Why do Republicans oppose abortion but yet support the death penalty?

Question

The leftist argument to abortion and the death penalty makes more sense.They believe that an unborn baby is not fully human and that life starts at birth and NOT at conception.Their position on the death penalty is that a person who has killed IS a human that has fulfilled the requirements of birth. They also provide the fact that some INNOCENT people have been executed for crimes they did not commit. I personally do not agree with abortion but their stance makes more sense than the rightists.The rightists belive that life starts at conception. Life begins at conception and ends at death in their eyes.OK that's fair. But how can they justify killing a person who has committed a crime? Is that person no longer human because he/she did something wrong? How do you drive with a pro-life sticker on one side of your car and a pro-death sticker on the other side? It makes no sense to me.

Reported 4x's Today: It makes sense to you? What do you have to say about those who have been wrongfully AND executed for a crime they didn't commit? Bet that makes you feel good huh? That a republican is voting for the death penalty but cannot even get administered to the point that ONLY the guilty are killed.What would you rather see, a guilty man live or an innocent man die?

Answer 1

It is far easier to boss some poor woman around and tell her what she can and cannot do with her body than it is to deal with a grown human being with a broken spirit and try to heal him. Those on the right care about two things: looking righteous and looking tough. They don't care about how consistent their positions are as long as they can keep looking righteous and tough.

So: against abortion? Righteous, even if you vote down health care for those newborns in your next breath. Killing criminals or putting them away in prison to be raped for decades? Tough, even though you can't be bothered to fund crime prevention programs or proper schools for at-risk youth.

Answer 2

It's OK. Don't be sad. Part of the problem is that the conservative worldview is based on a kind of strict-father model. This means serious crimes require strict punishments, which are meant as deterrents (the most serious deterrent, death, is reserved for the worst crimes, in the hope that those crimes will decrease).

Often this kind of thing does deter crime - but murder and other death-penalty crimes are an exception, because the people who commit them are usually not behaving rationally. Depressed and hopped up on crack, nobody says to themselves - what are the pros and cons of the action I am about to perform? It can be demonstrated statistically that the death penalty does not effectively deter these kinds of crimes.

The alternative point of view treats criminal behavior as a personality problem, or in some cases, a sickness. This perspective assumes that all people (like all children) often misbehave for a _reason_ and not simply because they are bad. This means that "liberals" are sometimes more understanding of criminal behavior, and view the possibility of reform optimistically.

Republicans oppose abortion because they have a strong religious backing, and because in the end, abortion really is killing. Whether it's wrong or right is more complicated, because birth control has traditionally been a serious issue for women - having too many children can result in poverty, and being a single mother is a rough life (for her AND the kids). Personally, I feel that abortion is wrong, but only in the same sad way that I dislike female infanticide in China: when you're only allowed to have one kid, and there's no social security, having a son instead means you won't die poor and homeless. It's not right, but I've never been in that position. These are social issues, not just a question of when life starts or when it ought to end.

Read George Lakoff's "Moral Politics" - it will give you a better idea of how conservatives and liberals think, and might make conversations with them a little less frustrating. Or terrifying? One of those.

Answer 3

I think the death penalty is good in some cases for known murderers who have killed on multiple occasions- of course their guilt having been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt. (Certainly no one that is in jail for one murder only or cases where they cannot verify that someone has actually commited such crimes). The way I see it, when such a person is put to death it ensures that no more innocent people will die at that person's hand. The question always remains, "What if such a murderer escaped from prison?". In my view, someone who kills that often will probably kill again. So if they were to escape from a prison, who would be the next victim? I don't see any hypocrisy in this since I think it would actually save innocent people from violent deaths. EDIT: Ok, so I was really on a tangent. It doesn't bother me that Republicans support the death penalty for the most part. Then again, I don't bother too much with court cases in general so I don't know the specifics of each death penalty case. So I might be overlooking something. 2nd edit: To clarify for kerrisonr. When I say someone is "innocent" what I mean (in this case) is "someone who has not murdered another human being". And yes, as a Christian I do believe that babies and little children are innocent and free of sin.

