I have followed the Rev Jeremiah Wright story a little bit. I don’t watch much in the way of network news so I’ve missed *some* of the flurry of sound bytes. I spent some time on YouTube watching some of Rev Wright’s speeches in full. Not just the ten second bytes. I am no expert on this man but I have felt very sympathetic toward him, thrust as he has been, into a spotlight he didn’t ask for. Well, he doesn’t seem to mind it really, now does he?!
I’ve heard his recent comments quoted on NPR. A few interesting tidbits include references to the tragic Tuskegee Syphilis Study. And something about AIDS being caused by the US government. And a few other things that I’ve also heard from economically challenged members of the black community. Considered opinions as to the injustice of the US government toward her own people. Are these opinions widely held? It would seem so. And I sympathize. When something is widely perceived as truth, the actual truth is of little consequence. But when these things are said in the light of day with a white audience, people get a little shocked. And perhaps rightly so. I’ve been very surprised the whole time this story ran, wondering how it ever got to the air waves.
Here’s the thing I find most unsettling. Obama has denounced Rev Wright in the strongest possible terms. Yet the good Rev has only articulated what many Afro-American’s believe. And here is a charming black pastor, who seems to be saying in effect “Come on Obama, fess up! We all know you agree with me.” It’s almost as if Rev Wright is defining what it means to be a Black, Christian, and Democrat in America. It’s as if Obama has crossed the line and there is the good Reverend calling him back into the fold. No thanks! I didn’t like it when the Republicans told us what it meant to be White and Christian (backed by Reverands Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell) and I don’t like it now. (There is more to leadership than being AGAINST some things.)
The good Rev Wright is Wrong. If there is a possibility that a good man, who happens to be Christian and Democrat can make a difference in the future of this country and begin to be a positive change against that injustice that angers those with a conscience… If someone could take the power in Washington out of the hands of the wealthy few and put it into the hands of the people… If decency and compassion could be seen as signs of integrity rather than weakness… If the blood-letting of the Iraq war could come to a close… If one man has the audacity to hope, and more than a million contributors share this audacity... If any of these things could be seen on the horizon in American politics, wouldn’t it just be time to take your wounded pride, sit down and shut up?!
No, this is the land of free speech. We don’t keep silence here. Hate speech, inappropriate speech, stupid speech, lewd language, not to mention propaganda and spin. Our speech may be free but amongst all the babble the truth is increasingly difficult to find.
]]>I am not one of those people who vote on one issue alone, but this afternoon I gave some thought and research to the subject of abortion. If I were to vote according to this one issue, where would my vote go? Where do the candidates stand on the issues when it comes to the issue of protecting the life of the unborn?
Predictably, Republicans McCain, Romney and Huckabee believe that Roe V Wade should be overturned. Obama clearly states that the government should not make abortion choices for women; the mother and her community are best suited to make those difficult decisions. And Clinton supports making abortion safe, legal and rare.
These are complex issues. I agree with Obama that the government should not be in the business of telling birth families what choice is right for them since the government can not foretell the situation a woman finds herself in. I agree with McCain that the government should not be providing funding for abortion services. I agree with Huckabee that parents should be notified when an underage girl chooses to abort her baby. And finally, I agree with McCain, Romney and Huckabee that the Partial Birth Abortion Ban should be supported. And I'm impressed by Clinton's long record of successful proactive work to reduce and prevent unwanted pregnancies through education.
I would like to see more women chose adoption over abortion and I believe that adoption should be part of the abortion debate. It's not just a question of whether or not to have an abortion - it's a question of what is best for the child. I think the government should support both the birth parents and the adoptive family in the choice to adopt. Given the rates of infertility in this country, having a proactive approach to adoption is simply good politics and very much an addition to the “right to life” debate.
I am glad that Clinton has supported making the adoption credit increase permanent and has also worked to increase adoptions from foster care. McCain, who has an adopted daughter, has also voted to make the adoption credit increase permanent. Romney is in favor of making the adoption credit increase permanent, and is working to raise awareness about embryonic adoption, or snowflake babies. In a world where every little bit counts, these are fantastic!
I think Clinton has taken the edge off of her full tilt pro-abortion stance through her record on proactive measures to reduce the number of babies potentially aborted through education as well as her record on increasing adoption from foster care. Her actions and her words agree, she wants abortion "safe, legal and rare."
Huckabee is the candidate of the religious right, and is “actively and aggressively pro-life” but a full tilt anti-abortion stance is incomplete without proactive measures to reduce unwanted pregnancies in the first place. Saying “don’t have sex” just doesn’t work. What is missing in his campaign material is his full support for the adoption option so a child can find his or her forever family. It is not enough to tell a country that there will be no more abortions and then do nothing about the alternatives to abortion.
Various candidates make a number of mistakes in my opinion. I understand Obama’s nuanced views on abortion but I believe his mistake is the omission of adoption from his plan. And Clinton and Huckabee overshoot the issue with Clinton’s plan to make Roe V Wade into federal law and Huckabee’s plan for a right to life amendment to the constitution.
After weighing the pros and cons of abortion politics in the current race - I think McCain or Romney have the most moderate and well reasoned stance on this issue. And if I were to vote on this issue alone, either of these men would have my vote. Which is interesting because that is not what I would have said before I did the research.
Have you done your research?
I started here:
http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/issues/issues.abortion.html
And also visited:
http://www.hillaryclinton.com/news/release/view/?id=4891
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/family/
http://obama.senate.gov/issues/
http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues/95b18512-d5b6-456e-90a2-12028d71df58.htm
http://www.mittromney.com/News/Press-Releases/Romney_Agenda_10.26.07
http://www.mikehuckabee.com/?FuseAction=Issues.View&Issue_id=11
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