Because most philosophies that frown on reproduction don't survive.

Monday, February 18, 2008

Bill Clinton berates pro-life protesters

Received an email with a press release from Students for Life of America regarding Bill Clinton lashing out at pro-life students in Steubenville:

Bill Clinton Lashes Out at Pro-Life Students in Steubenville

Follows Outburst of Rage Earlier in Canton, Ohio at Obama Supporter

STEUBENVILLE, OHIO - Agitated after being greeted by over a hundred pro-life students at a rally in Steubenville tonight, Clinton lost his temper yet again after losing his cool at an Obama supporter in Canton, Ohio. This time, Clinton lashed out during his speech at the pro-life students:

"I gave you the answer. We disagree with you," Clinton said. "You wanna criminalize women and their doctors and we disagree. I reduced abortion. Tell the truth, tell the truth, If you were really pro-life, if you were really pro-life, you would want to put every doctor and every mother as an accessory to murder in prison. And you won't say you wanna do that because you know, that you wouldn't have a lick of political support. Now, the issue is who, the issue is, you can't name me anybody presently in politics that did more to introduce policies that reduce the number of real abortions instead of the hot air putting out to tear people up and make votes by dividing America. This is not your rally. I heard you. That's another thing you need is a president, somebody who will stick up for individual rights and not be pushed around, and she won't." See the outburst on YouTube here.

Clinton's heated response came after being questioned on his support of abortion-on-demand. The outburst is on YouTube and is also being reported by MSNBC.

"Perhaps pro-abortion politicians will finally realize that they can't hide their views from pro-life students," said Billy Valentine, one of the Franciscan University of Steubenville Students for Life members who helped organize the protest of over 100 students. "Our generation is pro-life. It is amazing that these pro-abortion politicians think that they can continuously support the killing of millions of unborn children and no one will express their dissatisfaction. They think they don't ever have to answer questions about their pro-abortion policies or the money they receive from pro-abortion lobbying organizations. This generation will no longer tolerate these types of politicians, their rhetoric, or their pro-death policies," said Kristan Hawkins, Executive Director of Students for Life of America.
This from the man who vetoed -- twice -- the Partial-Birth Abortion ban.

I seem to recall that Sen. Kerry made the mistake of scheduling a Steubenville campaign stop four years ago. You'd think by now there'd be a big black mark on the DNC map marking Steubenville a no-go zone. It's not a terribly political campus (in our day the College Republicans could seldom get anyone to show up for meetings) but if a pro-choice presidential candidate makes a campaign stop in town, you can count on at least 100 student protesters showing up.

11 comments:

JHB said...

I think Edwards made the same mistake in Weirton in 2004.

Drudge just picked it up....I wouldn't hold my breath for an Obama visit anytime soon. Although he is more civil to protesters.

Anonymous said...

It was John Kerry, not Edwards. But yes, it happened. :-)

Anonymous said...

if you were really pro-life, you would want to put every doctor and every mother as an accessory to murder in prison.

Not to play too strong a devil's advocate, but if abortion is made illegal, what kind of sentences should it carry? And if these are not the same as current penalties for homicide, why aren't they? I'm genuinely asking.

Darwin said...

Anon,

I think a lot of the answer to that question would depend on whether one were addressing it pragmatically or according to principle.

At a pragmatic level, I'd say that even if abortion were made illegal in some or all cases, that given that our country has now tolerated abortion for more than a generation (and in some cases praised it) we would continue to have a lot of people in our society who did not fully realize the gravy involved in taking unborn life. Thus, one could argue that even if, in moral and/or legal terms, abortion was considered homicide, that one could assume that the perpetrators were probably not fully aware of what they were doing.

According to principle: killing is killing. With any punishment, there are basically two levels: protecting society from further crimes and bringing about some sort of earthly justice for wrongs done. Whatever punishment one was going to advocate for providing or procuring an abortion in a post-ban world would, I think, have to be something that clearly satisfied both of those needs.

Kevin J. Jones said...

In how many abortions has Clinton been personally involved?

There's more than politics going on here.

Kyle Cupp said...

You really gotta check your demographics there, Bill.

DMinor said...

Clinton may soon make Jimmy Carter look a paragon of reason by comparison.

Nice to see he's recycling though--myths, that is.

From the horse's mouth (Abortion: Questions and Answers by Dr. & Mrs. J. C. Willke--1988 ed.)

The mother is the second victim...No, women would not be punished under a Human Life Amendment. Would the abortionist? Yes, he or she is the killer who took money and did the abortion.

A number of sources will confirm that when abortion was illegal, abortionists (doctors or otherwise) were punished. Aborted women were not.

CMinor said...

Oops--I posted the above, not D.
Next we'll be finishing each other's sentences...

Anonymous said...

I gotta say, I'm with Bill here.

Anonymous said...

Darwin,
I think you make excellent points on why the mother's imprisonment doesn't logically follow her aborting her child, points re/ mitigating circumstances, the societal and cultural formation individuals received, and earthly justice measured in light of its actual effects. The traditional "eye for an eye" logic may run directly from (a.) abortion is murder, which it is, to (b.) imprisonment for the murderer, but we have, for 2000 years, left that narrow logical thinking behind. Christian society has essentially, if not always historically, realized this.
Also imprisonment isn't the only way to deliver earthly justice when it is called for -- options include community service, monetary fines, mandated rehabilitative education.
Yet it is possible that the repeated use of abortion as a contraceptive could perhaps require the harsher justice of imprisonment, depending on mitigating circumstances -- e.g. societal coercion, mental capacity, emotional capacity.

Bill Clinton has set up a logical straw man, once again. He and other pro-aborts are merely using boogeymen harassment and distraction tactics. Although actually I do think many pro-aborts fall for the strawman.

Anonymous said...

"Bill Clinton has set up a logical straw man... many pro-aborts fall for the strawman."

It is possible to be right on the issue, but lack the basic quality of logic to back up one's position. Sad, but true, many pro-lifers suffer the same deficit.

It's important to keep on focus, people. Bill Clinton is wrong for a reason other than his rhetoric. I'd say the protesters nagging him are right, but not because they brought more signs.

Todd