Answer 4

The problem with the issue is the religious right think that all the babies should be born. What they don't have a plan for is what to do with the unwanted child afterwards. I mean, have you seen many white middle class Catholics or Baptists and other Christians adopting black crack babies? Until the religious right can come up with a plan that guarantees EVERY baby born will have a home in a middle class family, their arguments, and their actions, are worthless. They want the babies to be born but offer no help or solutions for the care of that baby in a world that demands a parent with her feet on the ground, a roof over her head and a job. Until THEY come up with a plan, the woman will find one instead. But everything the right say is just rhetoric, like saying, "gee we should stop crime" -they do not have ANY answers to the problem of abortion, they only offer some biblical passages and pass judgement on those who are dealing with the here and now and not the second coming or waiting for jesus.

Answer 5

First, conservatives (not all Republicans) tend to believe that humans give birth to humans, and just about everyone on the planet agrees that a living fetus in a womb is alive. The mental gymnastics of the left go like this: is the baby able to live without the mom...if not, it's not viable yet, and she has the right to remove it, like some bum that failed to pay rent for two months.

Now the death penalty is all about paying a price for your crime. We value life. If a private citizen takes someone else's life...the cost is his/her own life. This is a punishment and a deterrent. Some will say it's not a deterrent, but that's because appeals let these scum live 20 years on death row...if it was swift...it would deter more. But in almost every case, the murderers fight for every last miserable second of their life....that's how I know they don't like the death penalty. The last point about the death penalty is that it has a 0% recidivism rate...they never take innocent life again. We are protecting the innocent and rendering the ultimate cost for taking the life of someone else.

It makes sense to me.

edit: an adult is convicted of murder and has appeals...gets to have an aggressive defense. An unborn infant is stuck in a small space while a butcher/doctor reaches in with sharp medical instruments and carve him to pieces. You decide which person has the better chance.

edit2: common...Neither God nor the US Penal code, nor Webster define the execution of a murderer by the state "murder". The cost of committing premeditated murder is your life...if you chose to murder, the consequence must be considered. Now for the unborn baby...what decision could it make to avoid the death penalty called abortion?

Answer 6

I oppose abortion because I believe life begins at conception. I have issue with people having sex when they are not ready to get married and have a family. Sex is a responsibility, not a right. In case you are not sure when life begins, watch a female having a miscarriage see that "thing" as pro-abortion people call it on an ultrasound. You can see the shape and hear a heart beat after a few months.

I support the death penalty because I believe in punishment. You murder someone, you lost your right to live. If someone thinks they can get the death penalty, it might deter them from killing someone.

Innocent people do get convicted in this country. That is a fact of life and does not justify removing the death penalty.

My position may not make sense to you, but I answered you honestly.

Answer 7

I have no answer to your question because I agree with you that it is absurd. I can understand the view of the conservatives, but not one of them has succeeded in taking into account your position on innocent people who were executed for crimes they did not commit.

Also, what is the point of giving birth to a child who you don't even want? The child has no sense of anything. If a woman is going to have an abortion, generally there is a reason for it. Why disturb/ruin/etc. one or more people's lives for an infant who has never seen reality or perceived anything?

Answer 8

As a "leftist" I must say that we do NOT believe life starts at birth. Life starts at conception. This can be said about bacteria and animals, as well, though. Pro-choicers believe that the mere POSSESSION of life does not grant one a RIGHT to life, or else everyone would be a pacifist, pro-bacteria vegan.

I have long since stopped trying to decipher the hysterical rantings of the Evangelical Christian party.

Answer 9

For about the same reason liberals support abortion but oppose the death penalty.

I'm a republican and I don't support the death penalty. Neither does Bill O'Reilly. Let's be a little more careful with our liberal generalizing next time.

Answer 10

I believe if you kill another person then you deserve to die. doing life in prison just burdens society and does not seem like justice to me to the victim or their families. Either you believe that way or you do not. I don't believe in abortion because people use it mostly as a way to deal with the cosequenses of their irresponsibility. In some cases I believe it is acceptable. I don't think it matters whether life begins at conception or birth. The main thing is why are you getting one--where you rapped, is your life in danger by going to term? When it comes down to it that is the main question. Just my opinion.