Dishonesty

I generally don't post much about politics on the blog. There are several reasons for that. One is that, without watching TV, listening to talk radio, or reading the paper, I don't really keep up with the day to day battles of politics. I used to be a political junkie, but I simply don't have time now. And although I have strong political convictions, I don't enjoy people playing politics with issues that matter. The second, more important reason, is that you all undoubtedly have opportunity to hear much more intelligent commentary than I will provide. So I stick to posting pictures and stories about Ava, because it's more fun and that's what you come to see anyway.

But I deviate here because I heard something the other day that bothered me a great deal. It was from the interview Rick Warren hosted with the candidates at Saddleback Church. Barack Obama was asked when a baby has human rights. Here's his response:

“Well, you know, I think that whether you’re looking at it from a theological perspective or a scientific perspective, answering that question with specificity is above my pay grade.”

I guess that he means that it is up to God to determine that. But what frustrates me about this answer is its dishonesty. Obama has implicitly answered this question through his voting record. Even though he says that he cannot be the judge, he has voted for pro-choice initiatives unfailingly. In doing so, he has affirmed at the very least that those unborn children (and sickeningly, some who already have been born) are not deserving of human rights. To me, the only way you can punt on this issue is to err on the side of caution. "I don't know when life begins, so we will protect it at all levels. " It doesn't make sense to say, "It might not be a baby, so you can do whatever you want with it." His answer seems to me an attempt to avoid answering a question that would alienate a large portion of the electorate. I hate politics.