Why I can't feel comfortable voting for the "lesser of two evils"
Nicholas Kristof on McCain's foreign policy
It is never short of criminal to sit in approval of policies that enable the "innocent" to perish and thus the determination by many that a pro-choice candidate has disqualified himself (or herself) from public office. But I believe that equal weight should be given to the consideration of how an elected official will engage our country with other countries and how he will seek to protect and ensure American prosperity. Wars will always and inevitably lead to the deaths of the "innocent." Are the lives of the American unborn intrinsically worth more than the lives of young Muslim children? Certainly not.
It is never short of criminal to sit in approval of policies that enable the "innocent" to perish and thus the determination by many that a pro-choice candidate has disqualified himself (or herself) from public office. But I believe that equal weight should be given to the consideration of how an elected official will engage our country with other countries and how he will seek to protect and ensure American prosperity. Wars will always and inevitably lead to the deaths of the "innocent." Are the lives of the American unborn intrinsically worth more than the lives of young Muslim children? Certainly not.
Comments
I will summarize his points and add my own commentary in - you guessed it - parenthesis.
1. Many people vote pro-life only. (yep)
2. We should also consider what a candidate can do to protect and prosper us. (yep; we should consider it but I'd say it's more important to be a society that promotes life than a prosperous one that murders its unborn)
3. Wars are inevitable and people die. (yep; this includes people who kill/die to PROTECT this country - see #2. So if protection is important to Mr. Kristof than I guess it's ok if people are killed to protect us and our prosperity. Abortion; not so much)
4. American unborn are not worth more than the lives of Muslim children. (THis is multi-layered. In the eyes of God, he is correct. We all have equal standing before God. However; when we consider that by conservative estimates that 45 million babies have been aborted since the ruling on Roe V. Wade and that by the highest estimates (PBS.com; other sources claim 50,000 - 100,000) there have been 700,000 solider/civilian deaths in Iraq since 2003). This may sound cruel to some, but based on simple math I would rather 100,000 live and let 100 die. Secondly, some wars are justified (see OLD TESTAMENT) ... while killing an unborn is not ... and the bible says that you reap what you sow. There are serious spiritual consequences/judgement on this nation for abortion - guaranteed.
So I ask this to Mr. Kristof, as you stated - we cannot stop WAR; however, we can strike down a wicked law. The weight of abortion is much greater than you surmise; definitely more than our protection and prosperity.
I am afraid that politically ideology and party loyalties reign supreme.