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Wednesday, 17 January 2007 07:03 |
| | Bill Walz |
I continually am amazed at the audacity and cynicism of right-wing Republicans in the labeling of their agendas.
The "Clear Skies Act" is about weakening the Democratsë Clean Air Act and winking at air pollution.
The "No Child Left Behind" program is, in fact, doing severe damage to public education.
"Social Security Reform" is about shifting this crucial safety net program into a windfall for the stock market.
In
fact, any time the word "reform" is used, you can count on it meaning
the disabling of some important government program desperately needed
by the less well-off in favor of some business or conservative
religious agenda.
It is clear by
the label that the right thing to do is known, and what is
unconscionable is that these misleading labels are meant to cover a
true agenda completely in contradiction to the label.
The label that
irks me the most, however, is the term "pro-life" being claimed as the
nom-de-guerre of opponents of a womanës right to choose an abortion.
The first
inherent insult is the inference that those who disagree with these
people are anti-life, and the second effrontery is that their
no-compromise stance is actually for the status of what is potential
life, while, in most cases, the rest of their pro-war, pro-death
penalty, anti-poor, anti-environment, anti-animal rights positions are
anti many who are alive (human and otherwise). They even end up
anti-the-life-of-a-pregnant-mother-in-distress, possibly to the degree
that her life is threatened.
I offer that
progressives ought to declare themselves as the "true pro-life" faction
of American politics, as pro-the-quality of life for those who are
born. I believe that this kind of "pro-life" would be pro seeing that
all children are wanted and cherished by supporting extensive family
planning, parenting, mental health and social service programs. I
believe it is pro-life to end poverty, to focus not on a minimum wage,
but on above poverty living wages for all who work, and adequate
support for those who cannot.
I believe in a European-style national
health care system that puts an end to Americaës class-based system of
great care, poor care and no care depending on economic status. I
believe in establishing the finest free public education and vocational
training system in the world, right up through graduate school. I
believe it is pro-life for a society to take responsibility to avail a
loved, happy, healthy, educated childhood leading into a secure adult
life anchored in meaningful work, or security even in disability for
every human life.
I believe this
kind of pro-life is being pro-the-life-of-the-planet-and-its-creatures,
moving from a 20th century polluting, carbon-energy, wasteful, consumer
economy to a 21st century sustainable, conserving, minimalist,
renewable, non-polluting-energy economy, where human society integrates
itself with the fauna and flora of the world in a harmonious balance.
And while humans
do eat other creatures as their part in the balance of nature, we do
not have to exploit and torture them in factory-style cultivation and
slaughter. I believe that this kind of pro-life means ending poaching,
habitat destruction and any cruel unnatural zoo and circus captivity.
It means true endangered species protection.
I believe that
this kind of pro-life is being pro-peace-in-the-world, cultivating the
above principles with all inhabitants of this Spaceship Earth through
international cooperation, treaties and the mutual protection,
conservation and sharing of resources.
It is about
focusing U.S. foreign policy and the United Nations on true peace
making and ending poverty, famine and curable disease on Earth. I
believe it is in strengthening the U.N. to stand robustly against
bigotry, violence and exploitation everywhere.
I believe these
are among the principles of a truly pro-life political agenda, and that
these are progressive values. Progressives take your stand, and do not
be intimidated. Being truly pro-life is in ending violence and
cherishing and protecting life everywhere.
ï
Bill Walz is a
UNC Asheville adjunct faculty member and a private practice teacher of
mindfulness, personal growth and consciousness. Contact at
bill.walz-at-worldnet.att.net or 258-3241.
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