It's True: Bush Proclaims Sunday "National Sanctity of Human Life Day"

I swear, I'm not making this up.

In a formal White House proclamation issued Friday, George W. Bush declared January 21 National Sanctity of Human Life Day, 2007.

"America was founded on the principle that we are all endowed by our Creator with the right to life and that every individual has dignity and worth," reads the stirring proclamation. "National Sanctity of Human Life Day helps foster a culture of life and reinforces our commitment to building a compassionate society that respects the value of every human being."

And here's the real kicker: "Among the most basic duties of Government is to defend the unalienable right to life, and my Administration is committed to protecting our society's most vulnerable members," says the hypocritical statement.

Bush then goes on to brag about all the steps his administration has taken to promote his famed "culture of life" saying "we are helping to make our country a more hopeful place."

Naturally, this doesn’t take into account the many safety-net programs that have suffered under the Bush administration or that his party has blockaded a minimum wage increase for the last 10 years. What about so many elderly and disabled who have had to do without home heating assistance with Bush's crew running the Congress?

I guess there's also no point in talking about the fact that, since Bush became president, almost eight million more Americans have no medical coverage of any kind or that his refusal to even acknowledge a health care crisis has left millions of elderly Americans and children with no ability to stay healthy. But, hey, once that little cell becomes a child, the GOP's obligation to care seems to cease, doesn’t it?

But on he goes…

"National Sanctity of Human Life Day serves as a reminder that we must value human life in all forms, not just those considered healthy, wanted, or convenient. Together, we can work toward a day when the dignity and humanity of every person is respected."

And, of course, the saddest and most profound hypocrisy is that Bush's little proclamation comes too late for the 3,030 U.S. military dead in Iraq, the thousands of troops who have come home maimed and bearing the scars of Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome or the untold number of Iraqis killed in the name of Bush's life-affirming effort in Iraq.

"I call upon all Americans to recognize this day with appropriate ceremonies and to underscore our commitment to respecting and protecting the life and dignity of every human being," Bush's proclamation ends.

I call upon this sorry excuse for a president to quit issuing proclamations.