Summaries of Talks on Life Issues by Mary Meehan

Abortion:

ACLU v. Unborn Children

This talk will show how the American Civil Liberties Union undercuts its own principles--including freedom of speech--by its fierce support of abortion. Poor research, superficial debate, and eugenics thinking all contributed to the ACLU position. A 1970s ACLU leader even acknowledged that two foundations he dealt with were willing to support pro-abortion litigation "out of an anti-black feeling." But as long as donors didn't "try to impose restrictions," he said, "I will always take the money." While noting that organizations are very hard to turn around, the talk will suggest appeals to reason and conscience that should lead ACLU members to press for change.

Facing the Hard Cases

We can't allow hard cases to paralyze our hearts and minds, or push us to a general agnosticism about right and wrong. Yet we can't stand on principle alone, either. We must identify both with the person who faces hardship and with the person whose life is actually at stake, finding solutions to protect the well-being of both. This means, for example, whole-hearted psychological and financial support for women who become pregnant through rape. It means generous support for couples who have children with disabilities, and it means challenging the eugenics-based idea that such children are worth less than the rest of us. This talk will contest the idea that problems in childhood dictate a bad outcome in later life. It will describe good people--some famous, some not--who have overcome rape, incest, physical disability, mental illness, poverty, and/or child abuse.

Lessons from the Anti-Slavery Movement

The pro-life movement can learn much from the successes and failures of the great movement for the abolition of slavery in the United States. Especially effective was the effort to "abolitionize" Ohio in the 1830s. The same kind of effort is needed today in states where the pro-life movement is weak. But the abolitionists, like many other activists, too often preached to the choir; they didn't put enough emphasis on educational work and organizing in Southern states. In like manner, the pro-life movement has not put enough effort into organizing among liberals, African Americans, and Democrats. This talk will stress these and other lessons from one of the best-organized movements for social change in U.S. history.

No Liberty Without Life: A Libertarian Case Against Abortion

The libertarian principle of non-aggression provides a strong basis for the case against abortion. Libertarians for Life, a group that dates back to 1976, emphasizes this principle and also the idea of parental obligation. Having brought a child into existence in a dependent state, they say, both parents have an obligation to protect the child from harm. Rep. Ron Paul (R-Tex.) once wrote: "Abortion on demand is the ultimate State tyranny; the State simply declares that certain classes of human beings are not persons, and therefore not entitled to the protection of the law." Recently he said: "I believe in a very limited role for government, but the prime reason that government exists in a free society is to protect liberty, but also to protect life--and I mean all life."

Why Liberals and Feminists Should Defend the Unborn

Starting with stories of liberals and feminists on the pro-life side, this talk explains why others should follow their example. Liberals' traditional concern for the little guy should lead them to protect the unborn. So should their belief in equality and their tradition of defending racial minorities and people with disabilities. Their concern for women's well-being should make them listen to women who have been greatly harmed by abortion--and to the strong case of pro-life feminism. Their opposition to war should lead them to see the many parallels between war and abortion. The talk explores these and other reasons why they should defend the unborn--and suggests how they can. It urges them to join pro-life groups who share their outlook on other issues and to "speak with your own voice, sing your own song."

Why Roe Must Go: A Liberal Case Against Roe v. Wade

Based on research in the papers of the late Justice Harry Blackmun and other justices, this talk outlines major problems with the 1973 Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade. Major flaws include the failure to have a guardian ad litem to represent unborn children; the pretense that we don't know when a human life begins; sloppy and misleading historical research; failure to deal with the right to life in the Declaration of Independence; and more. Roe is a prime example of a result-oriented decision, in which justices allow their bias to determine the result and then rummage around for legal reasons to support it. The talk places special stress on why liberals should oppose Roe and defend unborn children. A variation of the talk, "Why Roe Must Go: A Case Against Eugenics," highlights the history of U.S. eugenics and its influence on Roe. Either talk is especially suitable for law students, but interesting to others as well.

