By Peter Waldorf
Guest Columnist
It seems pretty reasonable: “Don’t be a one-issue voter.” I certainly care about many issues involved in the upcoming presidential election; however, one outweighs the others so much that I feel obligated to vote based on it before considering others.
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If the terrors of war, sickness, or poverty matter, they do because human beings matter. God created humans in His Image and Likeness—which means all people are sacred and should be treated as such.
We must respect all persons, but should we equally respect all beliefs? Some people believed Jews should be exterminated. Some people still think women are inferior to men. Some people even believe that the Packers are better than the Vikings! But seriously—even though we respect the people that believe them, all beliefs cannot be equally respected.
Some politicians believe that ending war, poverty and sickness is more important than the basic right to life. But without the right to life, working to solve problems that depend on that right such as war or poverty is inconsistent and inauthentic. Abortion and embryonic stem cell research basically say, “Certain human beings are insignificant and can be killed or used for experiments.” But these unborn children are no less human than you or I. So abortion and embryonic stem cell research really say, “Human beings are insignificant,” and no matter the consequences, we can’t support that belief.
In this country, politicians are trying to get religion and human love out of their way so some people can be comfortable—even if it means killing others to do it. What makes an unjust war any different? All human life—born or unborn—must be publicly respected before we can authentically address other human problems. As the American Catholic Bishops say, “It is because faith and reason lead us to respect human life at all its stages that we seek to address in morally sound and effective ways other serious threats to human life and dignity” (Conscience and the Catholic Voter).
I invite you to take the necessary first step in combating human suffering by voting for a president and vice president who will work to overturn Roe v. Wade, illegalize abortion and embryonic stem cell research, and so demonstrate that all human life is sacred. I also invite you to watch the inspiring video at CatholicVote.com.
2 comments:
The Republican Party is doing it again: duping Catholics into voting for its candidates because of a so-called “pro-life” platform. In addition to its anti-life policies that are in direct opposition to Catholic Church positions, such as its championing of an unwarranted and grievous war in Iraq and party-platform support for the disastrous system of capital punishment, the Republican record on abortion is abysmal. When President George W. Bush took office in 2000, abortion rates were at a 24-year low (Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life). During eight years of policies that have left millions more families without health insurance, that have increased unemployment and stagnated wages, and that have cut drastically the support services for people in poverty, the trend toward significantly lower abortion rates has stalled (FactCheck.org). Why? Three-quarters of women who have had abortions said they did so because of economic desperation (Alan Guttmacher Institute). Republican policies have resulted in worsening conditions for those in poverty—conditions which make unplanned pregnancies more vulnerable. As Christian ethicist Dr. Glen Stassen states, “Abortion is not separate from economic policies.” No one wants to have an abortion! It is a decision made in desperate circumstances. To vote for Republican candidates and their policies that further the economic crises of women and children in poverty is in no way pro-life.
Dr. Jenny Olin Shanahan
jshanaha@smumn.edu
I see that Dr. Shanahan is duped by the pro-death coalition as she believes that the rest of us are fooled by the pro-life groups. Most abortions are NOT done for economic reasons; they are for the convenience of the mother, who is duped into thinking that an abortion will help her get rid of an "inconvenient mistake."
Don't be fooled by the rhetoric displayed by such organizations as Planned Parenthood, who make millions of dollars each year performing abortions - they don't want girls to believe their babies are human beings. When girls go to such places for "pregnancy counseling" what they get is abortion counseling. There is never any mention of the post-traumatic stress syndrome that comes after the abortion.
In addition, most low income women cannot afford to go to the abortion mills for surgery - the costs are too high. That's why the welfare rolls are increasing. The average girl/woman who gets an abortion is college/early 20's from the middle or upper middle classes.
To top it all off, abortion IS NOT an economic issue; it is an issue of humanity. People fight all the time for the end of capital punishment, but then turn around and support abortion. How can this be justified? Each child who is aborted is a unique human being who deserves the right to live.
THE TIME FOR THE WOMAN TO MAKE A CHOICE IS WHEN SHE CHOOSES TO BECOME SEXUALLY ACTIVE WHEN SHE DOES NOT WANT TO HAVE A CHILD. Once she has made that choice, she must take responsibility for her behavior.
Patricia M. Sommerville, Ph.D.
Retired Professor of Business
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