If there is one response to a question made by reporters and politicians alike that sets my teeth on edge it is "Now that's a very good question!" I find that the only reason the questioner is being complimented is because the person who is being queried has a stock answer for that question in his or her hip pocket.
The very good questions are rarely if ever asked during political campaigns. My very good question for today follows: Why do skilled reporters fail to ask the follow-up questions of candidates that seem so necessary? At least they do seem necessary to me.
Every GOP candidate denies a woman's right to choose - they would place such restrictions on the termination of a pregnancy that most women would be obliged to carry a child to full term, and failing to place the child for adoption they will raise the child - usually alone and in poverty.
There is a hypothesis that unwanted children born to single mothers into poverty are more likely to commit crimes. The follow up question that the right to life candidates are never asked by their interrogators is "How are you planning to help these women once the child is born?
Other than a crib from Goodwill and a packet of pampers do you have a program that can serve them and their progeny - free hospital for the birth? free day care? - free infant health care? Counseling for single parents? Tuition or subsides for the parent so that the woman can complete a high school education? Job placement for the mother?"
The list of expenses that comes with supporting a child is enormous - only these holier than thou fakers are unwilling to give a cent to help the mother or the child once the child has come out to face the world.
All their so-called religious zeal - their pledge to honor life - is so limited to life inside the womb that they dishonor the word life - and the reporters who fail to come up with the right followup questions are truly conspirators in this bullshit.
Honoring life is caring for the living - be that the poor mother or the child. If the reporters could only get their brains away from Mexican walls and getting rid of ISIS in a weekend - other "never to happen" events, and focus on the everyday lives of everyday people we might force them to think about the consequences of their words and their policies. But to do so we need a probing, intelligent, and courageous press - long MIA. We need reporters without borders.