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The Pro-Life Campaign
Republicans have been promising to do away with abortion for decades, yet what have they done? George Bush and republicans held the White House, both houses of congress and the majority of Supreme Court from January 2000 to November 2006, yet what great changes did they make to lower abortions in this country? Despite all the GOP promises, abortion rates have not declined in the past eight years.
Instead of playing politics with abortion, what if there was a way where we could ensure a dramatic decrease in abortions?
Do you think if healthcare was available to all Americans that it might decrease abortions?
Do you think providing economic assistance to women to carry babies to term could actually reduce the number of abortions?
Do you think passing laws to ensure that women receive equal pay as men would lower the abortion rate or increase the abortion rate?
Do you think there's a possibility that in providing middle class families with tax breaks rather than tax breaks for the wealthy that it might have a slight impact on the abortion rate?
Do you think that making education a priority and making college affordable to all Americans might have a positive impact in decreasing the abortion rate?
Do you think that offering incentives and tax breaks to companies to remain in the States rather than providing tax breaks to companies that ship jobs overseas might help our economy and in turn, lower the abortion rate?
Do you think investing in after-school programs and childcare services might have a positive impact in reducing abortions?
We could go on and on. But the point is, if you're truly serious about saving the lives of the unborn, then we must get past the rhetoric of the culture wars that has done nothing but divide us as a nation. There are viable solutions that Barack Obama and the democratic party are offering that will in fact help dramatically reduce the abortion rate as we know it. I encourage you to contrast and compare the ideas and proposals being offered by Democrats and those being offered by Republicans. Then ask yourself, which party truly is pro-life?
Comments (6)
What you said! I was going to post something entitled "Betrayed," for just the reason you start out with, that the conservatives don't seem to ever get that they've been duped on this pro-life issue for how many years now? Abortion was first pushed as a wedge issue to peel traditional Democrats away from their party a long time ago and, yet, since then, other than it being a consistent litmus test or gotcha for candidates, what have the conservatives really done? As you so rightly point out, even during a period when they unquestionably had the power to overthrow Roe v. Wade, they simply didn't do it. And, yet, the saps who fell for it never asked why. And that's what I want to ask: Why? I can tell you right now that if I'd been promised that a candidate and a party were going to pursue a moral issue of mine and they just didn't do it when they had the votes and the control, I'd be mad as hell. So why are they still falling for it?
August 17, 2008 7:34 AM | Reply | Permalink
The problem is that for hard-core pro-lifers, this is not just about abortion - it is about people having sex, period. That is why, in many cases, they are against any sort of contraception whether it is considered an abortofacient or not.
I don't want to hear one more question about abortion to the candidates; instead, I want someone to ask McCain about birth control and whether he supports Griswold v. Conn. Let him announce to the world that he is willing to support supreme court justices that will judge that you do not have a right to take birth control pills or use condoms.
August 17, 2008 8:51 AM | Reply | Permalink
I have long believed that it is simply cynical. Get the church people all fired up about something that is EVIL and let them know that you're on their side. Make it such a huge EVIL that it blots out any other considerations, such as the economy, and then rake the suckers into your tent. I have occasionally asked a pro-life friend, "Aren't you a little bit upset that your guys haven't overturned Roe v. Wade?" They simply get this confused look in their eyes and talk vaguely about how they're trying very hard to do that, but the liberals won't let it happen. I know that deep down they have to know they've been snookered. Isn't it time that we pointed that out in BIG BOLD LETTERS?
August 17, 2008 9:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
It is about people being cynical, but a slightly different group. The powers that be in the GOP are now and always have been big business. The GOP has played the religious right for suckers for decades now. They occasionally give the religious right some sort of symbolic victory, but nothing really of substance, since that might destroy a wedge issue to align them with. David Kuo's comments about how the higher-ups in the White House privately joked about the religious fruitcakes demonstrate how the powers in the GOP really feel about evangelicals: nothing more than useful idiots.
August 17, 2008 10:29 AM | Reply | Permalink
You provided me with a different thought. I guess you're right! If they ever gave them what they think they want, they'd lose their power over them. Hmm, thanks.
August 17, 2008 10:49 AM | Reply | Permalink
Democrats should stop wasting time with the far right evengelicals and try to increase their numbers with Catholics. If the Democrats still had an authentic commitment to social justice and had the capacity to articulate just war philosophy they'd have a lot better chance of getting heard in many Catholic churhes (though I'm afraid some suburban Catholic mega-churches aren't much different from their hypocritical Protestant counterparts. Both preach the "Jesus came to save the rich" theology, it being ever so popular with their congregations).
August 17, 2008 11:06 AM | Reply | Permalink
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