correction: In reading a transcript of the hearings, I see that Senator Coburn's statement referred to sixteen days post conception, not six days. I still believe his statement to be incorrect. In addition to this incorrect information, I noted something else in the transcript that hadn't picked up on originally. This direct quote from the transcript portrays his lack of ethics and medical knowledge: "You know, how is it that we have sodomy protected under that due process but prostitution unprotected? It's schizophrenic. And the reason it's schizophrenic is there's no foundation for it whatsoever other than a falsely created foundation that is in error." Apparently, he has no knowledge of schizophrenia, and even less respect for the approximately 2.2 million Americans who carry the diagnosis.
Alito’s Selective Memory
I’ve suffered what feels like a thousand hours of the Samuel Alito sideshow and abortion soapbox now, even though his selective memory in early hours told me all I need to know. How is it he can remember the names, dates, and details of cases spoon-fed him by members of the Republican party but he can’t, after admittedly racking his brain, remember belonging to that college club he listed on his job application at age thirty-five? He’s sure he must have belonged to the club since he listed it, but can’t remember any active involvement, whether or not he maintained membership after graduation, or anything about the club.
In my opinion, he put himself in a lose-lose position. I’ll take his word for it; if he listed the club on his application, then I believe he belonged. To have listed it otherwise would suggest he lied in order to impress the Reagan administration he obviously believed supported such clubs. Yes, I’ll gladly believe he belonged to the club, he touted the college club twelve years later to show his willingness to brown-nose the administration, and his character is such that he’ll say or do anything necessary to make himself acceptable to the administration. That’s all I need to know about the man to disqualify him in my opinion.
But there’s more. So much more. He lost his perfect composure when asked if his cronies had prompted him during the mock trials over the last few months. To his credit, I took his squirm to mean lying was very uncomfortable for him, and admit he did an excellent job of covering the question without vocalizing the lie his body language spoke for him. Poor guy. None of that was necessary since his Republican questioners had already told the lie for him. Their carefully scripted monologues followed by yes or no questions, and lead-ins for him to present the right cases were obvious to anyone looking for the truth.
Do they truly believe we are swayed by the opinions of this man’s friends? We all have friends or cronies willing to vouch for our integrity. Are we supposed to be impressed by his middle-class upbringing in an immigrant family? I know middle-class people and people who have moved here from other countries in recent years who would sell their soul to the highest bidder and spit on the next immigrant to cross the border. Why the red herrings instead of honest questions and dialogue?
Will Americans demand honesty from these guys? When will we call Tom Coburn to task for his inaccurate diatribe on abortion in place of an opening statement? Incorrect medical information delivered to the public should require a public apology accompanied by the correct information. On day six of a pregnancy, the egg is still waiting for sperm. It’s a menstrual period waiting to happen since pregnancy isn’t confirmed until week six. His statements about day six were totally inaccurate and the public deserves justice for his harmful attack on truth.
Furthermore, we deserve an apology from all those who presented their religious opinions during this hearing. Since there is no medical evidence confirming when the soul enters the body, abortion is strictly a religious opinion and we should be spared discussion of anything other than the legal rights of each person to choose religious beliefs and medical treatments.
It’s obvious to me Samuel Alito’s intended purpose is to further the conservative agenda. What he hasn’t said tells me more than what he has said. And I can’t help but wonder who his intended audience is when he keeps repeating his ‘open mind and ability to change his mind’ message.
Sandy Knauer
