red onion

I was going to title this piece: The Republicans have Discovered the Sanctity of Life, but I realized that it goes much further than sanctity. The Republicans have discovered life. They have discovered life in Terri Schiavo. They have decided, as in the case of Peggy Noonan, that if it is about life, then there need be no purpose, "then life is the point".

And if life is the point, then this, of course, raises many interesting possibilities. I predict the republicans will begin to discover the cruelty of the death penalty. They will begin to value the lives of those on death row.

If life is the point, then the lives of our soldiers will begin to take on a new and illuminating existence. If we wish to preserve their lives, it will be determined that the best, and only way to accomplish this is to begin an immediate withdrawal of our soldiers from Iraq.(Many democrats will learn from the republicans on this issue.)

If life is the point, then the lives of Iraqis killed in this war will begin, suddenly, to matter. The republicans will conclude therefore, that the immediates cessation of hostilities, directed towards the Iraqi people, is the only way to preserve and protect life.

If life is the point, then Americans who suffer, and possibly die, from inadequate health care in this country, will immediately begin to take on great significanse. Republicans will respond by creating universal health care for all.

Ahhh, but the above predictions, I realize, may be nothing more than wishful thinking on my part.

Because if life is the point, then what happens to quality of life? The quality of Terri Schiavo's life is not important, if life is the point. And with the denial of the importance of the quality of one's life, This will justify the continuance of policies by the administration that do much to damage the quality of life for people all over the globe. I would say that American democracy is on life support.

The republicans may try to save our lives to prove life is the point, but they are shitting in our backyards, at night, when we aren't looking.