I was brought up by two liberal parents. My parents marched for civil rights and against the Vietnam conflict. I was raised to believe that all people were intrinsically good and that it is our responsibility to look out for one another and rally to help those in need. Historically it has been the Democratic Party that has led the cause to protect the rights of those who are powerless and without voices. Between that history and my strong belief that we will be judged by how we treat the least among us, it only follows that I am, always have been, and always will be a Democrat.
The problem growing up as a strong liberal female was that most role models were pro-abortion. With the exception of my parents all the other liberals I knew or came into contact with felt that women's rights meant that a mother could deny her child the most intrinsic human right - the right to life. I was confused for a long time. I knew in my heart that abortion was despicable but had trouble reconciling that with my other liberal beliefs. It wasn't until I was pregnant with my first child that my pro-life stance was solidified. There's nothing like reading about your growing and developing child to reinforce the fact that this "blob of tissue" is actually a human being.
So where does that leave me - a pro-life liberal_ One would think very much alone. Suprisingly enough that just isn't the case. The truth is there are many of us out here on the left who are staunch pro-life supporters and activists. We are slowly but surely "coming out" and voicing our views and our displeasure with being left out of both our Party and the mainstream pro-life movement.
For example take Ron Chandonia, a "longtime leftist". For 20 years he's done the "bleeding heart liberal" number, teaching in an inner-city community college in Atlanta. For most of that time he took the standard pro-choice stance: While he personally disliked abortion, he felt it was wrong to impose his viewpoint on others. He scrupulously offered only "non-directional" counseling when his students asked about the topic.
Ron, like so many of us, accepted the idea that abortion is a component of "reproductive freedom," and since he teaches to empower students who have too few choices in life, he felt it seemed wrong to oppose what passes for "choice" in America today.
But he finally realized that for low-income African-American women, abortion seems less a "choice" than a grim necessity; it appears compulsory because our pro-abortion society promotes it as the only acceptable or feasible alternative for poor people who face unplanned pregnancies. Ron and many who are pro-lifers on the left also realize that the abortion mentality lessens the already low value placed on born human life in urban America.
Ron came to the conclusion that abortion is not part of the solution but part of the problem facing the poor in America today, and he now opposes abortion for the same reasons he opposes violence, poverty, and racial injustice. It's all about the "consistent life ethic."
Are we pro-life liberals different in our politics alone_ Not really. The pro-life view from the left has an entirely different approach from the traditional pro-life movement. Rob Huck, a fellow pro-life Democrat from Illinois, and I brainstormed and came up with what we felt were some of the more obvious differences. Since the Roe v. Wade decision, the pro-life community has based its argument against abortion on the belief that abortion is comparable to murder. Although this is obviously true to those of us who are pro-lifers, that argument has failed to convince our society to ban the procedure. Many honest pro-choicers will even concede that point, yet defend the legality of abortion because they believe an abortion is the best alternative for the mother. They have taken the focus off the unborn child and have placed it on the woman. We on the left believe that the pro-life community needs to, in turn, change its focus. Of course, we will always argue that abortion is comparable to murder; however, we need focus more on the reasons women have abortions. We must also do a better job of showing how abortion hurts women.
There are reasons women have abortions, and abortion will not end until we eliminate the reasons women have them in the first place. Many truly cannot afford to raise a child. One-third of all children are born out-of-wedlock. Even those pregnant women who have husbands are often in dire financial straits, and dual-income families are a necessity. Forty million Americans have little or no health care. Day care is expensive and often unavailable. The minimum wage is a meager $4.75 per hour. Considering all of this, it becomes easier to see why women have abortions. For many, it is the lesser of two or three evils. We in the pro-life community must start to change this. The pro-life left believes that abortion is a symptom not of evil women and greedy abortionists, but it is a symptom of a society that has declared war on children and their mothers.
All Americans must have access to quality health care so women can get adequate prenatal care and their children's health can be protected. Every other industrialized country has made this promise to its citizens. If Germany, Japan, and Canada can do it, so can we. It isn't an issue of money. It's an issue of will, commitment, compassion, and fairness. Our workplaces must become "family friendly". Employers should arrange more flexible work schedules, and more people should be given the opportunity to work at home. Advances in technology make working at home more feasible every day. We also must not make college students who become pregnant feel as though they must choose between the children they are carrying and their educations. They need available and affordable housing and childcare so if they decide against adoption they are able to raise their children without sacrificing their futures.
Many pro-lifers are opposed to artificial birth control. Many are not. The pro-life left is just as divided on this issue as is the traditional pro-life movement. Be that as it may, it is not enough simply to condemn the pill or condoms. If we do that, we have a responsibility to provide alternatives. Many studies have shown that natural family planning (NFP) is just as effective as artificial methods. Every time we condemn the pill, we must tell people about NFP. If it is as effective as the pill or condoms, NFP has one advantage that the artificial methods don't have - it's free. This could be a big selling point among high school students. We also need to pursue research directed at finding more effective, affordable and non-abortifacient means of birth control so if people choose to use artificial birth control they can find it, afford it, and be safe.
The pro-life left believes that laws by themselves will not end abortion. Although we want to see these laws, we feel it is more important to address the causes of abortion. A law to ban abortion will not provide health care to a pregnant woman, it won't open a day care center, and it will not give someone a job or flexible work hours. Most importantly, it will not prevent a crisis pregnancy.
It is this "consistent life ethic" that keeps me from giving up on my party. The Democratic Party has proven to me that it addresses the underlying problems that contribute to the cause of abortion. Being a pro-life Democrat doesn't need to be seen as oxymoronic or as mutually exclusive. It will take time, but I know our party can find our way back to our pro-life roots. In the meantime rather than cursing the darkness in our party we need to start lighting candles. That is why I founded Indiana Democrats for Life. I know I'm not likely to change my political affiliation, and I'm certainly not going to be changing my views on the sanctity of human life. I also know that there are many others who are in the same boat as I. My goals for IDFL are to educate Democrats on life issues as well as promote Democratic policies and candidates that will protect women and promote the right to life. There is even a national Democrats for Life group getting started with much interest already generated.
As people dedicated to protecting the sanctity of human life we need to reach out to each other and embrace our differences. It's time to ignore the labels and stereotypes and concentrate on the tasks at hand - supporting women and protecting children. The pro-life movement is comprised of some of the most wonderful people I've ever known - both traditional and progressive. It is all too easy in this battle to suffer from burn-out. Mutual support and understanding is essential in preserving our dedication to the cause and getting things accomplished. We need to appreciate each other and realize that we all bring different views and talents to this movement, and through our diversity we will get the job done.