Pay Grade?

"Conservatives see her as a kindred spirit who lives her anti-abortion words in the most profound way: by giving birth to a child she knew would be born with Down syndrome. Gun owners see her as authentically one of them: a hunter with a passion for the outdoors and gun freedom." (Yahoo News)

This is not the first time I have asked this question, and I am sure it certainly will not be the last...actually there are several questions here, but let's go with the obvious one first, that being HOW can you possibly support guns and gun rights and be a parent? The logic just stupefies me. I have listened to the rants and the diatribes. Everything from "if you teach them safety they will know not to pick up a gun" to "if just one person had a gun, the carnage would not have been so bad" (yes, my tongue is only slightly in my cheek).

Let's face it, there are several things wrong with today's society that were not the case when the founding fathers set down the Second Amendment. The first is that there are no wild animals out there stalking your lively hood (in most cases). Yes, there has been the occasional report of a bear in urban areas, but you are not likely to be mauled by one. Secondly, you do not need to kill your food. The bacteria living on it is a different issue, but a gun is not going to help you there. I have also heard the argument that they are necessary "should we ever need to over throw the government." If you feel that strongly, I would not advertise it, especially if you have a security clearance as the folks at both the Department of Defense and Homeland (In)security tend to frown on the citizenry holding that Constitutionally protected (?) position.

The other question that is begged here, and really, truly is a personal one, is the whole medical ethics of bringing a child to life that is genetically flawed. I do not mean a minor glitch but Down Syndrome is Mother Nature's way of saying she goofed. Prior to even the last fifty years, a child with messed up genetics would not have survived. We can arge that "every life is precious" and "if it was your child" but there are some hard, root cause issues that have to be addressed, least of which is the costs involved and the morality and ethics of when life begins.

Obama has it right, it is above his pay grade. It is not a decision for the President of the United States to make. He is just one man. It is a decision for the country, and in this case, all of mankind to make. And anyone who thinks differently has not looked at the issue as anything more than a political statement.