The Bush administration and its conservative, Christian fundamental base have espoused what together they call a "culture of life", a phrase that has been invoked repeatedly in opposition to abortion, repeatedly in opposition to stem cell research, and -- in one remarkable case -- the invasion of privacy of a husband and his long-suffering wife.
A culture of life. It's difficult to contemplate arguing such a noble sentiment... that we all have a duty to protect the weak, and to value each life, especially those who are the mercy of others. So why is the theme interpreted so narrowly? How is it that such a weighty and impactful idea is deployed only to serve the means and intent of the President's office, and those religious conservatives who support him?
If we're really to espouse a culture of life, we need to broaden the theme and apply it universally, without regard to political agenda, or geopolitical borders. Here then, are my suggestions for how we might implement universal standard for a true Culture of Life:
- End our awful campaign in Iraq, and bring our troops home. To date we have lost 2399 brave souls who felt they were fighting for a just cause. Now that it is absolutely, undeniably clear that we -- the American people, and the U.N. -- were systematically lied to and manipulated into war, we cannot excuse the loss of a single life more... be that the life of an American soldier, the life of one of the very few coalition forces that remain, or the life an innocent Iraqi citizen.
- Assert our every diplomatic and political will in support of a multi-national peace-keeping force to end the genocide in Darfur. That yet another state-supported slaughter of innocents should happen again in our lifetimes is unconscionable and unpardonable.
- Make the victims of hurricane Katrina whole again. The federal failure in responding to the disaster was shameful and neglectful. The continued failure to follow-through is criminal.
- Stop perpetuating a world-wide climate of fear in the name of a "War on Terror". The threat of a preemptive strike of any sort -- much less a nuclear option -- is counter to everything this nation stands for. Is it any wonder that democratically-elected nations are responding to U.S. rhetoric with increasingly fanatical and fundamental backlash? Take the fuel away from the fire by a constitutional promise that we will never fire WMD preemptively.
- End capital punishment. It has proven to be no deterrent to crime, only a perpetuation of a barbaric and failed rendition of "an eye for an eye". Our criminal justice system should seek just that -- justice -- not revenge.
- Stop raiding the budgets of programs that help the weakest and most vulnerable among us to line the pockets of the wealthiest and most able. Medicaid, children's health services, veterans benefits and other social services and welfare programs should never lose out to tax cuts for the rich.
- Fund programs to end world hunger and poverty. This could be accomplished easily by spending but a fraction of the sum this administration is so very willing to spend making war. It's despair that fuels unrest... unease is greatly mitigated by a full belly and a soft bed.
- Participate fully and resolutely in the U.N. and become a signatory to the critical treaties of the world. This includes the landmine ban, the Kyoto protocol and the International Criminal Court.
- End our dependence on the world's oil supply by leading the world in developing new and sustainable sources of energy. World tensions will persist in the face of an oil crisis that is no longer looming... it's here. Become part of the solution, where today we are the worlds greatest energy problem.
- Deconstruct our nuclear arsenal. The Cold War is over... let's not perpetuate it, or cause it to start anew. Negotiate a world nuclear ban, and demonstrate our intent by beginning unilaterally.