marching for a cause and posting selfies on Facebook which will garner them likes and attention for the moment, satiating there need to show everyone how noble and virtuous they are. It’s nothing more than symbolism over substance.

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    • Well, to an extent I agree with you, but I would add that many do not quite know what else to do. Others do what they can do. For some of us, that is using our skilss, be it writing, art, or public speaking, to make our voices heard. Some march. I agree that posting and sharing silly memes on Facebook is a waste of time and annoying.

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      • I love that people March, but do it because it’s what you believe in not because it’s the thing that will get you more likes on Facebook… I was paralyzed three years ago and cannabis saved my life, I was always against recreational and medical cannabis until I did the research and learn the truth for myself. You’re probably wondering why I just threw that in there it’s because I’m also actively involved in trying to get legislation process in Idaho, probably the last date that will go legal but I will never give up because it’s what I believe in and if that’s why people go do what they do

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  6. A well balanced post Jill highlighting our flaws and contradictions, which many of us would rather not face up to. I’m with Keith in that we all are prone to hypocrisy (Well, except in my case of course….. because there are extenuating circumstances !)
    It’s no use me talking about Capital Punishment, I only need to read of one horrid murder upon a vulnerable person, child or by hate crime and I’m off with my verbal noose…..so bad mark to me there.
    Being Catholic I am unsettled by abortion, but believe empathetically that women should not be placed in the situation where they have to make that choice, and they need every drop of love and support whichever path they take. And if I go on any further you’ll read of my (sometimes weirdly contradictory) views as to how the whole current systems of contraception are geared towards taking the responsibility away from the man and placing the whole burden on the woman.
    And of course you’ve read my views on how to deal with Intolerance!
    War; having read military history for most of my life I could drone on about that subject and come up with some dreadfully grim logic (apparently in the terms of one book on International Politics, I am what’s termed a ‘Neo-Realist’ – sort of “If we must we must”)
    Of course hypocrisy is nothing new. Let us consider in the New Testament, the case of the woman bought before Jesus for being caught in the act of adultery…..now as far as I personally am aware does that take two folk?
    Us humans eh? If we could only keep our contradictions wrapped up in our heads and not allowed out of our mouths (or these days onto the keyboard)

    Liked by 1 person

    • Yes, we are all, even those with ‘extenuating circumstances’, prone to hypocrisy. Most of us, I think, at least spend some time trying to understand why we believe as we do, and open our minds to a variety of viewpoints. My problem is not with people like you, me, and Keith, who are thinkers of good conscience, but with the masses that believe as they are told, without every giving a thought to the contradictions in their own beliefs. They believe what their church, the political candidates, families or friends tell them without asking themselves why or whether is makes any sense. Heck, whenever I fail to rein my mind in and force it to concentrate, it always ambles off to pick apart and analyze ad nauseum, some thought or belief. But others are more easily satisfied with a daily diet of mindless television, social media, and potato chips. Sigh. Perhaps they are less conflicted and overall more humorous? I am still working on trying to be humorous, but am failing thus far. 😀 But I shall keep trying and one of these days … :),

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      • Hi Jill
        Humans is a problem; so much so that I’ve tried to start the next sentence for about 5 mins and have failed to construct a satisfactory opener….
        Whereas I used to be quite happy to cry out ‘You blocks! You stones! You worse than senseless things!’ (or something similar), of late there’s been a bit of a sea-change.
        Seemed to have come about reading some of the insufferably arrogant and snobbish statements coming out of the UK Far Left and ‘Enlightened’ ‘free-thinkers’ (or so they would claim) who in their rush to get into print come out, quite frankly as blinkered and as unpleasant as the Alt Right (only with more recourse to long-winded phrases).
        Thus once more do I find myself something of an orphan in political and social terms, which is hard, being human an’ all….
        The most constructive place I have found an anchor for is to try to live by these three.
        Compassion
        Respect
        Tolerance.
        Being human we are not saints so we stumble, but if folk are trying to get there I’m willing to say ‘friend’. If they refuse to embrace these three….then as the saying goes ‘We have a problem’.
        Ohh, keep on keeping on Jill.
        Best wishes
        Roger

        Liked by 1 person

        • Yes, I like your three criteria … they are an identical match to my own. We have the same problem here, with the left, who generally DO have a more compassionate, tolerant, humanitarian ideology, lowering themselves to the tacky tactics of the far right … name-calling, threatening, mindless memes, and the like. I do not see a thing to be accomplished by those behaviours and it reminds me of a school playground, complete with sticking-out-tongues, name calling, and taunting. Imagine what a bit of civil discourse might accomplish! But alas … it seems that the mind of an adult, in many cases, is not much different than that of a child … it just resides in a bigger body, knows more words, and can do more damage. Sigh. Woe, woe, and thrice woe!

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          • Indeed:
            “Judico non potest comparari homo a vobis ne petasum gerit tua”, I say…
            Sounds profound doesn’t it?
            It actually is supposed to read : “Judge not a man by his hat lest you be compared by your trousers”
            I made it up myself, so I guess a genuine classically trained Latin scholar would tear it apart 😁

            Liked by 1 person

            • Profound indeed!!! I was thinking, there goes Roger in search of those Latin phrases again, when I read that you made it up, and I laughed! Just for kicks, I put it into Google translate, and here is what it came up with: “These judgments can not be compared to the man that he will not be wearing”. 😀 😀 😀 I like your version better, but this one did set my imagination wondering just WHAT he will not be wearing! 🙂

              Liked by 1 person

              • I used to use Google translation for kicks, but it had a habit of loosing the humour in its translation, so it’s random choices these daze 🙃 ☺️!
                In response to your question I would quote from the Pliny (The Not Very Well Known Because His Mother Kept Nagging Him To Get Out Of The House And Find a Proper Job):
                “Qui causas non dubitamus gerunt braccis subter togam”: ( “Question the motives of the man who does not wear trousers beneath his toga”) 😑