Death Penalty:

A Dozen Reasons to Oppose the Death Penalty

Many people who used to support the death penalty have been shaken by DNA evidence that innocent people have been sentenced to death. Some conservatives--Richard Viguerie for one--believe the death penalty gives too much power to the state. And executions have a corrupting effect on the public, encouraging citizens to take pleasure in someone's death. The death penalty is used against some people whose severe mental illness suggests limited moral responsibility (if any) for their crimes. It gives enormous publicity to others, notorious criminals who are terrible role models for youth. There's also the irony, maddening to murder victims' families, that condemned killers themselves achieve victim status. The talk offers these and many other reasons to oppose the death penalty.

Life and Labor in Prison as an Alternative

Some people support the death penalty more from fear than a desire for vengeance. They're afraid that if murderers are not executed, judges or parole boards eventually will release them, and they will kill again. This underlines the importance of a "real life sentence" for first-degree murder. That's not enough, though. Murderers should work in prison, for real wages. Their earnings should pay for their room and board and also pay financial reparations to the families whose loved ones they have killed. This can restore to families at least some of the financial support they lost when working members were killed; it may also restore a sense of justice. The talk will acknowledge problems in some prison-labor programs, but will suggest they can be overcome.

Eugenics and Population Control:

Eugenics and the Power Elite

Eugenics, the effort to breed "better" human beings, still has enormous influence on American society. Wealthy families and foundations moved it decades ago from academic theory to the practice of population control, which suppresses birthrates of minorities and poor people. Eugenicists also developed and promoted prenatal testing, which leads to the abortion of handicapped children. Eugenicists have influenced immigration policy, too, and many have supported euthanasia. Understanding eugenics influence on groups such as Planned Parenthood, the Population Council, the American Society of Human Genetics, and the National Academy of Sciences helps us understand today's headlines on many issues. This talk describes the elitist and anti-democratic nature of eugenics--and suggests ways to fight back.

Eugenics Triumphant in Prenatal Testing

One of the worst things eugenicists do is promote discrimination against people with disabilities. This talk will show how American Eugenics Society leaders and members pushed lethal discrimination when they spread prenatal testing and eugenic abortion. Many of them were early officers of the American Society of Human Genetics, and they had a deep and corrupting influence on that key professional group. They also pushed U.S. government agencies into research and promotion of the testing/abortion combination. Pregnancy is now an ordeal of anxiety, guilt and grief for many couples because medical professionals pressure them to abort children who have handicaps such as Down Syndrome. The talk will describe resistance to eugenic abortion and suggest how that resistance can be more effective.

What's Wrong with Population Control

Many people think population control is a humanitarian effort to improve living conditions and the environment. They don't understand the deep eugenics influence which led to programs that target poor people and minorities for population reduction. Much elite support for population control also comes from a desire to protect Western access to the natural resources of Third-World nations. This talk, based on intensive research in over 25 archives, will explain how eugenicists enlisted governmental power to advance their aims. It will describe how that power produced coercive population control in countries such as India, China, Indonesia, and Peru. It will ask: Why have many liberals done heavy lifting for eugenics-based population control? Why have conservatives, who are supposed to favor limited government, done the same?

Suicide and Euthanasia:

A Garden of Eden for Seniors

There's a widespread tendency to view nursing homes as bleak warehouses, or worse. Yet hundreds of facilities around the country show that it's possible to transform traditional nursing homes into real homes. Many are affiliated with the Eden Alternative. Eden care is resident-centered instead of schedule-centered. The Eden homes have a wealth of houseplants and flowers. Many have gardens where seniors help grow both flowers and vegetables. They have resident pets such as cats, dogs, parakeets, finches, cockatoos, guinea pigs, rabbits, and goldfish. They encourage interaction of seniors with children, sometimes by having a daycare center or summer camp right on the premises. Perhaps most important is the way they improve relations between residents and staff. Based on visits to several Eden homes, this talk will describe both the promise and the difficulties of change.

Graceful Exits

This talk, appropriate for a convention workshop, will stress the grace and courage with which some famous people have faced death. English artist Thomas Gainsborough, dying of cancer, achieved reconciliation with a professional rival. George Washington remembered to thank his doctors for their efforts to save him. Susan B. Anthony gave final messages of hope and courage to her suffragist followers. Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman went out with song. The late Chief Justice William Rehnquist, reserved and stoical in his battle with cancer, showed no sign of self-pity and worked to the end, dying with his boots on. All of these people gave real meaning to the phrase "death with dignity," and they gave good example to others. When the time comes, we should do the same.

