Culture of Life

I'm trying to get my head around the way the "Culture of Life" people think.

Hot on the heels of the release of the Terry Schaivo autopsy report, we are told that Terry's parents position is unchanged. Furthermore, for whatever reason, the Bush administration chimed in and reiterated that their opinion is unchanged, as well. Per Press Secretary, Scottie McClellan:

"Americans should "stand on the side of defending ... life."

to which I have to say, "Well, sure." How could you not? I'm sure even if you include the opinions of sullen, disaffected teeenagers across the country, the "anti-life" contingent would still be a seriously small percentage of the total population.

But I guess the big dividing line is exactly where we draw the line between defending life and drawing out some painful, principled stand. It's certainly causing some serious cognitive dissonance for me to hear the administration that started an unprovoked war, killing thousands of Iraqis in the process, saying we should be concerned about defending life. Why are fetuses and braindead people worthy of an almost obsessive amount of concern, when so many others are not?

The whole situation reminds me of the anti-abortion crowd, of whom so many seem to simultaneously be holders of staunch conservative values. They will go to any lengths to protect the life of a fetus, but once he pops out of the womb, he's on his own. Self-reliance, don't ya know?