I don’t think you can be a political observer and not be stunned by what transpired in Virginia this week. But the fierceness of the debate makes me want to do some soul-searching.
When Democrats accuse Republicans of wanting to “wage a war on women” (DPVA release yesterday and repeated by Terry McAuliffe today), well…that kinda hurts. I’m not joking. I don’t want to have a war with anybody.
I mean, Republicans and conservatives were accused of being rapists this week because we wanted mothers on the brink of an abortion to have information already available before making the final decision to abort; that information comes from using an accepted practice by the National Abortion Federation and Planned Parenthood.
Senator Dick Saslaw was perceptive enough to say that he understood that what socially-conservative Republicans were interested in doing was giving more information to the mother before she went through with an abortion – in hopes of preventing the abortion. Of course, he said this as if it was a bad thing.
The reality is that I don’t live my life trying to be hurtful to anyone or take away anyone’s freedom or choice. But I have questions out of this week that I just can’t answer…
Why am I a rapist?
Why do you think I want to wage a war on women?
Why is this sort of rhetoric now acceptable in the political arena?
When does life begin?
What constitutes murder?
What’s the definition of rape?
Whose rights matter more – the right of the mother to have a medical procedure or the right of the unborn to be born and live?
What role of government exists where it can mandate healthcare but cannot mandate a procedure that protects the health of a woman about to undergo an abortion?
What is the proper role and function of government? Does it protect the unborn or does it preserve the liberty of a woman?
Are a woman and her embryo/fetus/baby two separate beings? Or, is the woman effectively removing a growth?
Is abortion a medical procedure or the end of a life?
When a woman voluntarily consents to having an invasive procedure (abortion), and a sonogram is part of making that procedure safer, why can’t a woman see those pictures?
Where does it go from being a discussion about life to a discussion about Women’s reproductive health?
Why am I accused of being a Theocrat?
Why do we use extreme examples to justify extreme positions?
What if conservatives didn’t fight abortion and just let it happen? Would they become more rare?
Why is it wrong for men to be concerned about the life of a child? Why, in the eyes of some women, can the debate only involve women?
Why do people who don’t really know me accuse me of hateful things?
Does Bearing Drift make any difference at all or is this just a big waste of time?
Should we go with Facebook comments so people no longer can comment anonymously?
Did Bob McDonnell choose self-interest over principle? Did he really think, as has been suggested, that his decision to amend the sonogram bill will help him become vice president?
Why did the Republican Party of Virginia, Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, and Atty. Gen. Ken Cuccinelli not say one word this week on Personhood or the ultrasound bill?
Why are two bills getting all the attention when hundreds of other bills have gone through with little interest?
Do SNL and Jon Stewart think abortion is a joke? Have they thought seriously about the above questions?
Oh, and finally, why the hatred? Is there something else going on?
Are we really so far apart between life and choice that there will only be hostility and anger?
This was not a civil debate – lines of passion were drawn and I think it affected the Senate budget vote. Are elected officials incapable of working together? How will this debate affect the future of Virginia debates and discussion?
And I know there are more questions…that’s just a sampling of what’s on my mind.
I don’t know the answers. Anyone game for helping me understand what’s going on?
Just some easy questions to think about on a Friday afternoon and over the weekend.
