Pro-Life is BS, and Donald Trump can Prove it

(First posted August 8, 2020)

Arguments behind Pro-Life in America is blatant bullshit and hypocrisy. I've recently become aware of how weak and contradicting the arguments are about anti-abortion beliefs. Amidst a global pandemic, I no longer live a busy life of distractions, and I've had the time to understand the injustices that exist in this country. Besides educating myself on systemic and institutional discrimination issues, I've gained a new understanding of how flawed the argument surrounding abortion truly is.

I've always felt very strongly about my Pro-Choice views and never believed that Pro-Life was reasonable or dignified. However, recent events have strengthened my arguments as to why Pro-Life is unjust and hypocritical. Pro-life appears to uphold values of morality and respect for human life, but the conservatives that preach these values possess no regard for human life once that child is born. Donald Trump is detrimental in the fight towards reproductive freedom, and I am going to use his words and actions to illustrate my arguments against Pro-Life. Honestly, he has made it pretty easy.

At the 47th Annual March for life, the president expressed his Pro-Life beliefs. Taken from whitehouse.gov he said, "We're here for a very simple reason: to defend the right of every child, born and unborn, to fulfill their God-given potential." However, the man who claims to defend human life has remained silent towards unjust issues that aren't convenient or of interest to him.

I'm angry and passionate about this issue given that my body is being controlled by a man. Pro-life isn't about protecting human life; it is about controlling and restricting women. If Donald Trump wanted to defend every child's right, his measures wouldn't end once a child is born. The reality is that Trump couldn't care less about human rights once they're born, and he has proven this to be correct time and time again. He has no sense of morality when it doesn't align with his personal agenda and privileged beliefs. He isn't Pro-Life, he's anti-abortion, don't confuse his stances towards abortion for a sense of decency.

Here’s the basis for my statements and opinions:

Gun Control
About 40,000 people died from gun violence in 2018 alone, with an increase in school shootings around the globe that has taken innocent students' lives. As more children became victims of gun violence, Trump refused to take serious action towards gun control. He deflected the cries of protestors by turning the situation into a mental health issue. Trump was more concerned with preserving his relationship with the NRA, the National Rifle Association, who he received significant endorsements from. If Trump were indeed "Pro-Life", he would have prioritized the voices of students who watched their classmates die. When the public demanded restrictions on guns, Trump made excuses when these requests didn't align with his political and financial goals. He doesn't care about protecting and defending human life, which is why I laugh (and cry) as he restricts reproductive freedom from his "morals" to protect the unborn.

Immigration
Donald Trump has shown just how ironic his Pro-Life views are by how he treats immigrants. ICE, Immigration and Custom's Enforcement, was created in 2003 as a response to the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001. In an effort to protect Americans, immigrants have been oppressed, criminalized, and tortured. Trump said, "These aren't people, these are animals." His words don't sound very "Pro-Life" to me, as he is labeling and abusing innocent people for simply not being born in America. Trump has dignified such cruel and inhumane treatment towards immigrants because he only cares to defend certain lives. He tore families apart and caged people for trying to seek asylum in this country. How does subjecting human beings to cruel, unjust, and inhumane conditions align with Pro-Life values? Well, it doesn't, further strengthening my point that he doesn't care about human rights, he just hates abortion.

Racism
When a 9-minute video surfaced of George Floyd, an unarmed black man killed by white officers, the nation expressed their frustration and anger through protests, and they refused to be silenced. If Trump valued human life, he would have reacted in an entirely different way. When America demanded to be heard, Trump refused to listen. He devalued the pain and anger that the public felt in the face of injustice, labeling protestors as "terrorists" and "thugs". If this man had a single ounce of humanity, he would have stood alongside his country in unity. If he were really "Pro-Life", he would have been just as outraged as everyone else that the unjust death of people like George Floyd is a regular occurrence that needs to be confronted. Although he expressed that Floyd's death was a tragedy, he continued silencing and belittling the American people's cries. He played the victim and tweeted that those who attempted to breach the white house fence would be faced with vicious dogs and weapons. Mayor Muriel Bowser said, "To make a reference to vicious dogs is no subtle reminder to African Americans of segregationists who let dogs out on women, children, and innocent people in the south." This man has no sense of humanity, and has no place claiming that his care for human life justifies governing women's bodies.

