If you’ve been following me lately, you might know that while I’m not in the pro-life camp, I take seriously — and yes, respect — people who are. The problem I run into is that while there are people in that camp who very much want to build a “culture of life” and who (I believe) don’t have an intent to oppress women, it’s also the case that other people in that group are just mean assholes who want to oppress women, and probably everybody else when they get around to it.1
Take this comment from Libby Emmons, a conservative writer with a fairly good-sized audience, in response to a story about a 10-year-old being deprived of abortion care in her state because of the recent Dobbs ruling:
Oy.
Listen: If "culture of life" is to mean anything, it would seem that mercy might be a foundational element. Emmons’ tweet, on the other hand, suggests that the "culture of life" is actually an act of vengeance — something the rest of us (including a 10-year-old girl who has probably never advocated for abortion on demand or “shouted her abortion”) should fear instead of welcome.
And in fact, that’s more than just a suggestion. That’s precisely what some people on the right — some people who are celebrating Dobbs right now — actively desire.
Here’s Josh Hammer2, noodling about on the topic of what the conservative legal project should focus on next.
The proper long-term goal is not neutrality, but victory. The time for playing jurisprudential and judicial defense is thus over. The time is now right for legal and judicial conservatives to go on offense.
(Snip)
“Justice, justice shall you pursue,” reads Deuteronomy 16:20. Not proceduralism, that is, but justice—the rewarding of friends and the punishing of enemies within the confines of the rule of law. The modern conservative legal movement just had its most successful Supreme Court term; now it’s time for real, meaningful justice.
Hammer — who is not without influence — makes it clear: The next job of the conservative legal project is to deliver a big eff you to the libs. That doesn’t sound very “culture of life-y” to me.
Seems like a good moment herer to actually quote the fuller passage from Deuteronomy:
18 Appoint judges and officials for each of your tribes in every town the Lord your God is giving you, and they shall judge the people fairly. 19 Do not pervert justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the innocent. 20 Follow justice and justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the Lord your God is giving you.
A jurisprudence focused on “rewarding friends and punishing enemies” isn’t much interested in avoiding the perversion of justice or the showing of partiality. And it’s honestly not a foundation for a culture of life. The people who do want to build that culture have to decide if they’re more interested in the power that comes from being allied with Josh Hammer types, or the vengeance that comes from being allied with the Libby Emmons types, or if they really do want to build that culture. I fear I already know the answer.
Odds and ends
I don’t plan on the Substack being a daily posting, necessarily, because I do have paid work to do and besides I don’t want to overload your inboxes if you receive this by email. It’s more a “take it by ear” situation.
Today’s recommendation
Sorry for cursing. Sometimes it’s the most direct way of getting a point across. But having come up in the church, I still feel guilty and naughty when I do it publicly.
A Dickensian name if there ever was one.