GOP/Christian Right "Pro-Life" Rhetoric Rife with Contradictions

Interview with Simon Harak, Jesuit priest and War Resisters League organizer, conducted by Scott Harris

The family dispute surrounding the case of Terry Schiavo in Florida has in recent weeks drawn the nation into a heated debate on end-of-life ethics. The Republican party, working to gain favor with the conservative Christian movement, a key ally, has led Congress to make an unprecedented, but unsuccessful effort to intervene in determining the fate of Schiavo -- who according to doctors has been in a persistent vegetative state for 15 years.

Although Florida's courts determined that Terry's husband was rightfully carrying out the brain-damaged woman's wishes by terminating life support, in the face of challenges by her parents, congressional Republicans passed special legislation narrowly addressing the Schiavo case in an attempt to exploit the personal tragedy for political advantage. A Republican Party memo with talking points about their Schiavo-related bill circulated on the floor of the U.S. Senate referenced the upcoming election of a Democratic senator. The memo stated -- quote: "This is a great political issue, because Senator Nelson of Florida has already refused to become a co-sponsor and this is a tough issue for Democrats."

Republican House majority leader Tom Delay who has aggressively led the fight to overturn the judgment of Florida's courts to remove a feeding tube from Terry Schiavo, had himself 16 years ago agreed to withdraw life support from his severely injured father. Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with Simon Harak, Jesuit Priest and anti-militarism coordinator with the War Resisters League, who takes a critical look at the contradictions he sees in the "culture of life" promoted by Republicans and conservative Christians around the Terry Schiavo case.

Contact the the War Resisters League by calling (212) 228-0450 or visit their website at www.warresisters.org

Related links:

Schiavo Case: Media Pander to the Right," by Jeff Cohen, CommonDreams.org, March 29, 2005

"Conservatives Invoke Schiavo Case In Fundraising," The New York Times, March 25, 2005

"Shameless Right-Wingers Exploiting Terry Schiavo," by Joe Conason, Working For Change, March 23, 2005

"The Schiavo Case And the Islamization Of The Republican Party," by Juan Cole, Informed Comment, March 22, 2005

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