The Covid-19 pandemic threatens life in multiple ways. The virus not only has killed people directly—more than 400,000 to date—but has also worsened poverty and inequality.[1] By disrupting the world economy, the pandemic has taken away many people’s livelihoods and harmed the poor. The illness and the resulting economic hardships don’t fall equally on everyone but … Continue reading “Millions Who Are Already Hanging by a Thread”: The Global Repercussions of Covid-19
Category: Consistent Life Ethic
Specialization or Generalization? The Many Ways of Following the Consistent Life Ethic
The consistent life ethic (CLE) movement is very diverse. It includes people of different philosophical or partisan backgrounds, with different understandings of the CLE and different preferred activist strategies.[1] One aspect of this diversity is varying approaches to specialization, that is, focusing on a particular life issue of the CLE. Some CLE activists are drawn to work primarily on one life issue while … Continue reading Specialization or Generalization? The Many Ways of Following the Consistent Life Ethic
“Remember Pearl Harbor—Keep ‘Em Dying”: War and Racism in the Pacific
American planes dropped firebombs on Tokyo 75 years ago, on the night of March 9-10, 1945, killing an estimated 80,000-100,000 people.[1] The firebombing began a six-month-long American bombing campaign against 66 Japanese cities that culminated in the two atomic bombings and killed roughly 400,000 people in total.[2] This killing campaign was the climax of a … Continue reading “Remember Pearl Harbor—Keep ‘Em Dying”: War and Racism in the Pacific
Climate Change and the Consistent Life Ethic: An Opportunity to Connect Issues
Climate change and how to counter it has been much in the news over the past few weeks, with these topics being raised in the United Nations and in the streets.[1] Harm to our shared environment should concern all of us and should especially concern advocates of the consistent life ethic. We should consider how climate change connects … Continue reading Climate Change and the Consistent Life Ethic: An Opportunity to Connect Issues
Pro-Life Voting Strategy: A Problem without a Solution
With a new electoral season looming before Americans, we’ll no doubt soon hear the latest round of a long-running debate: how should pro-lifers vote? Should they vote for candidates (usually Republicans) who express explicit opposition to abortion and may support efforts to restrict legal access to abortion?Or should they vote for candidates (usually Democrats) who … Continue reading Pro-Life Voting Strategy: A Problem without a Solution
A War on the People: A Review of One Child Nation
To curb population growth and supposedly promote national prosperity, China’s ruling Communist Party in 1979 launched an effort to ensure most Chinese parents would have only one child. For roughly the next 36 years the authorities would enforce this One-Child Policy through measures that included intense propaganda, forced sterilizations and abortions, punishments for disobedient households, … Continue reading A War on the People: A Review of One Child Nation
What Personal Storytelling Leaves Out: A Suggestion on Alternative Approaches to Activism
A common practice among activists or commentators on political controversies is to invoke personal stories. Someone will tell how her or his life, or the life of a friend or acquaintance, was directly affected by a larger injustice or problem. The activist or commentator will use that personal experience as an element in an argument … Continue reading What Personal Storytelling Leaves Out: A Suggestion on Alternative Approaches to Activism
“Somewhere Else When the Trigger Is Pulled”: Orwell and War
Political language — and with variations this is true of all political parties, from Conservatives to Anarchists — is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind. One cannot change this all in a moment, but one can at least change one's own habits. … Continue reading “Somewhere Else When the Trigger Is Pulled”: Orwell and War
Recognizing Humanity: Orwell and the Consistent Life Ethic
We’re 70 years from the publication of one of the 20th century’s most influential books: Nineteen Eighty-Four. George Orwell’s 1949 novel about future life under a dramatically repressive regime has shaped political debate and popular culture for decades. The novel’s anniversary will doubtless prompt further reflections. I reflect on Orwell’s concern for defending human dignity against … Continue reading Recognizing Humanity: Orwell and the Consistent Life Ethic
Nuclear Disarmament as a Social Justice Issue
Activists seeking to end or radically reduce nuclear weapons’ threat may find it difficult to get public attention. Despite the high stakes involved—the lives of millions and even humanity’s survival—the nuclear threat frequently seems distant and abstract. The danger is future and hypothetical, in contrast to current, actual situations of people dying or suffering from … Continue reading Nuclear Disarmament as a Social Justice Issue
Peacemaking for Life 