Hypocrisy All Around

This post is addressing the hypocrisy of both the extreme liberals and extreme conservatives in American politics when it comes to the issues of abortion and the death penalty. It will not address whether abortion or the death penalty should become public policy, simply the fallacies in both these groups ideology.

Many conservatives, especially the most active, pride themselves on supporting the right to life. Whether they believe life should be protected for religious or legal reasons is irrelevant. Their fundamental belief that all life should be protected is what matters. Now, for the vast majority of conservatives the right to life extends to unborn children. Because of this belief abortion should be illegal so life is ensured, and anyone who does this act is committing murder. However these very same people who believe unborn children have the right to live disregard those values when it comes to the issue of the death penalty.

When conservative activists who support the death penalty were asked the question, “[w]hy do you favor the death penalty for persons convicted of murder, the top answers included punishment fits the crime, they deserve it, and saves tax payers money. Only four percent picked to serve justice. The fact is the death penalty is murder; something most conservatives do not seem to understand. A life is being taken when the act is not necessary. Convicted murders can and are thrown in prison for the rest of their lives each and every day. They are no longer a threat to society behind bars. If one’s belief is that all life is sacred or should be protected by law it should not only be when it suits their best interests. The fact is a life is a life, whether they are convicted of murder or not. This reason is why extreme conservatives are hypocrites.

Conservatives are not the only ones who have contradictions in their beliefs when it comes to pro-choice and the death penalty. Liberals do as well. Most liberals are pro-choice. This does not mean they are for killing unborn children, simply that they believe it is a personal choice. Their hypocrisy exists because a majority of liberals also believe the death penalty is wrong. One of the most profound answers as to why liberals are against it is the death penalty is murder. The fact is they are right. Whether the death penalty is carried out for retribution, justice, or financial reasons, it still is taking a life needlessly. Following this logic neither people nor the government should take a life. Yet, many liberals support the right for individuals to make such a decision every day when they support pro-choice. The fact is life exists prior to birth in the eye of the law. If a pregnant woman who is three month pregnant is murdered by a robber, that person will be charged not with one murder but two, in most states. Ergo, life exists before birth in the eyes of the law. Roe vs. Wade (citation needed) established that life began before birth, although the actual time when it began is still subject to legal interpretation. Politics is not perfect and every belief and decision is not always correct, moral, or legal, but this article shows the inconsistencies in many people’s beliefs when it comes to the issues of abortion and the death penalty.