Pro-life ... or pro-birth?

Catholic nun, Sister Joan Chittister, explained that being anti-abortion does not mean you are pro-life:  "I do not believe that just because you're opposed to abortion that that makes you pro-life. In fact, I think in many cases, your morality is deeply lacking if all you want is a child born but not a child fed, not a child educated, not a child housed. And why would I think that you don't? Because you don't want any tax money to go there. That's not pro-life. That's pro-birth."

So here's the test.  Are you really pro-life?  Let's find out, shall we? A recent report by the  National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine estimates that in 2015, 9.6 million children in America — or 13 percent — lived in poverty. Two million of those children were in "deep poverty," which means their families had resources that fell below half the poverty line.

The group says we ALL pay the price when these children remain in poverty.  The cost to the  U.S. is between $800 billion and $1.1 trillion a year, due to lower productivity when poor children become adults and increased costs due to higher crime and poor health. 

This group also says we could cut childhood poverty in half over the next ten years ... but there will be a cost - at least $90 billion a year.  Whoa!  That much money?  Well ... the cost of not doing anything is higher!

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine says we could do much to fix the problem by implementing various  combinations of ideas including expanding existing programs, increasing tax credits for families, adding jobs programs, and raising the minimum wage.  There are other ideas and working to find the right combination is the key.  But the panel says it can be done if we are willing to pay for it.

And there's the rub.  Are you willing to have some of your tax money go toward reducing childhood poverty?  As the report indicated, you will be paying one way or the other. 

So, what's your answer?  Are you actually pro-life and are willing to see that children are fed, housed and educated?  

Or are you simply pro-birth?