Heading Euthanasia Off at the Pass

Early cowboy movies often showed the heroes' galloping their horses hard to head the bad guys off at the pass. Opponents of euthanasia can do the same thing--and many are riding hard right now. There are promising efforts against suicide in general, and some activists work across political and religious lines against doctor-assisted suicide and euthanasia. Some focus on public education, others on court cases or politics. Still others stress alternatives: better pain control, transformation of nursing homes, better hospice care, and more. This talk will describe such hopeful work and call for its extension. It will suggest practical ways to help family, friends, or neighbors cope with serious disability or terminal illness.

How to Outfox the Grim Reaper (Suicide Prevention)

This talk will describe a couple of dramatic and successful efforts by police officers to prevent suicide. It will stress that laypeople also can do much to help. As suicide-prevention expert Dr. Edwin Shneidman once wrote: "Each individual can be a lifesaver, a one-person committee to prevent suicide." Ideally, suicide prevention involves not just helping save the life at stake, but also helping make that life a better and happier one. The talk will explain how anyone can aid a friend, family member--or even a stranger--who is depressed and considering suicide. It also will outline promising work in Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, in which a therapist helps people build their own solutions for problems that have pushed them toward suicide.

Recapturing the Joy of Life

Contemporary culture often leads to a depressing view of life. But we don't have to accept the pre-packaged, glitzy, noisy, and wildly expensive lifestyles and entertainment that advertising presses upon us. We can build, instead, a culture that reflects the joy of life in art and architecture, literature, film, and song. Yet people with major disabilities often need special help in recapturing the joy of life. There are some excellent programs to help mental patients, new technology and independent-living programs for people with severe physical disability, and good respite programs to help overburdened family care-givers. There's also the "Eden Alternative," which brings the joy of life to nursing homes. These programs need more publicity and support so they will become the norm instead of the exception.

War:

Antiwar Conservatives Make a Strong Case

English writer Christopher Derrick said that war "tends to destroy everything that conservatives would wish to 'conserve' at the social, cultural, moral, and religious levels." Some conservatives add that war also piles up huge public debts and increases governmental power that should instead be reduced. Some make profound ethical arguments against specific wars and weapons of war. Rep. Ron Paul (R-Tex.), a conservative and libertarian, argues that a policy of non-intervention in other nations' affairs is right in principle and also serves our national interest. Our first president, the conservative George Washington, strongly urged us to stay out of the politics and wars of Europe. Had he thought it necessary, he undoubtedly would have warned us against intervention in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia as well. This talk will urge a return to Washington's wise and peaceful policy.

How Flag Worship Leads to War

We should question extreme forms of reverence for the U.S. flag, including pressure for everyone to say the Pledge of Allegiance. If we're going to take pledges, it would be better to pledge allegiance to the Constitution, or to one another. Too many politicians and military contractors use the flag and patriotism to support unjust wars. There's such pressure to follow the flag wherever it goes that many Americans support in practice wars they oppose in principle. Sorting through various forms of patriotism, this talk will recommend the one expressed by nineteenth-century Senator Carl Schurz: "Our country, right or wrong. When right, to be kept right; when wrong, to be put right." It also will challenge other cultural pressures toward war: war toys for children, television and film entertainment obsessed by violence, and historians' high rating for many of our "war presidents."

How Strategic Nonviolent Action Works

Nonviolent resistance to injustice has a long and honored place in U.S. and world history. It has proven successful in many cases, including the peaceful overthrow of governments in the Philippines and Eastern Europe in the 1980s. Dr. Gene Sharp, a scholar who has made a lifetime study of such resistance, advocates training people in the best techniques well before a coup or invasion. Techniques range from total non-cooperation, to massive rallies and marches, to boycotts and strikes, to urging occupying soldiers to refuse orders or desert. Some call such resistance "civilian-based defense"; Sharp calls it "strategic nonviolent action." He says one needn't be a pacifist to use it, since it builds on "people's capacity to be stubborn and cussed, and we're all good at that." This talk will describe Sharp's work and urge support for it as a practical alternative to war.

