Years after the United States elected a president with the motto America First, we just pulled ahead in a race no one wants to win: the most deaths from the novel coronavirus. In order to limit casualties from a catastrophic second wave, states have enacted measures of differing severity, from shutting down some businesses to move severe shelter in place orders mandating citizens stay in their homes.
However, months into this disruption, some restless Americans are looking for a way out and there are Republican politicians eager to placate them. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky bemoaned the lack of commerce on Twitter and threw his support behind re-opening the economy. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp is way ahead of him, announcing plans to lift restrictions on businesses from bowling alleys to hair salons amidst widespread pushback in his own state. Lt. Governor Dan Patrick of Texas skipped the subtext and went straight to the point with the breathtaking assertion that there are more important things than living, a statement that presumably doesnt include himself or his loved ones.
Its puzzling how these politicians think re-opening will lead to business as usual with an unpredictable contagion floating around. Commerce relies on consumers, and if a majority of those consumers are rightfully afraid for themselves and their families, how exactly is the government supposed to put things back to pre-pandemic levels without forcing us to go to the mall on pain of arrest?
Sharing the full story, not just the headlines
Even if they just intend to let those who dont care about the risks shop, go to work and pretend everything is normal, theres a very real danger that way more Americans will die as a result. But according to Lt. Gov. Patrick, its a justifiable sacrifice for the good of the nations GDP.
This is fascinating coming from a party that has long labeled itself as pro-life over the years when it suits them. Lets look at one of the most extreme examples: Terri Schiavo, a woman whose private medical battle became a tool for the Republican party during the early 2000s. After a Florida trial court concluded that Schiavo was in a persistent vegetative state and would have wanted the feeding tube keeping her alive to be removed, Republicans at all levels became involved. Governor Jeb Bush pulled in everyone from his brother in the White House to the United States Congress to unsuccessfully fight the trial courts order for years. It would seem to a casual observer that this was a political party that would stop at nothing to save a life.
This wasnt the first time Republicans (or the Bushes) were performatively pro-life. During his first year in office President George W. Bush severely limited federal funding for research involving embryonic stem cells, giving evangelical conservatives an important win. Bush continued to oppose bills to loosen these restrictions, citing concerns that taxpayers would be funding the destruction of potential life. Again, if you didnt know anything else about the GOP you would think that their concerns were so pure as to encompass cells that could become a human being someday.
This stated concern for life didnt stop with the Bush brothers. Republicans took a stand during debates surrounding President Obamas signature legislation, the Affordable Care Act. This proposed legislation aimed to increase the amount of people with health insurance (which is positively correlated with life preservation). However, former GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin asserted repeatedly that the law would lead to death panels that would decide whether elderly Americans would live or die. Inspired by Palin, the right painted a dystopian picture of a future where liberal judges would decide grandmas fate. A decade later and pearl-clutching at treatment of older Americans has taken a turn since they are inconveniently deemed to be more at risk of dying of Covid-19. Now the elderly, it seems, are at best inessential to public life and, at worst, expendable sacrifices to the gods of capitalism.
Here is whats revealing in each of those episodes: championing the life of Terri Schiavo, or the potential life of stem cells, or the imaginary life of a condemned grandma didnt cost Republicans a nickel. But the people who would potentially die if re-opening measures are scaled back are expensive. Theyre also inconvenient for the partys narratives. They include the medical workers who counter-protest the Confederate flag-wavers who want to be able to get a haircut. They are immigrants who risk their lives to provide you with food. They are, disproportionately, black, indicative of the virulent racism in our country.
Championing their lives means economic sacrifice with no legislative gain. That is, apparently, a bridge too far.
