When I hear someone say they are pro-life, to me, it makes me believe that they are pro-life for everyone – not just the unborn. This is why it disgusted me to know that when a cruel man opened fire on a Planned Parenthood clinic Friday in Colorado he was being praised over social media for his “heroic” actions.
It is in no way, shape or form a heroic or god-like action to open fire on a clinic filled with innocent civilians who are embracing their right to choose. Planned Parenthood has more to offer than just a women’s right to an abortion.
My Facebook and Twitter feeds were overrun with articles and posts about the shooting and as I was looking through the comments there was suddenly an overwhelming feeling of anger and disbelief over what I was reading. There were people who were calling this savage of a man a hero and that the women in the clinic “got what they deserved.”
One proud supporter on Twitter had the audacity to say “Active Shooter Colorado Planned Parenthood. I would think this brave HERO is saving innocent Baby Lives!” It makes you want to vomit. How can someone be pro-life but kill people to prove their point? They can’t. It is literally the most hypocritical view on this tragedy that has been formed.
It wasn’t heroic; it was an act of domestic terrorism by a Christian extremist. He didn’t murder women who were there seeking an abortion; he killed a male officer, a male veteran and a mother of two. All of whom left children and spouses behind because this man believed that what he was doing was OK.
What makes this man’s actions any different than that of ISIS? The world is now questioning his mental health and the United States government is pushing a new mental health reform, which is a good thing. But, if he was Muslim or any other religion, or if he wasn’t a white American male, it would be an act of terrorism hands down, no questions asked.
The world has been consumed with the ISIS attacks and has been religiously stereotyping the Muslim faith because apparently – some people’s thought process is – if ISIS is filled with Islamic extremists, then that means anyone who believes in that religion must be as well and are a threat – right?
Wrong. The people who think this way are who you would call ignorant and I am sorry to say it – dumb.
Is the world going to begin to religiously stereotype all Christians because of this one man’s behavior? It will probably generate some form of hatred because that is how our world works, but it will be nowhere near the level of the disgusting comments and hate crimes the Islamic culture endure.
It just blows my mind how some people are taking this tragedy of lost lives to push their agenda of anti-abortion and a women’s right to choose. Pro-life should be for all life.
What makes these keyboard warriors any less of a threat to humanity than the man firing the gun and being taken into custody?
If they support the killing of innocent, unarmed civilians who are embracing their right to choose then they are just as much to blame as the man who pulled the trigger.
BECKY HILKER
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