Does Abortion Matter in Politics Anymore?

In roughly 48 hours I will step into a small booth in a little library and cast my vote for the President of the United States. I was able to vote for the very first time in 1996. Since then my candidate has won twice and lost twice, this year will be the tie breaker.

 Back in 1996 my knowledge of politics was very limited and I basically voted for one issue, abortion. I make no apologies for the fact I am pro life and am not ashamed in the least to let people know about it. Ever since 1996 I have supported pro life candidates from both parties but over the last 8 years as I have gotten more interested in politics I have had to ask myself is abortion really an issue in politics anymore? My answer and it may shock you is that abortion doesn't matter anymore in politics. That may seem like a ridiculous statement when you consider it is one of the issues that has been brought up at every presidential debate on domestic issues for as long as I can remember.

 Usually what you see is the Democrat candidate try and say something to the effect that although he or she may not like abortion they believe in a woman's right to choose what to do with her body. This statement is intended to not make him look heartless but also shore up his liberal base. The Republican will say something like he or she is strongly against abortion except for in cases like rape or incest or for the life of the mother. This statement is intended to not make them look heartless towards a woman that has suffered from rape or incest and yet shore up their conservative base.

 I have been hearing these lines since I voted for Bob Dole in 1996. Yet in my 20 year voting history what have I gotten in return for my support of the Republican Party in regards to a pro life stance? In my last blog I stated that blacks overwhelmingly support Democrats with little to show for it, they have been duped. In the same way conservatives, myself included, have been duped by Republicans that stand for, "the sanctity of life", but do nothing about this.

 A man that I highly respect confronted me on this just last week when he stated that President George Bush gave more funding to Planned Parenthood then any other president before him. What?!?!?....Its true and I encourage you to do a little research on this fact. In fact go back and look at the Republican Presidents and show me a major attempt on anything to do with abortion let alone Roe v. Wade. Do it, I dare you!! There isn't much on a federal level and there was little support for states that have tried to make pro life laws. Listen Republican, Christian, conservative you have been duped by one of the Republican Partys' great hypocrisies. I for one am ashamed of myself for not realizing this earlier. While many of us sit back in expectant hope that our conservative candidate will actually move on what we consider a gross injustice, they have done nothing but make lame pronouncements of their pro life beliefs. That's all it takes for Conservatives to hop on the band wagon and declare our support and charge into the battle with our new found champion.

 I have stated earlier that I will be voting for Mitt Romney for several reasons but his being pro life is not one of them. He has definitely changed his spots on that one. When he was running in the Republican Primary many conservatives said he is no different then Obama yet now that he has the nomination he is the savior. Romney record in Massachusetts was less then stellar as pro life candidate so conservatives don't get your hopes up.

 So allow me to quickly make the case for why abortion should be an issue worth fighting for. One of my best friends was born at 23 weeks and survived. That was over 36 years ago when we didn't have the technology we have now. It's not a fetus or as one abortion supporter stated nothing more then a parasite. That's an interesting choice of words because that is what Hitler called the Jews. It is a life plain and simple.

 Abortion is racially charged. Although blacks make up 13% of the population they have almost 40% of the abortions. Planned Parenthood has a ridiculously high amount of offices in areas heavily populated by minorities. All you have to do is look at the words of Margaret Sanger, founder of Planned Parenthood, to see the foundations of that organization. Here is a staggering fact. More blacks are killed through abortion every week then were killed by the KKK in history.

 Finally I have a hard time with the hypocrisy of abortion. In the state of New York if you destroy the egg of a protected bird you can face a $50,000 fine and 10 years in prison but ending the life of a fertilized child is a right? Women claim that they should be able to make choices with their own bodies and I say I agree but here is a thought. What if the father doesn't want the baby but the mother does? Can he force her to abort? No, of course not but can he at any point decide he doesn't want to support the child? He can, but he won't get away with it. Eventually he will be forced to pay child support and he will until the child is 18 or 21 depending on the circumstances and the state. Where is the mans' choice? The point is men don't get one and they shouldn't. If you created it then you are responsible for it. That standard should be the same for women and men. Finally, how can we as a country honestly look critically at some countries with horrendous civil rights records when we won't even protect the weakest among us.