Coronavirus
Donald Trump's hateful words and actions have honestly made it too easy to write this blog article. He is the perfect example of how conservative Pro-Lifers are simply hypocrites, and the proof goes further than gun control, racism, and cruel immigration policies. Donald Trump only cares about himself, evident in his response to the global pandemic that has taken hundreds of thousands of lives. This man failed the American people when we needed a leader the most, apparent as the United States has the highest death toll. Instead of recognizing the coronavirus as a severe health issue, he minimized the reality of this global crisis. He wasn't willing to accept this public health crisis for what it is, pointing blame towards China with racist comments like "Kung-Flu". Despite this blatant racism, he wrongfully communicated that the virus was under control and mere liberal propaganda. It's been about five months since I was sent home from college, and it's now evident why Donald Trump was so reluctant to admit the realities of this crisis. He was willing to jeopardize his own people's lives because his reelection campaign relies on his success with the economy. He didn't close down the country until the pandemic was too severe to ignore, and reopened as soon as possible. If Trump possesses Pro-Life values, he wouldn't have put the economy over Americans' health and safety. The severity of the pandemic and stay-home orders meant a tremendous crash in the economy, Trump's main reelection pitch. To anyone reading this, I hope it's clear that he will protect his finances and reputation before protecting his country. Despite the US having the highest number of coronavirus cases and death toll, he continued to push for nonessential businesses to reopen. Trump's response to this virus proves that he is not interested in defending and protecting human life. He was willing to let thousands of people die to preserve the economy and his reelection campaign. To add a cherry on top, while people were dying, Trump was golfing.

All this being said, it all comes down to one central point: the government has no place in deciding what is moral. Donald Trump should have absolutely no say in female autonomy because his reasons for doing so are weak, hypocritical, and contradictory. If Trump feels so strongly about human life and is willing to force women to undergo unwanted pregnancies, he better be ready to defend that child long after birth. Based on what I've written, it's clear that he's not. He will force women to give birth but isn't willing to support and defend that child furthermore. Therefore, the fact that restrictions are in place, such as the heartbeat ban, is disgusting and undignified.

Conservatives justify restricting and controlling women's bodies on the notion that all life should be valued and protected. The government feels that it is dignified to force personal religious views and stances onto all Americans, but are quick to abandon those beliefs after the child is born. Ilyse Hogue, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, addressed the hypocrisy of Pro-Life officials in government. She said, "These times make crystal clear what we've always known: for so many of these officials, 'pro-life' is a smoke screen, not a commitment that they care to uphold. When it suits them, they're happy to endanger lives to push their agenda forward as we have seen all too well during this COVID crisis. From exploiting the pandemic to close clinics and endanger women who need abortion care, to asking people to go back to work before it's safe, their actions demonstrate a distinct lack of value placed on lives."

Like Trump, conservatives are willing to do and say anything in an effort to strengthen his finances, reputation, and chances of reelection. In my opinion, Trump only claims and upholds Pro-Life views to appeal to the widespread religious voters. He is desperate to stay in a position of power at any cost, even forcing motherhood on women against their will. Trump isn't Pro-Life, he's anti-abortion. He deflects his self-centered agenda by conveying a false sense of morality and humanity, which he has proven is not the case.

I must stress that I am not associating Trump's actions with all Pro-Lifers, but I focused on him because he is in a position of power. He shouldn't have a say in what is “correct” because he is manipulative, narcissistic, unqualified, and hypocritical. To conclude this post, I want to regress from Donald Trump and discuss my points about Pro-Life as a whole. I want anyone who is Pro-Life to understand that you cannot claim to defend all life while being silent as racism, homophobia, sexism, inequality, and systemic discrimination prevail. It’s not fair to force women into unwanted pregnancies and yet ignore the inhumanity that fiercely exists in this world.
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All this being said, vote Donald Trump out of office so he can no longer push his personal agenda onto everyone else. Politics aside, I just want a president who actually has a sense of decency and humanity.