Last night at dinner I did something I almost never do: I listened to the news while eating. I should have known better, but sometimes there is good news and in addition, we'd heard through the 'grapevine' that something had happened.
The result: I was put off my dinner. I'm still suffering from indigestion this morning. One more time our government is putting an economic value on life. My sensibilities are spinning. The party that proclaims itself as being 'pro-life', the party that announced it would oppose ObamaCare because there would be government 'death panels' in charge of the end of life, was saying it was more important to get back to work by Easter, less than three weeks away, despite the experiences of Italy and China, despite what their medical experts are saying.
Hobby Lobby and Liberty University, bastions of pro-life sentiment, are open despite the certainty that people will die due to their actions. Let it sink in that the owner of Hobby Lobby, David Green, was widely lauded for opposing a provision of ObamaCare, that businesses must provide employees contraceptive coverage, because he said it was against his religious beliefs to allow even one life to be lost.
Now, as discussed in the Above the Law blog (and also here), Hobby Lobby is remaining open. I love the part where this billionaire hypocrite warns there will be belt-tightening ahead. I don't see anything about caring for the people in need. Profit seems to trump (pun intended) core religious beliefs.
Also needlessly putting people's lives at risk: Liberty University. The rationale is in part that some students may not have homes to return too, that only a limited number of students are going to be allowed on campus, and that this disease is not as threatening to young people.
Consideration of the risk of contagion to people at a higher risk is apparently not considered Christian at Liberty University.
Another pro-lifer not too worried about some life is Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.
This is either a core belief, that life is of great value as a gift from God, or you are a hypocrite. Take your pick.
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| Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on Tucker Carlson, March 23, 2020. Fox News |
The result: I was put off my dinner. I'm still suffering from indigestion this morning. One more time our government is putting an economic value on life. My sensibilities are spinning. The party that proclaims itself as being 'pro-life', the party that announced it would oppose ObamaCare because there would be government 'death panels' in charge of the end of life, was saying it was more important to get back to work by Easter, less than three weeks away, despite the experiences of Italy and China, despite what their medical experts are saying.
Hobby Lobby and Liberty University, bastions of pro-life sentiment, are open despite the certainty that people will die due to their actions. Let it sink in that the owner of Hobby Lobby, David Green, was widely lauded for opposing a provision of ObamaCare, that businesses must provide employees contraceptive coverage, because he said it was against his religious beliefs to allow even one life to be lost.
Now, as discussed in the Above the Law blog (and also here), Hobby Lobby is remaining open. I love the part where this billionaire hypocrite warns there will be belt-tightening ahead. I don't see anything about caring for the people in need. Profit seems to trump (pun intended) core religious beliefs.
Also needlessly putting people's lives at risk: Liberty University. The rationale is in part that some students may not have homes to return too, that only a limited number of students are going to be allowed on campus, and that this disease is not as threatening to young people.
Consideration of the risk of contagion to people at a higher risk is apparently not considered Christian at Liberty University.
Another pro-lifer not too worried about some life is Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who’s as pro-life as they come, says he’s ready to give up a life — his own — if it means better post-coronavirus lives for his six grandchildren. And, by extension, he says he’s ready for give up other lives — yours? — for the same cause.-- Ken Herman. Austin-American Statesman. March 24, 2020And, finally, we have the man playing the American President on television with his own take.
This is either a core belief, that life is of great value as a gift from God, or you are a hypocrite. Take your pick.