Mike Huckabee appeared on The Daily Show last week to discuss the touchy subject of abortion, and Stewart brought out what I find most annoying about the pro-life argument.

The pro-life side often argues that we must outlaw abortion because we must treat all life as precious (Huckabee did this in that same tone of voice with which one might gently scold a wayward child, maximizing the irritation factor).  Stewart countered (correctly) that this is a divisive argument, because what is left unsaid (except by the more dickish pro-life proponents) is the implied accusation that the pro-choice side has no understanding of the value of life - that they are essentially sociopathic.

Many pro-life people may actually believe that, and to them I would say… well… nothing.  Because one thing I’ve learned in life is to avoid conversing with zealots.

But to anyone willing to listen instead of preach, I would say this is at best insulting and at worst hypocritical.  It’s insulting because the pro-choice side is clearly not arguing to trivialize the meaning of life, and it’s hypocritical because, if the assertion is that all life is precious, the pro-life side should consist of an army of pacifist vegans that oppose the death penalty.

I can understand drawing an equivalence between laws against murder and laws against abortion - that’s an argument that makes sense.  But to turn what should be a purely legal argument into an ethical debate over the value of life doesn’t jibe with my understanding of the role of government.  Morality should be an argument for philosophers and clergy, not government bureaucrats.