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!!!!!!!!
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