If This Is ‘Pro-Life,’ Count Me Out

Joni Ernst and the Death of Compassion

After hearing what Senator Joni Ernst said at a recent town hall, I felt a fire in my belly and knew I had to write. This came fast and hot. If it resonates with you, please share and comment.

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Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) was recently asked during a town hall how she felt about concerns that Medicaid cuts could lead to unnecessary deaths. Her response?
“We’re all going to die.”

It was flippant, cruel, and beneath the dignity of public service. More than that—it revealed just how far removed some leaders are from the people they’re meant to serve.

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I Dare You

I dare you, Senator Ernst.

I dare you to walk into St. Jude’s and say “We’re all going to die” to a child fighting for their life.

I dare you to say it to a Holocaust survivor whose very existence is a daily act of defiance.

I dare you to stand at the bedside of a veteran with war-torn lungs and say their sacrifice was irrelevant.

I dare you to spit it at an EMT pulling a bleeding stranger from a car wreck.

I dare you to say it to the nurse holding someone’s hand as they take their final breath.

I dare you to look a grieving mother in the eye—the one burying her son because he couldn’t afford insulin—and tell her it doesn’t matter.

I dare you to say it to the hospice worker who treats the dying with dignity, not dismissal.

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Mocking Death Is Not a Policy.

We all know we’re going to die. That’s not wisdom—it’s apathy.

And apathy isn’t leadership. It’s cowardice—the language of someone so comfortable in their seat of power, they’ve forgotten their job is to serve us.

Obviously, we can’t stop death. But we can stop needless suffering.

We can stop children dying from preventable illness.

We can stop veterans from taking their own lives because the system failed them.

We can stop pretending that empathy is weakness—and start acting like it’s the bare minimum.

So, Senator Ernst—ask yourself: What would Jesus do?
I guarantee you; he wouldn’t dismiss suffering with a shrug and a soundbite.

You claim to follow Christ. But if Jesus walked into that room, I promise you—he wouldn’t have smirked and said, “We’re all going to die.”
He would’ve listened. He would’ve healed. He would’ve cared.

Your words weren’t leadership.
They weren’t faith.
They were contempt dressed as certainty.

When leaders mock the value of life, it’s not just bad policy—it’s moral rot.
This isn’t about political differences. It’s about moral clarity.

What happened to the days when our representatives actually listened to their constituents—all of them, not just the ones who voted for them?
When leaders didn’t mock us, but paused, reflected, and considered the concerns brought before them with humility and care?

If our leaders can’t see the value in protecting the most vulnerable among us, then maybe they’re the ones who don’t deserve a seat at our table.

The real sin here would be abandoning people while they’re still alive.

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Let Your Voice Be Heard

If Senator Ernst represents you—or if you believe elected officials should be held to higher standards of empathy and accountability—you can contact her office:

📞 Phone: (202) 224-3254
📬 Mail: 730 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510
💻 Online contact form: https://www.ernst.senate.gov/contact

You have the right to speak up. Let your voice be heard.

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