Using the long-debunked Planned Parenthood videos that were heavily edited to  show  the  sale  of fetal tissue, House Republicans have decided that if they can t punish PP, they would terrorize researchers instead:WASHINGTON   A special House committee empaneled to investigate fetal tissue research is preparing to issue 17 subpoenas to medical supply companies and laboratories, seeking the names of researchers, graduate students, laboratory technicians and administrative personnel.The House investigation into how some of the nation s most prestigious universities acquire fetal tissue has prompted charges of intimidation and coercion, escalating a battle that some researchers fear could shut down studies seeking cures for Parkinson s disease, the Zika virus and a host of other conditions.Republicans know full well that the donation of aborted fetal tissue is perfectly legal and vitally necessary to life-saving research. But this is an election year, so they re willfully putting that same life-saving research in jeopardy just to feed red meat to their idiot base.If you listen carefully, you can already hear the so-called  pro-life  movement flexing their fingers, ready to start typing death threats to any researchers that have their names revealed. But don t call them  domestic terrorists!  They re just using fear and violence to get their way.Keep in mind, these researchers are literally saving millions of lives by curing diseases and discovering ways to fix traumatic damage to the human body. But once their names are forced into the public square, they will be called  murderers  and  monsters  by people who think the height of morality is screaming at teenage girls trying to get rid of their rapist s fetus.Even worse, if Republicans get their way, it s only a matter of time until some crazed, but somehow still  responsible,  gun owner goes on a rampage and shoots up a research facility to  save the murdered babies  or some such stupidity. Or maybe someone will just set the lab on fire. Or try to blow it up. The fact that they could be killing the person that cures cancer or destroying the research that could have ended birth defects won t even occur to them.This kind of short-term irresponsibility is all Republicans know how to do anymore. Exposing these people s names to the violent pro-life movement is a recipe for disaster but a surefire way to get votes. But it s not like they ll ever accept responsibility for the consequences, anyway.Featured image via AI archives