The following post was written by Alex D. in response to the Day 5 Action Challenge: Read an article that expresses a different opinion about a political or social issue than the one you hold, and reflect on the argument presented.
The article I chose to read for this challenge was “After Orlando We Need More Pro-Life Christians” by Kevin Wright. The article refers to the shooting at Pulse, a gay club in Orlando, FL. In the shooting, 49 people were killed and 53 more were injured. Wright argues that attacks such as this one can be prevented with the help of Pro-Life Christians. He believes that pro-life Christians have the power to put an end to this gun violence, and since they value life enough to stand up against abortion, they should also stand up against guns. Wright makes the distinction between pro-life and pro-birth anti-abortion activists. His thought is that if one is simply pro-birth, one is not necessarily standing up for the rights of those who are alive. I found this article to be close-minded. Though the point is to open the minds of pro-life activists, the argument is limiting. While Pro-Life Christians may be against gun violence, this article excludes all other people who want an end to gun violence. Refusing to allow women access to abortions has absolutely no effect on the rate of gun violence. There is no correlation with the two issues. The argument seems to connect these things for no reason. I believe that women should have the right to decide what they want to do with their body, especially in instances when pregnancies are caused by rape. A woman who has had an abortion can be just as helpful as a Pro-Life Christian in acting out against gun violence. While the objective of the article has merit and aims to remind people to stand up for their values even when it is hard, even when it might prompt an internal conflict, I don't like how it does so by reinforcing a national divide. It is time that people all joined together in order to stop such acts of violence, rather than singling out certain groups and claiming them to be either particularly obligated or unworthy of striving for a better world.
3 Comments
Sarah Plummer
3/28/2017 06:41:54 pm
Hey Alex,
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Aashay Madhani
3/29/2017 03:27:42 am
Hello Alex, I loved your blog post and could not possibly agree with your more! As a supporter of gun rights, but also somebody who wants to see an end to gun violence, I totally agree with your viewpoint. I think in a lot of ways we love to blame our issues on specific groups of people. Whether its based on race, immigration status, political affiliation, or religious beliefs, there is something in our human nature that drives us to pinpoint one exact focal point to which we want to blame at least some of our problems. In this case, though indirectly, it seems like the person from the article you read believes pro life christians are not living up to their own beliefs and therefore not stopping gun violence. However, like you said we can never group people so easily like this. Not all pro life christians have the same viewpoints on guns, and saying that millions of people as a group are a cause of perpetuating gun violence in this country is absurd.
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William Wen
4/3/2017 12:37:50 pm
Hello Alex,
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