Now that the Supreme Court’s draft opinion on Roe v. Wade has been leaked, abortion seems to be on everyone’s minds. While the issue has always been prominent in political discourse, it did not dominate the airwaves and interwebs as it is currently. Perhaps this is because nobody – pro-lifers included – actually believed Roe would be overturned. Now that it seems likely, the debate is raging on social media and everywhere else.
But there is one argument made by the pro-abortion crowd that not only promotes a false narrative, it also shows a remarkable difference in how conservatives and progressives think. It reveals why folks on the left view conservatives as uncaring when it comes to people in need.
Democrats are often fond of claiming that conservatives and Republicans only care about human beings when they are in the womb. When they are born, folks on the right become unconcerned about their plight according to the progressive narrative.
As proof, leftists use Republican opposition to sweeping government programs ostensibly designed to ensure that every baby who becomes an adult is able to live a good life. They contend that conservatives push back against state efforts to take care of the child as it grows up, which means they don’t want that child to have a successful existence. They use any opposition to welfare, universal healthcare, and other government initiatives as evidence that conservatives do not care about people after the doctor cuts the umbilical cord.
Cameron Arcand, my colleague at PJ Media, posted a thread on Twitter debunking this assertion. He wrote:
TO PRO-LIFERS: There is often a misconception that we don’t care about life after the birth of a child.
I’m going to be compiling a list of charities that support mothers and their children in need/pro-life organizations.
TO PRO-LIFERS: There is often a misconception that we don't care about life after the birth of a child.
I'm going to be compiling a list of charities that support mothers and their children in need/pro-life organizations.
Comment organizations below that you know/support:
— Cameron Arcand (@cameron_arcand) May 3, 2022
He, and other Twitter users, began listing numerous religious and conservative organizations that provide assistance to adults and children who have fallen on hard times. Here are a few:
Catholic Charities, Project Gabriel, Birthright, The Nurturing Network, Samaritan’s Purse, food pantries supported by most Churches, The Red Cross, & https://t.co/As34JLSioH.
— Kathleen McKinley (@KatMcKinley) May 4, 2022
Hands of Hope for Life
Lighthouse of Hope
Compassion International
Samaritan's Purse— 🇺🇲 Charlemagne the Annoyed 🙄🙄🙄 🇮🇱 🇲🇰 (@CharlesforShort) May 4, 2022
Of course, left-leaning users were not too happy at having one of their favorite arguments debunked so easily. This response pretty much sums up their counterargument:
How about instead of charities you people come up with POLICY POSITIONS to help these women, why does their help have to be given with the caveat that it comes from the goodness of your heart. They should have that shit regardless of how you feel
— Champ1209 (@Ebanks238Banks) May 4, 2022
And there, ladies and gentlemen is the difference between conservatives and progressives.
None of the organizations Arcand listed were government agencies. They are private groups supported by private citizens to do the work in their communities. Since they are not part of the state, progressives do not consider them valid solutions.
Leftists believe that government is the only viable way to address the problems many Americans face. The state is always the savior. This is why they believe that if you don’t put forth solutions that involve the government, you aren’t putting forth solutions at all. It means you don’t care about the disaffected and those living in poverty. If you did, you wouldn’t dare to suggest that nonprofits and charities could help. To these folks, the state has an almost god-like ability to rescue all Americans from their plight.
Conversely, conservatives do not believe government is the answer to every problem. While most of us believe the state might have a place in helping to address these matters, we are leery about the notion that the government should have a primary role in most cases. Indeed, the more the government is involved, the larger it grows. The larger the state, the more intrusive it can become when led by immoral people. As Dennis Prager says: “The bigger the government, the smaller the citizen.”
It is worth acknowledging that most progressives truly believe that the state should be supreme. As they occupy their echo chambers, they become so inundated with statist ideas that they truly believe that if you aren’t pushing for a government solution to a problem, you’re not pushing for a solution at all. Government is the most important entity in American society. It is what makes their blind allegiance to the state so scary – and dangerous.
Of course, this does not mean conservatives couldn’t be doing more to address the issues plaguing too many Americans. It would be great to have a giant organization to rival Planned Parenthood that would provide even more alternatives for mothers considering aborting their children. But the fact remains – conservatives do have ways to help mothers and children. They just happen to be methods progressives do not favor.