Just-War Standards and the Military Budget

It's much easier to judge violation of just-war standards after a war than in the heat of battle; but by then, of course, it's too late for the victims. To reduce the cruelty of war, we should apply just-war standards to the U.S. military budget during congressional appropriations hearings. Doesn't the use of firebombs, cluster bombs, and land mines violate the just-war ban on cruel and indiscriminate weapons? Perhaps we should invite some surviving victims of American air wars to come in their wheelchairs and testify about what these weapons have done to their lives. Let's look at our nuclear weapons, too, and reflect that the United States is the only country that has ever used such weapons (against Japanese civilians at the end of World War II). How can the use--or even the possession--of these weapons be approved under just-war standards?

Communicating Life Messages:

Changing Hearts and Minds

This talk gives many examples of how to touch hearts and change minds on life-or-death issues. It's essential to listen carefully to others so you'll understand where they're coming from. It's also important to stress principles and people they admire. A liberal may want to hear what the Feminists for Life have to say about abortion. A conservative may want to know why Richard Viguerie opposes the death penalty--and why some conservatives oppose war. Telling stories about the victims of violence can also have major impact. So can stories of former participants in violence who have turned around: combat veterans who are antiwar, ex-abortion workers now active in the pro-life movement, former governors who regret executions they let go forward. Good questions are also important. A key one is: "Wouldn't you prefer a nonviolent solution to the problem, if one can be found?"

How to Deal with the Media: Tips from a Journalist

Ideal for a convention workshop, this talk offers practical suggestions for press releases, press conferences, and other contacts with reporters. Based on years of experience in journalism, it describes ways to deal with media bias. But activists shouldn't have a chip on their shoulders about the media. They should assume that a reporter wants to be fair and accurate, unless experience proves otherwise. They should also understand reporters' deadlines and space limits and the way these affect coverage. And they should take advantage of letters to editors and op-ed pieces as ways of making their own reports and commentary. The talk also suggests ideas for the do-it-yourself media of web sites. A web site needs constant attention so it won't grow stale, but it's a great opportunity to reach out to the public and to keep volunteers involved.

Life or Death: Too Deep for Sound Bites?

Designed for journalism students, this will deal with media coverage of life-or-death issues. Often it is stereotyped and repetitive, and sometimes it's deeply biased. The talk will emphasize practical advice for putting more depth and fairness into coverage: Treat activists on both sides of these issues as real human beings, not cardboard stereotypes. Follow the money trail to find where pressures originate for and against death as a solution to various problems. (Be sure to report the key role of private foundations and think tanks.) Break out of the prison of left-right stereotypes; report on conservatives who oppose war or the death penalty and liberals who work against abortion or assisted suicide. Examine both the promise and the difficulties of nonviolent solutions they advocate: a non-interventionist foreign policy; life imprisonment as an alternative to the death penalty; the work of pregnancy care centers and adoption agencies; the "Eden Alternative" for nursing homes.

Winning Friends and Saving Lives

This talk will suggest many ways to win people over to the pro-life side on abortion. We can do this best by having a zest for life and a love for humanity--and by practicing what we preach. By listening to others in order to understand where they're coming from. By remembering the value of good questions...avoiding shrillness in language...stressing peaceful alternatives...telling true and hopeful stories about the outcome of hard cases. And by showing how the positive principles of our dialogue partners should lead to protection of human life. The talk will offer many specific examples. It also will deal with the hard question of whether to use graphic abortion photos in publications and protests.

Writing for Life

Many people are awed by the idea of writing for publication, thinking it requires unusual skill or special training. But anyone can learn how to write a good letter to the editor, or a good blogging comment, and then progress to writing op-ed pieces. This talk, by a longtime professional writer, will suggest some basic rules: Keep your letter or op-ed piece brief and to the point; avoid fancy words and jargon; avoid name-calling and personal attacks; be sure to double-check facts and quotes. It will stress the importance of positive pieces--telling the story of how a life was saved, or a war averted, or commending local people who are defending human life. The talk also will describe ways of breaking into free-lance writing for magazines and newspapers.