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                • Ah … trousers beneath the ol’ Toga! My daughter is a member (drummer) of the Cincinnati Caledonian Pipes & Drums band, and I am given to understand that “real men” do not wear skivvies under their kilts! So, one parade, likely St. Patrick’s Day, as they marched proudly down the city street, there was a breeze blowing up from one of the storm drains, and a piper, poor James, bared it for all the world to see! It was even on the front pages of the newspaper, though they inked out the best parts! 🙂

                  As re Google Translate … yes, it is quirky, but sometimes it actually adds a bit of humour, too! And Pliny … elder or younger? Can’t much blame his mum now, can you? I keep threatening my granddaughter with eviction if she doesn’t soon seek gainful employment. 😀

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  7. Jill, I commented earlier on the veracity of your post. I have also read with interest the comments. From where I sit as an Independent voter who has been a member of both parties, there are many disconnects on both sides, especially when folks look at issues in black and white terms, instead of the varying shades of gray. As you note, there is a disconnect with being pro-life, but supportive of unfettered gun laws and environmental degradation as well as not helping folks in need. On the flip side, the arguments to help folks must be more than an intellectual exercise. We have a poverty problem in our country that impacts all races, religions and political persuasions.

    I think we all are hypocrites to varying degrees, but need to do our best to devolve from this destructive tribal thinking, i.e., just because our side did it we must defend the action. The ACA repeal and replace bill is a good example. The folks who passed it are celebrating a bill that screws 24 million Americans. We need to focus on people and using data to resolve problems.

    Right now, both parties need imrovements, yet I do find that the GOP needs to do more soul searching and truth seeking. This party has little resemblance to the one I left in 2006. That is more than my two cents. Keith

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    • I agree with you, Keith. We ARE all hypocrites in one sense or another. As I just responded to Roger, I think people just don’t take the time and trouble to do some deep thinking, soul searching, to analyze why they believe as they do, and to listen to other viewpoints. I think that has always been the case for some, but today it seems more common than ever. Perhaps the age of technology has created a world in which people are so busy with their tech-toys, social media and the rest, that they do not have either the time or the inclination to engage in deep thought.

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  9. Dear Jill,
    I am pro life all the way but I am also against defunding Planned Parenthood and for legislating that a woman should be barred from the medical procedure of abortion. If I put myself in the shoes of others, I would not want to carry the child of a rapist or a relative and/ or If my life was at risk. Does this make me a horrible person? Or does it make me human. What I do not want is legislators messing in women’s family and private business.

    These same righteous peoples are participants in a country which has the highest infant mortality rates for several decades out of all the developed countries because poor women do not have easy and adequate access to quality prenatal and post natal medical healthcare.

    Hugs, Gronda

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  12. Hugh, I totally agree with you. We have become a culture of lazy apathetic people who can’t see beyond our immediate comfort and gratification and sadly this results in a lot of virtue signaling and fake outrage that dies down when the next eye catching headline hits the internet. As I have always told people, the best way to address the issues is to get involved with politics at the local level because that’s where the most change can start to occur. People don’t want to hear that it takes hard work to effect change, they’d rather make themselves feel and look good by simply marching for a cause and posting selfies on Facebook which will garner them likes and attention for the moment, satiating there need to show everyone how noble and virtuous they are. It’s nothing more than symbolism over substance.

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  13. okay, those are all fair and just arguments for hypocrisy but if you’re referring to the Michael brown case, it was proven that he didn’t have his hands up. Still, it doesn’t take a cop to unload his gun on a suspect to kill him and that’s something people don’t really talk about either.

    but about hypocrisy, how about the celebrities who decry immigration policy but live in guarded mansions with walls, or the climate change activists who don’t use solar panels and still fly around in the fancy jets and sail their yachts, all of which consume an enormous amount of fuel and leave an unbelievable carbon footprint? Again, the celebrities who run their mouths about political issues.

    How about the protesters who oppose things like the Dakota pipelines in the name of environmental protection yet they leave trash and shit all over the site from which they were protesting.

    How come you never ever hear the feminists in this country decry the cruel and barbaric treatment of women in the middle east but they’ll go on for days and days about the mean spirited heartless republicans and Donald trump, who, you’ll remember, I’m not a fan of.

    what I am a fan of is fairness and it seems, in my mind, that pointing out one parties hypocrisy while ignoring the others isn’t very fair minded at all.

    The left has just as much hypocrisy as the right, maybe even more and it’s just as infuriating to me.

    think about that for a moment.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Dear the-reluctant-parent,
      You are talking to the wrong person about the Michael Brown case. I did the research and when I say I did the research, it is an understatement. I stand by my work when I say, No media outlet, the DOJ got this story right. See this ref.THE DOJ FACTS REGARDING THE SHOOTING OF MICHAEL …https://grondamorin.com.
      Ciao, Gronda

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  14. I couldn’t agree with you more! I do think people will take birth control and climate control seriously only when it hits them where they live: in the pocketbook. When the crops start to fail and prices rise in the market and their favorite foods are either unavailable or too expensive to buy they will realize that there are too many mouths to feed and the farmers are unable to produce more because the climate has become too screwed up to help growers. Then they will want to do something — but it will almost certainly be too late. In the meantime they go about their business with their noses buried in their iPhones checking the latest “like” on social media.

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  15. I too find the anti-abortion, but pro-capital punishment stance odd; and conflicting. The one thing I find interesting is that if a pregnant woman is murdered the murderer is found guilty of 2 deaths. But abortion isn’t considered murder. Tough topic.
    Danny

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