July 10, 2008 1:17 PM
Pro-life feminists and liberals - can Obama hear their voices too?
Pictured above are Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, founding mothers of the women's suffrage movement, whose never-give-up passion for politics won women the right to vote.
Did you know they were anti-abortion?
In her publication The Revolution, Susan wrote:
"Guilty? Yes. No matter what the motive, love of ease, or a desire to save from suffering the unborn innocent, the woman is awfully guilty who commits the deed. It will burden her conscience in life, it will burden her soul in death; But oh, thrice guilty is he who drove her to the desperation which impelled her to the crime!"
In a letter to Julia Ward Howe, October 16, 1873, recorded in Howe's diary at Harvard University Library, Elizabeth wrote:
"When we consider that women are treated as property, it is degrading to women that we should treat our children as property to be disposed of as we see fit."
While you wrap your mind around those quotes, consider also that there are groups of liberals who are also passionately pro-life - unrepresented by the Democrat Party with which they identify on other issues (after all, the Democrat party says it wants to protect the most vulnerable and needy parts of our population, which makes it ironic that they advocate killing the most defenseless of all) and ignored by the Mainstream Media.
Here are organizations identifying themselves as liberal, progressive, or feminist that also seek to bring liberals out of denial about the moral/ethical significance of abortion
Feminists for Life
Democrats for Life of America
Also, the Susan B. Anthony List is a diverse network of over 145,000 Americans dedicated to advancing, mobilizing and representing pro-life women in the political process.
More early feminist anti-abortion quotes at Voices of Our Feminist Foremothers
Also see my Pro-Life Leftists entry.
Which leads me to muse on Obama and his recent feeble attempts to backtrack on his impeccable pro-abortion record - he even voted against a bill to provide medical attention for babies who survived botched abortions.
I'd like to believe that Obama has an open mind. But even as he tries to sound a bit more moderate (no partial-birth abortions for mental distress - meaning you can't stick a pair of scissors into a 39-week-old unborn baby's skull in utero because the mother says the baby will ruin her life), I am afraid this is just pandering. Planned Parenthood continues to sing his praises, as if they know his "softening" position is just for show. If he were sincere, then wouldn't he call a press conference - a la his big to-do on patriotism - to tell us that when it comes to defending the defenseless he's changed his mind?
America does need a change. But so far I am not seeing Obama deliver.
Building your base by pandering to voting blocs like Planned Parenthood and Old School Liberals is an old and tired idea. I think America is ready for a new and revitalized Democrat Party - not one based on promising financial help to every group with a gripe, but one willing to revisit some entrenched ideas. Remember that the right to own slaves was once deeply entrenched in the national psyche.
When it comes to change and hope, when will Obama stop talking the talk and begin walking the walk? When will he stop talking about it and model it for his constituents?
True leadership means seeing the way things should be and taking a risk to lead people where they've been too afraid or selfish to go. If your strong convictions win you the White House - wonderful. But no more pandering and outrageous promises to special interest groups, please.
I am feeling compelled these days to pray without ceasing for this man who might be our next President - I just don't see the courage of conviction or energy in the McCain camp to win the presidency, do you? - and who actually has some very likable qualities. I pray it's not about image but about sacrifice and service. I pray he is listening to someone other than his political advisers - although he's reportedly sworn off church for the remainder of his campaign. I pray that he will grow in wisdom. I pray that his call for change and hope would not be empty rhetoric, aimed at stirring people's emotions to win him votes - but a recognition that he too is not above the need for change.
I pray that his claim to faith means that his heart is not set in stone, but that God can write new words upon it - words of life and the dignity of every human being, born and unborn.
True words of hope and change.
Posted in Campaign 2008, Current Affairs, Feminism, Pro-Life Issues | Permalink
Comments
Well-said.
Speaking of empty rhetoric, it's been very, very sad to see the campaign of this man who has spoken about change, bringing our country together, and healing the divisions between us then try to stir the race pot. The insinuations that people who do not vote for Obama are likely choosing that way because they are racist,especially, directly assaults the integrity of their fellow Americans. And it's a just plain cheap shot. In an opposite kind of way, it assaults the whole ideal of a man being judged not by the color of his skin but by the content of his character (and perhaps his political ideas in a Presidential race, don't you think?) The sad thing is, the more people who feel that they can cheaply settle their white guilt once and for all simply by voting for Obama, the farther away a REAL confrontation and healing of racism becomes.
Posted by: Marian | July 10, 2008 3:28 PM
My husband read me an article where Obama was backpedaling his stance on the Illinois Born Alive Infant Protection Act. Frankly, I don't buy his revised history. If the law was redundant, why did it pass in 2005? And if it was just a way to overturn Roe v. Wade, then why is abortion still legal in Illinois 3 years later?
Unfortunately I agree with you about McCain. Sometimes I think he expects Republicans to vote for him just because he's "our" candidate -- so he doesn't need to conduct a real campaign.
Posted by: Michelle Potter | July 10, 2008 3:31 PM
Hi,
Thanks for posting about pro-life liberals and feminists! It was really refreshing to come across your post on prolifeblogs. :)
We know we have an uphill battle trying to promote our cause within the liberal and feminist communities, but we're going to keep trying. If the pro-life movement is (or remains, depending on how you look at it) the sole province of the right, it can't succeed. There are pro-lifers across the political spectrum, and there need to be more.
Posted by: Jen R | July 10, 2008 5:06 PM
Also, do you mind if I offer some more pro-life liberal/feminist links? If you do, feel free not to approve this comment.
And my own blog: :-)
Posted by: Jen R | July 10, 2008 5:14 PM
http://nobamanews.blogspot.com/2008/07/obama-and-abortion-part-1-does-obama.html
Posted by: J.P. | July 12, 2008 1:36 PM
