She is among most Republicans candidates who choose to ignore an important reality: fetal tissue, used for stem cell research, is valuable to doctors and survivors alike for its promise of curing Alzheimer's, diabetes and other diseases. In fact, Former First Lady Nancy Reagan championed President Obama's lifting of restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.
Republican front-runner Donald Trump said "all of the videos they've seen with some of these people from Planned Parenthood, talking about [harvesting fetal tissue] like you're selling parts to a car." While he said some tapes aren't pertinent, he repeats that there are "many [such] tapes" without providing any references (for the Trump campaign whose slogan may as well be "Make America Hate Again," truth is no barrier, e.g., his reversed white-on-white crime statistics and fake Muslim 9-11 celebrations.)
Ted Cruz called Planned Parenthood a "criminal enterprise" responsible for "multiple felonies" during a September Republican debate (a lie that might yet prove an accurate descriptor for his wife's former employer Goldman Sachs who has settled for hundreds of millions, or Exxon Mobil.) He appeared to back plans to shut down the government over funding of Planned Parenthood, amping up the rhetoric against it. Yet he now calls the shooting "unacceptable, horrific, and wrong" with a toll including the "one officer who lost his life [as] particularly tragic"(?!), apparently discounting the Hawaiian mother or African American Iraq War veteran who also were killed.
Dr. Ben Carson called it a "hate crime" and for a "rational discussion" instead of wanting to "destroy those with whom we disagree." This represents a new, softer stance for the neurosurgeon who now likes Syrian refugees who stay in the Middle East.
The Democrats have done better. Bernie came out first on Saturday, in a statement about the "the vicious and unsubstantiated statements" which included, "I strongly support Planned Parenthood and the work it is doing and hope people realize that bitter rhetoric can have unintended consequences." Hillary Clinton slammed Republicans from blocking a vote on barring those on the no-fly list to buy guns, and called for background checks. She also voiced support for Planned Parenthood, two days after Sanders' statement. Her contribution was positive albeit late, yet given higher placement and more space by CNN. We don't know what our fellow citizens make of it as CNN has cut off comments since commenters cited parent Time Warner's connection to Sen. Clinton as potentially linked to debate coverage biased in her favor. Martin O'Malley called the act "domestic terrorism" and highlighted other American gun massacres and the need for action.
Yet still not enough political and media leaders are calling it
what it was, terrorism by a coward who didn't have the confidence or integrity
to use speech. An act of barbarity by a person who appears to believe extreme
rhetoric and widely propagated lies of the right. A man who had issues with his
masculinity and committed domestic abuse and other violent crimes. Someone who
is sadly a caricature of the greatest terrorist threat to America: white Christian terrorism.
This act should also open a larger discussion: on what we spend fighting terrorism at home vs. abroad and why; on whether we spend on health, jobs, and education vs. weapons; on access to guns in a culture that glorifies them and how to regulate and end these copycat sprees. A conversation on white men who are committing rampant violence in crimes of terrorism and hate, their twisted psychology and radical ideologies, and how to stop them.
In the meantime, undoubtedly to the chagrin of the backwards right, Oregon and California are making birth control available over the counter.
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