 There is still a place in politics for the abortion fight. Here is hoping we get a true candidate in either party that would be pro life, not just in name only but in conscience and policy.

 Over the last few days I have covered some pretty touchy subjects and by the hits I have been getting I know many are reading them. I am certain that with the numbers of people reading there are those that don't agree with me and that is great. Please feel free to challenge me with your feelings and opinion. One of the reasons I started this blog was to start up dialogue not just with people that think like me but honestly more for those that do not. This allows me the opportunity to grow and progress as I am faced with differing thoughts and opinions. We may end up having to agree to disagree and that is okay as well but our politicians are doing a terrible job talking so maybe it will be up to the citizens of this country to start meaningful dialogue again.

 Thanks For Reading
Steve

PS. VOTE ON TUESDAY!!!!!!!!

Why Aren't Democrats and Republicans Fighting For the Black Vote?

The woman had tears flowing down her cheek and she wasn't the only one, most of the people around her were also crying. These were not tears of sorrow or pain but joy; joy that the United States had it's first black president. I will never forget what she said to the reporter when she was asked what she was feeling. She said, "For the first time in my life I can honestly tell my son that he can aspire to be the President of the United States." Of course I am talking about the election in 2008 when President Obama was elected. Agree with his policy's or not there was a lot of truth to what that mother said and she clearly was experiencing a feeling that a white person in the US has never felt. Although I did not vote for Obama I was proud of the fact that our country had come a long way in regards to race relations. Blacks now had a champion and I am sure they figured things were going to change. I mean after all Hope and Change was Obamas' entire message.

But what has changed for blacks under Obama and are they now a minority group that is forgotten in politics?

 The answer is yes. Black Americans are probably the least targeted race in the United States during the presidential elections, yet they are one of the largest minority groups in the country. Why is that? I mean each campaign is spending millions of dollars to reach the Hispanic vote but why not blacks?

 The reason is because the black voters will vote overwhelmingly for Obama. President Obama won 96% of the black vote in 2008 and is running at almost 100% in 2012. No other minority group votes that overwhelmingly for a party. What would cause blacks to be so loyal to the Democratic Party?

 I think the answer (this will be unpopular) is because blacks have a unfounded loyalty to the Democratic Party. I understand that there is loyalty to the Democratic Party because many of their leaders were prominent in the Civil Rights Movement but that was a long time ago.What have the Democrats done for them recently and how has the plight of blacks improved under Democratic leadership.

 Here are a few staggering facts. While the rest of the country hovers around 8% unemployment 14.4% of blacks are out of work. A study at Harvard University stated that black males wages have  lagged behind the wages of whites. Poverty and food stamp usage are at an all time high for blacks. So I ask you where is the progress and support from Obama for the blacks? When Obama came to office he had majorities in Congress and the Senate yet there is still no major improvement for blacks.

 Here is something else that will blow you away. If you do a study of the 10 poorest cities in the United States; Detroit, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Miami, St. Louis, El Paso, Milwaukee, Philadelphia and Newark (places with large minority populations) you will find that there is one major similarity. There has been virtually no Republican leadership in decades. In fact other then Cleveland and Cincinnati (who had Republican mayors in the 1980s') the rest haven't had a Republican mayor in over 50 years. I am not saying that Republican leadership alone could have completely changed this but you have to admit it couldn't hurt. However, blacks in these cities continue to vote heavily for Democrats. Its time for blacks to wake up. The Democrats have held their votes hostage for to long. The Civil Rights movement was over 50 years ago. It is time for blacks to start asking, "what have you done for me lately."

 Several years ago Rev Al Sharpton (Still don't know why he is a Reverend) said, "The Democratic Party treats blacks like a mistress. They will take us out but they won't take us home to meet momma." This quote from a prominent black leader shows that those who understand politics know exactly what is going on. The Democrats act like the blacks still owe them something for their support in the Civil Rights movement and many blacks still have loyalty to that party.

 As one of the largest minority groups in the country black voters should be courted as heavily as any other group, not taken advantage of. Its time for a paradigm shift. Blacks have been duped by a political party that promises everything and comes through with nothing.

 Being duped by a political party is nothing to be ashamed of because most groups are. Just this week I realized that as a conservative voter I have been played by the Republican Party for sometime. I will explain that in my next blog.

Thanks For Reading
Steve