The Party of Death: The Democrats, the Media, the Courts, and the Disregard for Human Life

~The Party of Death: The Democrats, the Media, the Courts and the Disregard for Human Life~ is a well-written assessment of a culture that has diminished respect for the sanctity of life. Ramesh Ponnuru, a journalist with the National Review, offers an erudite analysis of right to life and bioethics issues. He counters the political rhetoric of the Left and those who diminish the sanctity of life, and peels off the veneer of mythology surrounding abortion rights since the U.S. Supreme Court fabricated its legality in 1973 as a "constitutional right." The dubious notions surrounding the legitimacy of abortion have nurtured a lethargy that has led to the diminishment for the respect of life in general. It is no understatement to say that infanticide is a slippery slope to toleration for euthanasia of the elderly. Forced euthanasia is already rearing its ugly head in Europe, and the United States might be entertaining it soon. Ponnuru takes issue with the arbitrary distinctions of life which are made the pro-abortion crowd. Furthermore, he probes into the murky issue of the ethics of embroyonic stem cell research. Ponnuru makes a stellar case against the utilization of leftover embroyonic stem cell for medical research. The closing section entitled the "party of death" includes not just pro-abortion Democrats, but all those partisans, media gurus, and scientists who have contributed to the lethargic culture that diminshes respect for the sanctity of human life and the basic dignity of human beings, through their crude culture of death.

It still shocks me people will actually bash a book without reading, or reading the title and 1.5 pages and calling that reading it. Ponnuru's writing style is very calm and concise, bringing some sanity to the table mostly dominated by people who scream "Extremist!" at the other side all day. While I don't entirely agree with his views, especially on stem cell research, I found them logically and politely expressed. Overall, this is an excellent read for understanding one version of the "consistent life ethic," and in completely secular language.

A QUCIK NOTE: I read and review books that are on both sides of the political spectrum but a disturbing trend has shown up. If a book appears to be right of center it will be assailed with many 1 star reviews that the reviews obviously have not read the book, they will use ad hominem attacks and incivilities in their reviews. While there are some on the left-of-center books they in no way match the amount you will find on the opposite side. This book unfortunately is no different. So just to set the record straight here are some simple facts 1) The Party of Death does not refer to the Democratic Party it simply refers to any person right or left who favors abortion and the logical siblings of euthanasia and research on embryos. 2) The book uses ZERO, NADA, ZILCH, NONE, NOT-A ONE theological arguments. 3) The author painstakingly shows abortion from the women's point of view. 4) The author shows very clearly and concisely the difference between killing in war, capital punishment and abortion. He does not endorse wars or capital punishment but shows the arguments that try to link Abortion to those are absurdly fallacious. THE REVIEW When I was a left winger I too reflexively supported Abortion. That was my party's position and I had heard all of the talking points to replete blindly without thought. Than something happened I became aware of the fact that many of the cherished ideologies that I was holding didn't seem to fit the facts. I began to question certain ideas and was immediately told by the higher ups in these left-wing organizations to not think about the subjects. There were those with more intelligence and ability that have already thought for me. This condescension started me on a path of pondering and fact checking. The more I researched my leftist's dogmatic ideals the more trouble I had reconciling what I had been told to what was the truth. This is one of those books that if you are truly searching with an open mind you will be blown away with. The author has used logic and reason and NOT one theological argument against abortion. The argument is straightforward. If human beings have intrinsic dignity and worth, then they have this dignity and worth simply because they are human beings. It follows that all human beings have this dignity and worth. They are equal in the fundamental rights that attach to being human. The flip side is that if you believe in abortion than the notion that all human beings are created equal becomes a self-evident lie. The author goes on to show how Roe v. Wade is almost unanimously thought of as a legally incompetent decision. It circumvented the normal democratic policy making. But in the much deeper sense" It violates the principle of human equality that is the basis for democratic self-government, and specifically for American democracy. This book is very accessible for those who wish to view the arguments against abortion. The logic is clear, concise and thought-provoking. I highly sugg

Given the nature of the abortion issue, and the emotions evoked on both sides, it is nearly impossible to have a reasoned, objective discussion or debate. Ramesh Ponnuru succeeds in presenting the reasoned, objective arguments in behalf of the pro-life side. The book is devoid of so many of the emotion-based arguments and instead takes a more cerebral look at abortion and how the intellectual basis supporting it ultimately leads to other ends such as euthanasia and infanticide. Ponnuru's book lays the case for opposing abortion. Ultimately, I think that presents a challenge to those on the pro-choice side. Rather than responding with incendiary rhetoric and character assassination, Ponnuru's book should serve as a challenge to the pro-choice side to produce equally objective, reasoned and dispassionate arguments in favor of abortion, euthanasia and infanticide. Can it be done? I disagree with the choice of title for the book. It does detract from the well-written and well-presented content. Nevertheless, beyond the title, the book succeeds and is a must read for pro-life supporters to understand the objective rationale for their positions, and also for pro-choice supporters to truly understand the pro-life view and to enable them, if possible, to respond in kind.

This is an excellent exposition of the argument against abortion and related right-to-life issues. If you hold similar views on abortion then this book will be a welcome addition to the debate and may help clarify some of your thinking on the subject. It may also introduce some new information on the broader impact on society that you may not have thought about before. For those that accept abortion as a valid choice, this will help you at least understand the alternative point of view. For those with a truly open mind I hope that it helps you understand the destructiveness of abortion and the culture of death. Concerning many of the reviews panning the book. It seems most are based on the Author's appearance on the Daily Show or preconceived ideas rather than a reading of the book. Please remember that the Daily Show appears on the Comedy Channel. Also, a short interview on a TV show where the host has no interest in truly understanding the author's points is no basis for a review. Along the same lines, keep in mind when evaluating these reviews that none of the negative reviews even attempt to offer examples of poor writing or weak arguments. I suspect, based on the nature of thier comments, that there are 2 reasons for this; most haven't read the book and those that have read it come with such a closed mind that they can't even understand the points being made.