Links Among Life Issues:

Building a Culture of Life

This starts with teaching children (and other family members!) how to get along with one one another and resolve differences peaceably. Also important is discouraging the use of violence as entertainment for children and adults: war toys, violent video games, violent movies and television programs. Educational campaigns on alternatives to violence should use all media, new and old. They can cover everything from anger management and family counseling to pregnancy care centers, adoption, the Eden alternative for nursing homes, the principle of restitution, diplomacy, strategic nonviolent action, and more. This talk also will cover election and lobbying efforts to change our political culture. It will suggest economic pressures, such as boycotts and shareholder protests, against non-profit groups and corporations that support violence. And it will suggest ways to recruit more life advocates to activist roles.

How to Build a Culture of Life on Campus

This talk explains how students can use their course work to help themselves and others understand life issues: studying historical movements for social change and finding what similar movements today can learn from them; finding how economic pressures for violence can be reduced; studying the U.S. power structure. The talk recommends activist involvement, both on campus and off. It suggests "campus audits" to find: Is there enough support for pregnant and parenting students? Are nonviolent approaches covered well and fairly in history and foreign-policy courses? Does the campus library include the best books on life issues? Is the institution doing any death-dealing research (on embryonic stem cells, abortion, weapons, torture)? In choosing commencement speakers and honorary-degree recipients, is there an effort to find ones who defend life? The talk also suggests how students can make career choices that will help them defend life.

Let's Revisit the Consistency Ethic

The consistent ethic of life calls for across-the-board opposition to the taking of human life. Some 25 years ago, an early and activist version of it focused mainly on abortion, war, euthanasia, and the death penalty. But many advocates burdened the consistency ethic with too many other issues--everything from specific welfare programs to better schools. The list of consistency issues has grown so long that it's almost meaningless. This talk will urge a return to the "Big Four"--the sharp-edged issues of life or death: abortion, war, suicide and euthanasia, and the death penalty. It will contend that a short list can lead to better dialogue and more action. The key question should be: "What can we do to save the lives at stake today?"

Politicians and Life Issues

Some politicians claim to be personally opposed to abortion, yet publicly support it. Some have taken the same contradictory position on the death penalty, and Oregon's Sen. Ron Wyden has done it on doctor-assisted suicide. This talk will contrast such politicians with others whose personal and public positions are in harmony--and who have shown great courage on life issues. Examples include the twentieth-century anti-war leadership of Sen. Robert La Follette, Sr., of Wisconsin and Sen. Eugene McCarthy of Minnesota; today's anti-war leadership of Rep. Ron Paul of Texas and others; and the current anti-abortion leadership of Rep. Christopher Smith of New Jersey. The talk will highlight the importance of recruiting more candidates who have a deep commitment to the defense of human life. It will stress the importance of thanking, encouraging, and supporting brave political leaders.

What Can One Person Do?

There's so much violence and killing in the world that it's tempting for individuals to feel they cannot do much to stop it. Not so! This talk will feature individuals who are making a huge difference: An academic who has studied nonviolent direct action for a lifetime and who promotes it through writing and advising. An anti-death penalty activist who has a knack for media-friendly signs and for demonstrations that have a strong educational component. Three skilled writers who do exceptional work in defending the elderly and disabled from medical killing. A former business executive who runs a national network to help students and working women who face crisis pregnancies. The talk will suggest ways students can prepare themselves for similar work; how retirees can use their skills and experience to defend life; and how others can help in many specific ways.

Wouldn't You Prefer a Nonviolent Solution?

This talk stresses the great need for alternatives to violence. When others urge death as a solution for hard cases (or even easy ones), we should ask: "Do you know about all the sources of help? Do you know about X, Y and Z programs? And how might I help?" The talk emphasizes America's history as a can-do nation whose people find solutions for tough problems. It describes the Feminists for Life program to make campuses more friendly to pregnant and parenting students; the Nurturing Network; and the many pregnancy resource centers around the country. It explains successful efforts to transform nursing homes; programs that give hope and practical aid to people who have severe mental illness; and promising efforts in suicide prevention. It suggests life-labor-and-reparations in prison as an alternative to the death penalty. And it explores a restrained foreign policy and "strategic nonviolent action" as alternatives to war.