Which can even be done in the American League for any relatively light hitting player in a situation where runs are needed. The pitcher isn't the only light hitter in the line up. A slick fielding shortstop who bats .230 or .240 with a half dozen homers per season may also be removed for a pinch hitter in a critical situation where run scoring opportunities are present.
Many pitchers know how to bunt. It's a way they can help their own cause and it's easier to learn than power hitting when one doesn't have the tools to do it.
You are, sir, greatly exaggerating a typical pitcher's lack of skill at the plate. Just as not every pitcher is Babe Ruth (he was a pitcher and a damned good one, remember?) not every pitcher is Ron Herbel, who came up with the Giants in the mid-sixties and had a lifetime batting average in eight seasons of .029 (6-for-206, 2 doubles (wow!) and 3 RBIs).
Hitting for the pitcher is very much a strategic decision. Batting for the pitcher means that the pitcher is removed from the game. Did you American League fans forget that? It is not a decision to be taken as lightly as you make it out to be.
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