"SOCIAL INJUSTICE" UNDER CLINTON/GORE--AND HOW TO END IT

We are all used to it by now: The elections roll around, and commentaries appear everywhere, telling us that "the right-to-life issue is just one of many issues" on a long "social justice" menu. This is a transparent ploy to provide cover for " progressive" pro-abortion candidates who like to wrap themselves in the mantle of "social justice"--from which they conveniently exclude the "unalienable right to life."

This election year is no exception, and, as always, the argument is fundamentally wrong. There is no nice way of saying this: Denying the elementary fact that the right to life is the fundamental human right--without which no other rights can be enjoyed--sinks to the level of willful moral, philosophical, and theological confusion. That this argument is mindlessly repeated every election cycle is only an indication that pro-abortion " progressives" don't mind appearing irrational if they see a chance of taking the right-to-life issue "off the table."

This time, though, the phony campaign is particularly offensive--given the disastrous record of social injustice under the Clinton/Gore Administration. Since it is candidate Gore (and others like him) whom this rhetoric is intended to help, let's look at the Clinton/Gore record and Gore's policies.

* The Clinton/Gore Administra-tion promised to make abortion " rare"--and on its third day in office issued executive orders overturning the pro-life directives of the Reagan/Bush Administrations, thus making abortions easier to obtain and putting the Administration on a course of promoting abortion worldwide. (The last fallout from these first executive orders occurred just last month when the FDA approved the abortion drug RU486.) How does it serve the cause of social justice to make it easier to kill unborn babies? Isn't the point of social justice to protect the weak and the vulnerable? To treat them justly? To let them enjoy the "unalienable rights" with which "the Creator endowed" them? Not in the world of Bill Clinton, Al Gore, and Joe Lieberman. In their world every child must be "a wanted child"--or else.

* Remember the Clinton/Gore Administration's health care "reform" plan? On the one hand, abortion on demand was to be provided and paid for by federal edict. On the other hand, health care was to be rationed for the old and the dying and the disabled because, as Hillary Clinton testified before Congress, "treatment that was not appropriate--[would] not enhance the quality of life" was to be denied. Some forms of therapy were to be limited to 60 days in case of illness or injury, unless "function [was] improving." Note that congenital disabilities are neither "injuries" nor " illnesses." Obviously, staying alive even when function was not improving and when the "quality of life" was not to the Clintons' liking was not part of Clinton/Gore-style "social justice."

The Clinton/Gore health care "reform" was defeated because the public realized that it would "mainstream" abortion on demand as " ordinary" health care and ultimately lead to officially sanctioned infanticide and involuntary euthan-asia by rationing care.

* Killing of the vulnerable and defenseless because they are inconvenient or cost money, apparently, is part of Al Gore's pledge to "fight for working families." Let's look at some examples of Gore-ish social "justice." Gore considers physician-assisted suicide a matter that should be "left to the family in consultation with the physician" (MSNBC web site, June 15, 2000). Let's remember that it was the Clinton/Gore Administration that gave Oregon the green light for rationing health care to the poor. And now physician-assisted suicide is an approved medical "benefit" under Oregon's health care system for the indigent.

Al Gore also opposes the Pain Relief Promotion Act (pending in Congress) which would protect physicians from regulatory harassment when they prescribe controlled drugs in dosages appropriate for good pain management. Why does Gore oppose it? Because the law would prohibit doctors from using such drugs in physician-assisted suicide (MSNBC web site, June 15, 2000).

Al Gore supports federal funding of research that kills human embryos--even though there is a law against it.

Al Gore opposes any restraints on abortion on demand. Partial- birth abortions? Al Gore is absolutely against banning them because it would interfere with a "woman's right to choose."

Executing a pregnant woman condemned to death? Al Gore has no problem with that. When NBC correspondent Tim Russert asked Gore about it on Meet the Press, Gore said, "I want to think about that." Al Gore thought about it and a day later announced that " the woman's right to choose governs in that case." This is a particularly chilling expression of Gore-style social "justice."

Exporting abortion on demand to foreign countries? Al Gore was the Administration's point man on pushing it on countries receiving foreign aid from the Unites States. That's spreading the benefits of Gore-style social "justice" around the world.

* Al Gore is at his most cynical when it comes to Medicare. Last year the National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare was ready to accept a plan by Senator John Breaux (D- La.) that would have allowed older Americans to protect themselves from rationing. An administration truly committed to social justice would have jumped at the opportunity to improve Medicare. Not the Clinton/Gore Administration. It withheld its support, causing enough Democratic commission members to object to the plan so that it fell short of the required two-thirds majority.

Obviously, rather than fixing Medicare, Bill Clinton and Al Gore wanted to prolong the troubles of Medicare so that they would have an election issue this year.

Senators Breaux and Bill Frist (R-Tn.) have introduced a bill, endorsed by NRLC, that would allow older Americans, if they wish, to add their own money to government payments so as to be able to get unmanaged, unrationed insurance. Its basic thrust has been endorsed by Governor Bush, but Al Gore has vehemently rejected it--insisting on preventing senior citizens from using their own money to save their own lives. The Gore alternative would result in rationing and denial of lifesaving medical treatment to many retiring baby-boomers.

There is a straightforward way of putting an end to Clinton/Gore- style social injustice. Elect to the presidency a man who would, in fact, work for true social justice, and that man is Governor George W. Bush.

Paid for by the NRL Political Action Committee. Not Authorized by any candidate.