If Only Conservatives Would Really Take This To Heart
Conservatives are mad at Eugene Robinson's mocking of how Rick Santorum and his family dealt with the tragedy of an newborn death. Patterico (via Glen Reynolds) writes something that is good critique of the Left, but is an equally good critique of the Right
What really infuriates is the contempt they [those on the Left] show for parents who make different choices than they would . . . and the smug arrogance with which they pronounce judgment on the most intimate aspects of others’ private lives.”
Substitute the word "people" for "parents in the first half and this applies to a lot of folks on both sides of the aisle.
Dan:
I'm no fan of Santorum. He's the worst kind of politician, one who wants to make laws that tell people what they can do in their own bedrooms, and in the meantime makes a fat profit off of having held public office.
But I read a little about how he and his family dealt with the death of their newborn, and I'm inclined to give him a break. No one should criticize how a family mourns, as long as they aren't hurting anyone else. What they did does sound a little weird, but I've never had to deal with the death of a newborn, so maybe I would have wanted to do something similar.
Remember the old saying about walking a mile in the other guy's shoes...
January 6, 2012, 2:56 pmJohn Moore:
So why call out conservatives? It applies to humans. Gasp - even to Libertarians.
January 6, 2012, 8:10 pmGil:
Apparently now "The Left" refers to whoever my opponents are. After all, Libertarians believe parents have no obligation to care for a child and can abandon even if the child will die. Then again if the parents did smother a child then it didn't affect whatsoever therefore has a crime been committed?
January 6, 2012, 8:36 pmMatt:
I think this post strives for a false moral equivalence. Its a weak attempt to claim the right and the left both suck and I'm above it all. My biases should be obvious but I can't think of legitimate examples where the conservative movement shows the contempt displayed by so many on the left for this very personal family matter.
January 7, 2012, 12:14 pmBenjamin Cole:
I don't know of any lefties who mock parents and their sickly children. I dislike Santorum politically, but jeez when you see photos of his troubled child, your heart breaks for him. I wish every parent the best of luck.
All goes back to one of my favorite mantras: Can we stop talking about candidates' personal lives?
January 7, 2012, 6:52 pmdad29:
I think this post strives for a false moral equivalence.
Bingo.
Some 'choices'--let's take abortion--are wrong, no matter who makes the choice.
January 9, 2012, 7:53 amwilky:
"After all, Libertarians believe parents have no obligation to care for a child and can abandon even if the child will die."
This is just bizarre. Libertarians don't have the same human drives and emotions as everyone else? Libertarians don't believe in personal responsibility?
And gil, smother abort whats the difference.
January 10, 2012, 8:28 am