Or at least, the sanctity of life does, ditto the importance of protecting and defending it.
Tod Kelly went to the "Values Voters" Summit so the rest of us wouldn't have to, and one thing he reported was this:
When Rand Paul opened the conference, he talked about the sanctity of human life, in regard to human fetuses, to thunderous, leap-out-of-your-chair applause. He continued to underline this philosophy by pivoting to the subject of war, where he said, “Truly great leaders are reluctant to go to war.” The crowd got pretty quiet on him after that.
People get killed in wars. Soldiers, obviously, but also large numbers of civilians who had the bad fortune to live in a country that became a battlefield. But aside from Rand Paul, the virulent 'pro-lifers' at the "Values Voter" Summit clearly didn't give a shit about those lives.
At times, I have thought that the line about life beginning at conception and ending at birth was just a little too glib. But then something like this happens and you have to say: no, that's the stand they're really taking. Let's make 'em own it.
Forgot to add: you should click on the link above for more goodies - Tod's quote was part of a top-10 list of stuff said at the Summit. His quick take: "the conference as a whole [was]surprisingly nutty, even with expectations going in."
Very few of these folks would be comfortable with a pacifist like Jesus Christ.
Posted by: oddjob | September 17, 2012 at 11:13 AM
If you read their public statements you'll note rather a few of them play up, a ton, the scourging in the Temple story. Doing that is an attempt to whitewash Jesus' general avoidance of violence.
Posted by: oddjob | September 17, 2012 at 11:14 AM
On a completely different topic, several threads back I was moaning about the absence of a reasonably comprehensive guide to House races in this cycle. David Jarman of the Daily Kos Elections crew has put together easily the best guide I've seen so far.
Posted by: low-tech cyclist | September 17, 2012 at 12:24 PM
ltc, the URL for the Tod Kelly piece is off. The domain is set to cogitamusblog.com instead of motherjones.com
Posted by: Eric Wilde | September 17, 2012 at 01:49 PM
sorry, maybe that should be the ordinary-gentlemen.com domain:
Posted by: Eric Wilde | September 17, 2012 at 01:53 PM
Eric - try it now, I think I fixed it.
Posted by: low-tech cyclist | September 17, 2012 at 02:49 PM
Yep, that works. Thanks!
Posted by: Eric Wilde | September 17, 2012 at 04:06 PM
Hey guys, I've been completely run over by pre-election craziness, most of which does not fit this voter's values, at all. To keep from going mad, I've run off to Yerp for a few weeks, so you don't have to. I must say, those commie-loving, wealth-sharing spoiled rotten Dutch commuters pedalng 60 on their pollution-free bikes would just as soon run you over as look at you, and the French -- oh the French! -- they charge you for the water you drink and then the toilets you use, just to pay for their disgustingly generous benefits! If we ever covered childcare for women who wanted to go back to work, can you imagine what would happen? C'est fou! Anyway, I'm leaving the salvation of our democracy entirely in your hands. No pressure...
PS: I may never come back.
Posted by: paula | September 17, 2012 at 04:26 PM
Speaking of nuttiness, Todd Akin's wife is as wack as he is (maybe worse).
Posted by: oddjob | September 17, 2012 at 04:33 PM
What's the expression? "Screw the pooch". He done done it. Royally.
Values voting means never having to respect 47% of one's fellow countrymen, moochers all. "It's our turn." "Start packing." Don't think so guy.
Posted by: nancy | September 17, 2012 at 07:59 PM
nancy -- that mother jones piece with the romney video is very telling. as one of the 47%, i promise i pay a MUCH larger percentage of my income than he does -- how dare he call me a freeloader who pays zero?
my captcha started with "terrible." heh!
Posted by: kathy a. | September 17, 2012 at 09:31 PM
From the link:
Wow. Just wow.
I remember saying something, somewhere (maybe here, maybe not), in the past several days about how fundamentally dangerous it was to elect someone to the Presidency who clearly had no idea what life was like for most Americans.
I think I'll just double and redouble that sentiment.
Posted by: low-tech cyclist | September 17, 2012 at 09:53 PM
kathy -- Son, soon to be graduate student again, was doing some paperwork to apply for grant money in hopes of heading off the deep borrowing hole into which students desperately wish not to fall. Found that: as a student last year, spring term, he made a small amount of money doing university fundraising for 12-15 hours a week -- his tax category was 15%. Refund: $22.
Serious#*&*ly?
Lt-c--
I remember saying something, somewhere (maybe here, maybe not), in the past several days about how fundamentally dangerous it was to elect someone to the Presidency who clearly had no idea what life was like for most Americans.
I think I'll just double and redouble that sentiment. Roundly seconded.
Posted by: nancy | September 17, 2012 at 10:22 PM
and here is a priceless little snippet about mitt's daddy being born in mexico, and how it would have been helpful to this campaign if mitt could claim to be latino.
this, from a man who just a couple weeks back made a birth certificate joke. because we are all post-racial now, or something, as long as those people aren't at the table.
i'm having some moments right now.
Posted by: kathy a. | September 17, 2012 at 10:28 PM
I saw the Mother Jones story too. Every time I think these people can't go any lower they prove me wrong. And yes, I pay a higher percentage of my income in taxes than Romney and his pals do, and I also put in 50-60 hours at my job every week. But since I work for the government of course I'm not doing real work and I'm one of those freeloaders.
As I think Sir C has been known to say, God I hate these fucking people. I must admit that I've found all of the Politico poli-porn pretty entertaining though.
Posted by: beckya57 | September 17, 2012 at 10:56 PM
becky,
This video is amazing. I just put a post up about it.
As I note, the Politico stuff is great fun, but not -- God help me -- a "gamechanger." But this video -- that is a dressage horse of a different color.
Posted by: Sir Charles | September 17, 2012 at 11:37 PM
either depressing or heartening, depending upon whether it is ethics or obama's chances that are under discussion.
maybe we all need something inspirational. in 76 this thrilled a lot of teenage boys though theory and scholarship showed that not to be possible.
Posted by: big bad wolf | September 18, 2012 at 12:18 AM
The watchword is "innocent life". The qualifier is there because birth is where the sin clock starts ticking.
Posted by: Mandos | September 18, 2012 at 03:37 AM
bbw,
I am so pissed that you cannot embed that video. I watched it recently in total awe and then was frustrated to find I couldn't post it.
Alas, I did not see it the first go round. That was Easter weekend in 1976 -- I was 16 -- and it was shockingly warm out in the Boston area -- close to 90 as I recall. I remember playing basketball in the sweltering weather and then going to a party at a friend's house where me and a buddy knocked down a case of beer in two hours -- needless to say I was not upright for Patti's performance and had to see it on reruns. (I seem to recall that this was the night that Ron Nessen, Gerald Ford's press secretary was hosting -- how strange was that. The Ford Administration and Patti Smith on the same stage.
Mandos,
Exactly. Although -- in keeping with the spirit of the above-comment -- Elvis Costello advised us that "there's no such thing as an original sin."
Posted by: Sir Charles | September 18, 2012 at 08:55 AM