How Do You Define Murder?

Today President Bush exercised his veto stamp for the first time since he took office to reject a bill which would allow federal funding for stem cell research.

President Bush believes as many other Christians and most Catholics that life begins at conception. Tony Snow took the rhetoric up a notch during a press conference yesterday when, while refering to President Bush's position, he said “The simple answer is he thinks murder is wrong.”

Many pro-lifers, I am sure were thankful that he phrased it this way. I am too, but I just couldn’t help but take the comment out of context and apply it elsewhere. It was then that so many questions came to mind.

Is it murder to execute prisoners even after we have removed them from society?

Is it murder to bomb civilian neighborhoods if we refer to the civilian casualties as “collateral damage”?

Is it murder to lay siege to a city or a country through the use of sanctions knowing that the lack of medicine and food will result in the death of thousands of children?

Is it murder to bomb water treatment plants cutting off the supply of fresh water and sanitation to civilian populations?

Is it murder to refuse to intervene in genocide?

Is it murder to allow manufacturing and power plants to pollute the air and shorten the lifespan of children who live in the shadows of the stacks?

Is it murder to send troops into a preemptive war?

I guess it all depends upon how you define murder.