The Flagrant Hypocrisy of George W. Bush (7/20/2004)

President George W. Bush is a flagrant model of hypocrisy. Saying one thing but doing another is his presidency's hallmark. There are his call to support the troops yet sending them off, without proper equipment, to a war built on lies; his stated concern for veterans while he slashes their benefits; his charge that no child be left behind, then his cuts of education funds. The list goes on. His recent claim that he protects fetuses is blatantly contradicted by his environmental policies.

To begin with, Bush loudly proclaims that he cares about the unborn. On April 4th, he signed into law the Unborn Victims of Violence Act. This law provides that any person who causes death or injury to a child in the womb shall be charged with a separate offense, in addition to any charges relating to the mother. At the signing ceremony, Bush said, "Any time an expectant mother is a victim of violence, two lives are in the balance, each deserving protection, and each deserving justice. The moral concern of humanity extends to those unborn children who are harmed or killed in crimes against their mothers."

Now flash back to last year. Despite overwhelming evidence that mercury emissions spewing from coal-fired power plants are extremely toxic, Bush's Environmental Protection Agency proposed minimal restrictions on old power plants. The mercury produced by burning coal is emitted as a vapor into the air; dangerous levels of it have also been found in fish. This February, the EPA admitted that the threat of mercury fallout is even greater than they thought. What has this got to do with protecting the unborn? Plenty. The EPA estimated that more than 15% of American children could be at risk of brain damage and learning difficulties because of mercury exposure in the womb. The EPA further reported that children of women exposed to relatively high levels of mercury during pregnancy have shown delayed onset of walking and talking, nerve damage and even instances of cerebral palsy.

But toxic mercury is not the only danger the unborn and children face. Bush's EPA also has been lax in enforcing water quality rules. Lead in the water can harm children's developing brains, and health officials warn pregnant and nursing mothers to avoid drinking tap water with high lead levels. Lead is also dangerous to adults and has been linked to strokes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and cancer. An April 12 Chicago Tribune story, "Lead in water fosters worry in Washington," points out that lead levels in Washington DC water far exceeded safe levels and that the EPA knew more about the problem than they initially told the public. One mother, who has three children and was drinking this water while pregnant and nursing, said she regretted moving her family to DC and putting them at risk.

A Los Angeles Times article on the Bush administration's disregard for our environment states: "EPA staffers say they were told not to undertake the normal scientific and economic studies called for under a standing executive order...EPA veterans say they cannot recall another instance where the agency's technical experts were cut out of developing a major regulatory proposal." Economist Paul Krugman aptly calls this corruption of the policy process. We've seen Bush political appointees come in with a predetermined agenda while technical experts, who might present information their superiors don't want to hear, are muzzled. Non-governmental scientists have weighed in, though, flooding the EPA with demands for strong mercury emission controls.

So while Bush pretends to care about the unborn, pregnant women, nursing mothers and children, he deviously tries to allow environmental poisoning of fetuses and pregnant women. One day, one of these women, and/or her children who suffer from this violence, will sue Bush and his polluters, under the terms of the Unborn Victims of Violence Act. After all, it's difficult for pregnant women to avoid breathing poisoned air and drinking contaminated water, and don't they deserve the protection and justice that Bush promised?

- Judith Kohler

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