The GOP’s inconsistencies, contradictions and disconnects

The U.S. Capitol on March 9. (Al Drago/Bloomberg News)

Regarding the June 12 Outlook article “Gun-control activists can learn from Roe opponents”:

I have always had trouble understanding the contradictions and disconnects among some of the core beliefs held by the majority of Republicans and those who call themselves political conservatives. How can one call oneself “pro-life,” protective of the rights of the unborn child, and at the same time stand against gun control when recent statistics show that “in 2020, firearm-related injuries became the leading cause of death … among children and adolescents, defined as persons 1 to 19 years of age”?

How can conservatives truly believe in limiting the power of government for the minority (40 percent) of Americans who say they own guns, while demanding a strict overreach of government where the rights of a majority of Americans — women (50.8 percent of the population, according to the Census Bureau) — to control their own bodies are concerned? How can conservatives demand that women carry through with an unintended, unwanted pregnancy or a pregnancy that might pose risk to health or financial well-being, yet consistently vote against social programs that address the disparities in health care and economics that might help all women raise a child to a healthy and stable future? How can Republicans and conservatives justify these inconsistencies, contradictions and disconnects?

Jeannie Parker, Clarksburg