It’s an age-old debate. Abortion. Either you’re for it, or you’re not.
But whatever way you sway, there’s something to be said about politicians who create entire campaign platforms on saving the lives of unborn fetuses and concerning themselves with a woman’s womb, only to shoot down legislation that will help those same mothers raise their children.
And this cartoon, illustrated by the Chron’s Nick Anderson, depicted just that:
Nailed it.
Texas is embroiled in a brutal abortion battle as of late, as Planned Parenthood and other opponents of new Texas abortion restrictions appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court to reinstate an injunction blocking a crucial part of the law that would close a third of the state’s licensed health centers and ultimately restrict abortions for thousands in the state.
And it got us to thinking — if politicians and pro-lifers are so concerned for the well-being of an unborn baby, why aren’t they making a big ado about legislation and policies that will help those same mothers they chastise to raise their children?
So instead of focusing on legislation that works to eliminate or moderate abortion like this:
The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act: Passed by the House in the summer of 2013, the bill bans most abortions nationwide after 20 weeks. The Senate will vote on the measure this fall.
Maybe we can think about these pressing issues to protect our children outside of the womb:
Health Care: Nearly 50 million Americans are uninsured. In fact, more than 11 percent of U.S. children in single-mother families (and 26 percent of single mothers) lack health care coverage. And with most Americans (single-parent home or not) earning poverty wages, lack of health care could be financial calamity for their families.
Food Stamp Cuts: Nearly 48 million people who receive food stamps are expected to be affected by an automatic reduction as a result of the expiration of the 2009 stimulus bill. According to Think Progress, benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will reduce by an average of 7 percent. That will mean a loss of about $9 per person per month, or $36 a month for a family of four. Food stamps will now be, on average, less than $1.40 per person per meal.
Child Care: Last year, the cost of child care in the U.S. grew up to eight times faster than family income. This is troublesome for most families who need child care to hold a job. In many cases, families are less likely to qualify for unemployment benefits (if they choose to leave a job for child care reasons) because their low-wage jobs don’t meet minimum requirements. Which brings us to the next issue….
Unemployment: See above. But if we are to focus on single-parent homes, less than 24 percent of unemployed mothers received unemployment benefits out of the 44 percent of all unemployed persons in the U.S. in 2010.
Just a thought…and this is only the beginning.
What do you think pro-lifers can do to protect the lives of the babies they so passionately fight for, while leaving a woman’s reproductive rights alone?
PHOTO CREDIT: Chron, Getty
