“Pro-lifers have long denounced the use of instruments of death against the child in the womb, “Rob Schenck [above] writes at usatoday.com. “We have boldly displayed the bloody photos of post-abortion fetal remains. Yet, we have ignored other victims of violent death. Among them are the real and potential victims of gun violence.” Wait. What? Pro-life = anti-gun? Here’s the President of the National Clergy Council’s line of thinking, such as it is . . .
The pro-life movement must bring its voice of conscience into the conversation and debate over the ominous proliferation of guns — licensed or unlicensed — in our society. Respect for human life means challenging the conscience of every American citizen when it comes to the use of lethal force against those we perceive to be a threat to our way of life, whether they are in the womb or out of it.
Color me confused. I thought pro-lifers drew their support from people who clung to their guns and their bibles. You know: rock-solid pro-gun conservatives. If that’s even remotely true, stretching the pro-life/anti-abortion “brand” into the anti-gun camp is a form of political suicide – which I would assume pro-lifers are also against.
Gun violence should be of particular concern to the pro-life community because it touches us directly, just as it does everyone else, every day. Pro-life activists have been menaced and even shot by gun-wielding assailants. Sadly, a few of our own have even done the shooting, killing doctors and injuring others. We must pray and work to ensure no one is put at risk because someone decides that a firearm can settle political or social differences.
As pro-life activists, we do what we do because we care deeply about the well-being of women and children. The presence of a gun in the homes of women and children suffering the scourge of domestic violence makes it five times more likely that the woman will be killed.
When I write an editorial for USA Today, they fact check everything. When I attempted to cite the NRA as a source, they weren’t having it. But it’s OK for an anti-gunner to link across to Mayor Bloomberg’s Everytown for Gun Safety. Go figure. Anyway . . .
It’s time for the pro-life movement and lovers of life everywhere to expand our vision of the sanctity of human life. It’s past time to defend the full spectrum of life, from the tiny unnamed pre-born in the womb, to an oversized Michael Brown, to a New York cop doing his duty, to any young black male who strays into the path of an armed vigilante with a concealed carry permit.
Pro-lifers have been way too loud on some things and way too quiet on others. The time is now for us to bravely overcome our fears and generously lend our voices and actions to protect the whole of the human family — womb to tomb.
What about people who die from medical malpractice? Car accidents? Drug overdoses? Ladder falls? The flu? AIDs? Ebola? As Dan Cannon says, guns save lives. Seriously Rob, get a life. Literally.