“ATTITUDES TOWARD THE UNBORN MUST FIRST BE CHANGED”
|| By RON PAUL || During my time in Congress, I regularly introduced legislation forbidding organizations that perform abortions from receiving federal funding. The US Government should not force taxpayers to subsidize an activity they believe is murder. Thus, while I was horrified by the recently released videos showing Planned Parenthood officials casually discussing selling the organs of aborted babies, I am glad that the reaction to these videos has renewed efforts to end federal funding of abortion.
My experience in Congress does not leave me optimistic that federal funding of Planned Parenthood will be ended this year, however. This is not just because the current US president is pro-abortion. When I started my efforts to end taxpayer support of abortion, I was shocked to find out how many Republicans, including some self-described “pro-life” leaders, were unsupportive of, and sometimes hostile to, my efforts.
Most pro-life politicians preferred to add language to funding bills prohibiting federal funds from being used for abortions, rather than denying federal funds to abortion providers. This approach does not stop US taxpayers from subsidizing abortions. The reason is that money is fungible. Giving Planned Parenthood $100 to use for non-abortion activities allows it to spend an additional $100 of its non-government funds on abortion.
Foreign interventionists in both parties were particularly hostile to my efforts to eliminate federal funding for international organizations that performed or promoted abortions. This is a foolish policy that gives people around the globe another reason to resent the US government.
Planned Parenthood may have abandoned the explicitly racist and eugenic views of its founder Margaret Sanger, but the majority of its abortion “services” are still provided to lower-income and minority women. Every day nearly 2,000 African-American babies lose their lives to abortion, a rate five times higher than the Caucasian abortion rates.
I support the black lives matter movement. I have long advocated an end to the drug war, police militarization, and other threats to liberty that disproportionately victimize African-Americans. However, I wish some of the black lives matter movement’s passion and energy was directed to ending abortion. Unborn black lives also matter.
The federal government has no constitutional authority to permit, fund, or even outlaw abortion. Therefore, efforts to make abortion a federal crime are just as unconstitutional as efforts to prohibit states from outlawing abortion. A Congress that truly cared about the Constitution would end all federal funding for abortion and pass legislation restricting federal jurisdiction over abortion, thus returning the issue to the states.
While passing legislation may help limit abortion, the pro-life movement will never succeed unless it changes people’s attitudes toward the unborn. This is why crisis pregnancy centers, which provide care and compassion to women facing unplanned pregnancies, have done more to advance the pro-life cause then any politician. By showing women they have viable alternatives to abortion, these centers have saved many lives.
One factor hindering the anti-abortion movement’s ability to change people’s minds is that too many abortion opponents also support a militaristic foreign policy. These pro-lifers undercut their moral credibility as advocates for unborn American lives when they display a callous indifference to the lives of Iraqi, Iranian, and Afghan children.
Libertarians who support abortion should ask themselves how they can expect a government that does not respect the unborn’s right to life to respect their property rights. Therefore, all those who wish to create a society of liberty, peace, and prosperity should join me in advocating for a consistent ethic of life and liberty that respects the rights of all persons, born and unborn.
Ron Paul is a former U.S. Congressman from Texas and the leader of the pro-liberty, pro-free market movement in the United States. His weekly column – reprinted with permission – can be found here.
22 comments
Que Paulbots vs. Liberal and Fundamentalists Statists in 5-4-3-2-1.
Que Paulbots…
Oh. Hell. No.
Place the Carolina Gold bottle on the floor and step away slowly…
Statist: Without government, who will build the roads?
Libertarian: Where we’re going, we don’t need roads!
What’s the difference between Mechanical Engineers and Civil Engineers?
Mechanical Engineers build weapons. Civil Engineers build targets
A physicist comes home after a tough day at work. He was trying to identify an unknown substance, but failed to make any progress.
Seeing her husband in this depressed state, his wife tries to console him. She asks, “Babe, what’s the matter?”
……. well, don’t keep me in suspense!
SC Professional Engineering Exam–
#8. A one ton Dodge Ram supercab is carrying 1.5 tons of gravel down a 35 degree grade on a county road at 47 miles per hour. If the brakes fail, and the average vehicle density of county roads is known, what percentage of the time will crash into a pickup with a Confederate flag in the rear window?
Spoken like a true right wing republican.
Libertarians who support abortion should ask themselves how they can expect a government that does not respect the unborn’s right to life to respect their property rights.
Read more at https://www.fitsnews.com/2015/08/03/ron-paul-politics-not-the-path-to-pro-life-victory/#Be1yKeq7xKMKajCq.99
Really? You have to be an animal like ‘tomstickler’ not to understand this statement.
Grrrrr
Property rights, the only rights that actually matter to a lolbertarian.
Precisely, which is why people like Paul and Flip are the real godless animals.
Thank you. We’re all refreshed, fascinated, and challenged by your unique point of view.
I’m staying out of this debate today but feel obligated to comment on the accompanying photo – see the pucker about here belly button ladies? That’s what that “cute belly button piercing” you think is “so hot” will look like when you’re pregnant.
I’m staying out of this debate today…
…because you know “Ol Ronbo” is RIGHT! ( :
….must not respond…..
GET A BEST TOP251-CAREER ::: @1mdu2.
bc….
http://www.Home-Job-ConceptsBest9/top8/yes...
??????????????????????????????????????????
LOGON TO THE SITE –>>CLICK TAB FOR MORE DETAIL AND HELp
When I started my efforts to end taxpayer support of abortion, I was shocked to find out how many Republicans, including some self-described “pro-life” leaders, were unsupportive of, and sometimes hostile to, my efforts.
Surprising to see such candor on his part. If he were still in Congress, he probably wouldn’t have been so honest. Many Republicans that are Pro-Life in their voting record and rhetoric are only that way to win votes. In reality they are not as strident in their personal opposition, and wish they would never have to vote on it again. That is why after numerous GOP Presidents with a whole slew of Supreme Court appointments, Roe V Wade is no closer to being modified, much less repealed. The Pro-Life supporters never seems to realize they are simply being used.
Taxpayer funding for abortion?
Hyde Amendment 1976 BANS such funding.
Where the fuck you been? Still campaigning for Tom Ervin? :)
As someone who is truly pro-life, I hate it when the right pretends to be pro-life. They are really just pro-right to be born. Nothing more. The Christian right in this nation are total hypocrites when it comes to a person’s right to life. It is very rare to find anyone on the right who is truly pro-life.
And this article is the ultimate in hypocrisy. I mean can you imagine making the argument you should support a persons right to be born because it boosts you argument for greater property rights. That is just disgusting. What kind of people think that way? Certainly not real Christians.
Trying to figure out why being “pro-liberty” has the government involved in every pregnancy. You cannot be the Taliban, and be pro-liberty.
It would appear there is no longer support ($) for the Paul revolution. Too bad. Bye bye.
Fuck the unborn! What about the rights of the undead?