Being offended by the right things

As a follow up to my last post take time to read Erik Raymond’s thoughts about Michael Vick. He wonders what is wrong with a culture that is more scandalized by the death of some dogs than it is by over one million abortions each year.

Why is it that abortion is relegated to a controversial taboo and Vick’s dog fighting is not? Why are we united in condemning Vick and not condemning abortion? Why is our flame of righteousness burn so bright in the face of Vick but is flickering in the face of 50 million abortions? What is wrong with the American conscience?

There are lots of things in common between the two issues. In both cases you have the willful disregard for life, the deaths are both accomplished by humans, there is plenty of merciless brutality toward the victim, and there is a self-sovereign decision to end the life.

However, there is one significant difference: you get time in a federal prison for killing dogs but you get federal funding for killing babies.