View original post here:
The Republicans who were once so pro-life they fought over one woman on life support now want to sacrifice grandma for the economy - The Independent
- Blood cancer awareness month: learn to recognize the signs and symptoms - Commonwealth Journal's History - September 25th, 2022
- University of Kentucky Equine Research Hall of Fame announces awardees - DVM 360 - September 25th, 2022
- U.S. States With The Highest Cancer Rates - WorldAtlas - August 14th, 2022
- Robin Turner and James Piret Receive 2022 William F. Meggers Award - Spectroscopy Online - August 14th, 2022
- Autolus Therapeutics Presents Clinical Data Updates at the European Hematology Association Congress - Kentucky Today - June 13th, 2022
- College of Education professor takes Covid-19 research to Kentucky schools - WUKY - June 4th, 2022
- UV Radiation and the Skin - PubMed Central (PMC) - January 20th, 2022
- Give the Gift of Life During the Evan's Journey Blood Drive with the Red Cross January 21st - wkdq.com - January 5th, 2022
- Top 10 stories of 2021 - The Tribune | The Tribune - Ironton Tribune - January 5th, 2022
- It's time for Kentucky to talk to expectant parents about benefits of cord blood banking - Courier Journal - November 11th, 2020
- Does Talaris' Investigational Cell Therapy Have Potential to Be a 'Pipeline in a Product'? - BioSpace - November 11th, 2020
- Commentary: Kentucky's research universities UK and UofL answering the call now and for the future - User-generated content - May 24th, 2020
- The One Crucial Step Gov. Cuomo Hasn't Taken That Could Save Thousands Of Lives - HuffPost - April 19th, 2020
- The Pro-Life Movement Youve Never Heard Of - National Review - March 20th, 2020
- Longevity And Anti-Senescence Therapy Market Overview, Consumption, Supply, Demand & Insights - Kentucky Journal 24 - March 12th, 2020
- About Us | Stem Cell Therapy | Stem Cell Treatment ... - September 12th, 2019
- Stem Cell Therapy | Stem Cell Therapy | Stem Cell ... - September 10th, 2019
- Equine Stem Cell Therapy: The Future of Tendon Treatment ... - May 12th, 2019
- Stem Cell Louisville Kentucky 40217 - April 20th, 2019
- Adult Stem Cell Success Story | Kidney Disease | SCRF - March 31st, 2019
- Stem Cell Ashland Kentucky 41101 - March 1st, 2019
- Stem Cell Therapy Kentucky Neurology and Rehab - August 23rd, 2018
- Why Stem Cell Therapy for Pets? | MediVet Biologics - July 23rd, 2018
- Case Western Reserve University Researchers Develop Therapeutic to Enhance Tissue Repair and Regeneration - Newswise (press release) - August 8th, 2017
- Cancer survivor meets bone marrow donor days before wedding - WBNG-TV - August 8th, 2017
- McConnell: Action needed on health insurance - Richmond Register - July 9th, 2017
- Santa Monica's NASA Astronaut Randy Bresnik Live Interviews Before Space Station Mission - Santa monica Observed - July 9th, 2017
- Cloning - Wikipedia - December 7th, 2016
- The ALS Association - November 23rd, 2016
- Stem Cell Research | Central Kentucky Right to Life - November 20th, 2016
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine School of Medicine ... - November 20th, 2016
- Louisville Man is Worlds First Cardiac Stem Cell Recipient - October 28th, 2016
- Cord Blood - Louisville, Kentucky(KY), Cord Blood Storage ... - September 8th, 2016
- Bone Marrow Transplant - Louisville, Kentucky(KY), Stem ... - September 6th, 2016
- The leukemic stem cell - PubMed Central (PMC) - August 22nd, 2016
- Can Stem Cells Really Repair Regenerate Cartilage Injuries ... - August 19th, 2016
- Rob Waddell Defeats Kidney Disease - Adult Stem Cells - July 25th, 2016
- DNC NEWS: Feverfew, Stem cells and the treatment of Cancer - October 19th, 2015
- Gill Heart Institute Researcher Explores Stem Cell Therapy ... - July 2nd, 2015
- Tag louisville Archives - Advance Stem Cell ... - June 7th, 2015
- WKU plans bone marrow registry drive - April 7th, 2015
- Research Programs at Universities and Institutions [Stem ... - March 14th, 2015
- Stem Cell Therapy for Diabetes - YouTube - March 1st, 2015
- Medivet Biologics launches newest service, K9-ACV a personalized medicine approach to canine cancer. - January 17th, 2015
- Frontiers in Stem Cells & Regeneration - Marine Biological ... - January 10th, 2015
- Good News: Large Majorities Support Embryonic Stem Cell ... - December 27th, 2014
- How to Invest in Stem Cell Companies | eHow - December 3rd, 2014
- HIV drugs show promise in treating common eye disease - November 23rd, 2014
- 117.69 /$ (12 a.m.) - November 23rd, 2014
- Mesenchymal Stem Cells | National Stem Cell Foundation - October 27th, 2014
- Stem Cell Therapy KY - Be Medispa - October 15th, 2014
- How Do Stem Cells Differentiate? | eHow - September 27th, 2014
- Stem Cell Laboratory - Rood and Riddle - September 27th, 2014
- Worlds first tendon replacement using Nanofiber and activated MediVet Stem Cell Fraction - September 20th, 2014
- Stem Cell Scandal - August 30th, 2014
- STEM CELL SUCCESS STORIES Archives ... - August 23rd, 2014
- Genetic Disease Stem Cell Research, MS Treatments ... - August 23rd, 2014
- Kentucky Stem Cell Treatment and therapy | Stem Cell ... - August 22nd, 2014
- Kentucky Stem Cell Treatment | Stem Cell Treatments - August 22nd, 2014