Have you listened to yourself? "And after birth, until the babies have done something to deserve my support and maintenance like joining the army or police to protect me and my family, I see no reason I should be taxed to pay for their food, shelter, clothing, or education any more than we already do." How many babies do you know in the army or police?
This was my slightly tendentious take on the perspective of what I think is probably the vast majority of those who think of themselves as pro-life but don't want to think of themselves as inconsistent, sincerely have no inkling that there could be an element of unconscious hypocrisy involved, and (like all of us) want to believe everything they enjoy is due to their own merit and effort, but they are surrounded by undeserving people trying to live the high life at others' expense.
I think we see this in the pro-death penalty facet of this social opposition. "Pro life" and "pro death penalty" are perfectly compatible if cast in the context of personal responsibility. Execution is justified because criminals have chosen to commit crimes. Abortion is unjustified because babies have not chosen to be aborted. Welfare and public assistance is only minimally justifiable because the beneficiaries haven't worked hard to deserve it. Children caught in the middle are tougher -- my hypothetical pro-lifer has to squirm a little here, but fudges it by saying parents have responsibilities, and if a person has a child, it's that person's duty to care for it, not everyone else's.
This is certainly not my perspective. It's interesting that what I wrote as an obvious posited expression of a different viewpoint could be taken as being plausibly sincere. This implies perhaps that I'm on target, more so than I wish were the case.
I did think that writing "speaking as a man, nobody ever bailed me out because I had an unintended pregnancy" was over the top in this regard!
It is famously said, never criticize another until you have tried walking a mile with his foot in your mouth. Or something like that.
Have you listened to yourself? "And after birth, until the babies have done something to deserve my support and maintenance like joining the army or police to protect me and my family, I see no reason I should be taxed to pay for their food, shelter, clothing, or education any more than we already do." How many babies do you know in the army or police?
This was my slightly tendentious take on the perspective of what I think is probably the vast majority of those who think of themselves as pro-life but don't want to think of themselves as inconsistent, sincerely have no inkling that there could be an element of unconscious hypocrisy involved, and (like all of us) want to believe everything they enjoy is due to their own merit and effort, but they are surrounded by undeserving people trying to live the high life at others' expense.
I think we see this in the pro-death penalty facet of this social opposition. "Pro life" and "pro death penalty" are perfectly compatible if cast in the context of personal responsibility. Execution is justified because criminals have chosen to commit crimes. Abortion is unjustified because babies have not chosen to be aborted. Welfare and public assistance is only minimally justifiable because the beneficiaries haven't worked hard to deserve it. Children caught in the middle are tougher -- my hypothetical pro-lifer has to squirm a little here, but fudges it by saying parents have responsibilities, and if a person has a child, it's that person's duty to care for it, not everyone else's.
This is certainly not my perspective. It's interesting that what I wrote as an obvious posited expression of a different viewpoint could be taken as being plausibly sincere. This implies perhaps that I'm on target, more so than I wish were the case.
I did think that writing "speaking as a man, nobody ever bailed me out because I had an unintended pregnancy" was over the top in this regard!
It is famously said, never criticize another until you have tried walking a mile with his foot in your mouth. Or something like that.
OK! I tried to hit like but it wouldn't let me!