Choosing Life

If you had to choose between outlawing abortion and reducing the incidence of abortion, which would you choose?

I am at odds with some of my fellow Democrats. Judging from the dialog, many view abortion as a simple health-care decision. It seems more than that to me. "Choose life" still seems like a decent catch phrase, and I can't see myself wishing someone to have an abortion.*

But I am also at odds with Republicans. Many of them emphasize outlawing abortion but mostly refuse to do much—if anything—more, as I've previously posted. I sometimes wonder if Planned Parenthood, in spite of providing abortion services, hasn't done more to reduce abortions than Right to Life. They provide health care, birth control, pre-natal counseling, and sex education, all of which can alleviate fears that parenthood presents. One way to reduce abortion is to enact some form of universal health care. 

The question I pose above is hypothetical; it's not necessarily a matter of one or the other. The ambitious 95-10 Initiative, which aimed to reduce the incidence of abortion by 95% over 10 years (and was shunned by Republicans and Democrats alike) advocated for stricter laws and better support for pregnant women and new mothers.

When it comes to our votes, though, the question is not hypothetical. Pretty much, we can choose one or the other. The next time someone asks how you can support abortion, it's fair to ask them the same question. Then ask which is to be preferred, a legal ban or a reduction in abortions.

I am not intimidated when accused of murdering babies, especially by people who can't be bothered to care for those babies or their mothers. Vote for a law if you must, but accept that I prefer the options of prevention, care, and support. These are more effective at reducing abortion, don't endanger mothers, and are more just; it's the better way to choose life.

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*This is not to say I think it should be illegal, but that's a subject for another post.

Farm Care

I admit some bias toward farms and farmers. Call it nostalgia.

We are told that the agricultural era replaced hunting and gathering. Then the industrial age took over from the agricultural age. Now we are in the information age. Of course these are simplifications intended to indicate major changes in society. But thinking in terms of a new age can diminish a previous one, which is too bad. We are still very much in the agricultural age. Given an option between meals and the computer I'm using to write this, I'd choose food. If I had to choose between electricity and food, I'd still pick food. Until we stop eating, we remain in the agricultural age.

I wonder if we appreciate the age of agriculture enough. Do we appreciate our farmers enough? Why, for example, do we honor soldiers over farmers? I find it hard to believe a bloated military-industrial complex is more important than eating. I'm not saying I don't respect soldiers, just that I respect farmers at least as much, probably more.

As a kid I grew up dreaming of being a Midwest bachelor farmer, and I spent high-school weekends and a couple of years after graduating working on farms. But my political views, which have moved center left, no longer match those of many of the farmers I worked for and with. For example, American farmers, for one reason or another, may disagree that universal healthcare is a good idea.

The Affordable Care Act helped insure millions of people who could not afford health insurance. I consider this a good thing. But I'm not sure it worked out great for farmers and small business owners. For one thing, subsidies are based on previous earnings, so in a down year healthcare costs can be a burden just when the money is needed for maintaining farm and family.

Recent tariffs hit farmers hard, so the government paid them subsidies. As so often happens, the largest agribusinesses benefited the most. If the government had started by providing healthcare for all farmers affected by the tariffs, the smaller, family farms would have benefited the most, since they are the ones least able to afford insurance.

Farmers and citizens in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, nearly all of Europe, Israel, and Japan are incredulous that America still doesn't have healthcare for all its citizens. Most of them see no reason you can't receive government-sponsored health insurance and still be a bonafide farmer.

I got this nutty idea the other day: let's try a national pilot project and provide healthcare for any farmer or small business with no more than 10 employees. The ACA works pretty well for low-income workers, so let's fill this other gap. If it works out well, we can expand it.

Many of the farmers I know are independent, not only as businesses, but in terms of giving instead of accepting help. "Don't make a fuss about us; we'll manage." And most do, most of the time. But for a pretty small investment we could make sure this one worry is no longer an issue for those keeping us fed.

It seems a pretty small thank-you in return for three meals a day.

Nothing

A series of German video ads, recalling heroes in the fight against the corona virus, have gone viral. Before I spoil them for you, check them out

• here,
• here,
• and here.

There is a worldwide emergency, and all we are being asked to do is nichts. Nothing.

You might think we could handle that. Doing nothing is an American specialty. In response to other emergencies, it has so often been our response.

• Rooms full of schoolchildren are murdered in cold blood. What should we do? Nothing.
• Church members at a prayer meeting are murdered for the color of their skin. What should we do? Nothing.
• 460 people are shot at a concert. What should we do? Nothing.
• Millions have no health insurance. Some of them have big medical bills after being shot while attending a concert. What should we do? Nothing.
• Worldwide, millions of refugees seek safety, some at our borders. What should we do? Nothing.
• Climate change threatens the globe in innumerable ways. What should we do? Nothing.

Now a pandemic is killing hundreds of thousands of our citizens. What should we do? Just what we are good at: Nothing.

Instead, we:

• Declare it's not happening
• Protest restrictions
• Visit friends
• Go out to eat
• Mock people wearing masks
• Have parties
• "Rise up" against governors who are trying to save lives
• Spread the disease

Sometimes I'm not so proud of my country, not nearly as proud as I'd like to be. But sometimes, if you ask me what's the matter, I just say, "Nothing."