The Reverend Jim Wallis (founder of Sojourners: Christians for Peace and Justice) recently advised Senator Obama to support a plank in the Democratic Party Platform that would aim to reduce abortions by focusing on supporting low-income women and making adoption easier -- exactly what Democrats for Life has been advocating for with their 95-10 Initiative. http://www.democratsforlife.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=48
Wallis is a leading advocate for a finding common ground on the long divisive abortion issue.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/143482 Most Americans fall somewhere between the two vocal extremes on this issue. Many pro-choice individuals are not single issue voters and would like to reduce the number of abortions through voluntary means. At the same time, a number of pro-life supporters have grown tired of being manipulated by a political party that pays lip service to their views but has shown little interest in reducing the abortion rate and poorly reflects their values on most other matters. There is a growing realization among pro-lifers that a total ban on abortion is simply not likely to happen even if Roe v. Wade is overturned at some point.
The appointment of the Reverend Tony Campolo to the Democratic Platform Committee has signaled a willingness by party leaders to include pro-lifers at the table. As a pro-life Democrat, Campolo has been advocating a more neutral position on abortion in the Democratic Platform. Campolo argues that the abortion issue has been a major stumbling block to Democrats in outreach to religious voters. It is important for the Democratic leadership to make it clear that they respect the values of pro-life voters and welcome their participation within the party.
What was in the 2004 Democratic Party Platform with respect to abortion?
The 2004 Platform did not include the conscience language that was advocated by pro-life leaders in the House in 1996 after Governor Bob Casey of Pennsylvania was prevented from speaking at the 1992 Democratic Convention.
The conscience language acknowledged that there are pro-life people in our Party and we respect their views.
The 2000 Democratic Platform also contained the conscience language. The language that provided support for those "with differing views on issues of personal conscience like abortion and capital punishment" was not included in the 2004 Democratic Platform.
The 2004 language stated:
Because we believe in the privacy and equality of women, we stand proudly for a woman's right to choose, consistent with Roe V. Wade, and regardless of her ability to pay. We stand firmly against Republican efforts to undermine that right. At the same time, we strongly support family planning and adoption incentives. Abortion should be safe, legal, and rare.
1996 Democratic Platform plank on abortion:
The Democratic Party stands behind the right of every woman to choose, consistent with Roe v. Wade, and regardless of ability to pay. We believe it is a fundamental constitutional liberty that individual Americans - not government - can best take responsibility for making the most difficult and intensely personal decisions regarding reproduction. This year's Supreme Court rulings show to us all that eliminating a woman's right to choose is only one justice away. That's why the stakes in this election are as high as ever. Our goal is to make abortion less necessary and more rare, not more difficult and more dangerous. We support contraceptive research, family planning, comprehensive family life education, and policies that support healthy childbearing. The abortion rate is dropping. Now we must continue to support efforts to reduce unintended pregnancies, and we call on all Americans to take personal responsibility to meet this important goal. The Democratic Party is a party of inclusion. We respect the individual conscience of each American on this difficult issue, and we welcome all our members to participate at every level of our party. This is why we are proud to put into our platform the very words which Republicans refused to let Bob Dole put into their 1996 platform and which they refused to even consider putting in their platform in 2000: "While the party remains steadfast in its commitment to advancing its historic principles and ideals, we also recognize that members of our party have deeply held and sometimes differing views on issues of personal conscience like abortion and capital punishment. We view this diversity of views as a source of strength, not as a sign of weakness, and we welcome into our ranks all Americans who may hold differing positions on these and other issues. Recognizing that tolerance is a virtue, we are committed to resolving our differences in a spirit of civility, hope and mutual respect."
Democrats for Life is calling for supporters to take action and participate in and/or organize platform meetings.
Steps for a Platform Meeting
1.) Register your event online. This will allow you to invite people to your Platform Meeting.
2.) Invite family and friends to your meeting. The goal is have 15 to 20 people at each Platform Meeting.
3.) Prepare your materials. Please let Democrats For Life www.democratsforlife.org
know if you are planning a meeting. Democrats for Life will help with materials and provide suggested Platform language.
4.) Hold your meeting. Suggestions on how to host a meeting on the Obama for President Web Site. http://mybarackobama.com/page/content/listening
5.) Submit your suggestions.
3 comments:
JOHN McCAIN’S 3R ECONOMIC PLAN 2008
Abbreviated version
Republican Candidate John McCain with a progressive outlook, comes through for America with his 3R economic plan.
NUTS AND BOLTS of the plan are simple.
RETHINK REFORM REINVENT
As Americans we must Rethink our role as the new leader of industrial nations while we Reform our mindset of what best benefits not only the US Economy but the world economy. We must always keep in mind that a stronger America is a Stronger World and we MUST always make it first and foremost to own a stake in what matter most.
Americans must Reinvent our national approach to regain our strength as the global leader in this new McCain 3R Phase of USA manufacturing.
Our goals should no longer be steeped in the pure greed of strict capitalism but rather in a progressive entrepreneurship system where smaller companies are formed by private individuals and private sector groups of goal oriented teammates.
Speculators and accredited private investors will pick and choose these businesses, which may also be grouped in investment packages such as with current commodity and futures trading. The laws to do this exist and people are waiting for the next best investment.
Investing in the American workforce has always been in high demand until the greedy AFL CIO took control of the working class and chased away or ruined the corporations!
The growth will be phenomenal as a Corporation or LLC opened for business may fail on occasion, but with proper training and support from the 3R Schools, a simple manufacturing business may be purchased or simply revamped for a new opportunity in the US Commodity Market as well as with the manufacturing arena.
The highly profitable products to be manufactured are a concern for a huge Corporation looking at only the bottom dollar, but smaller LLC and Corporations in the manufacturing world are often better run with limited production items sold at reasonable prices. Profits are made not only from the USA made wholesale goods, but the massive USA based jobs provided along with the stocks and commodities in the market.
The move from fossil fuels to affordable energy can only be done in one of two ways:
1. Halt all projects paid for with taxes at the pump and other fuel taxes, OR,
2. John McCain’s Economic Plan involving the 3R’s, Rethink, Reform, Reinvent.
McCain’s 3R is technical, closely monitored, rapid and hands on training course from professionals to create new professionals. Thousands of currently-job-displaced “once leaders in the manufacturing arena” will be paid to train and instruct in the 3R plan.
These new leaders will step up to help create a whole new style of prosperous America. A massive restructuring that will provide thousands of new American manufacturing companies and create millions of new jobs for infrastructure alone.
Americans are going back to school where they are paid to reinvent their skills and learn new skills to design and lead their personal LLC, Corporation or joint venture company.
That’s easy enough to comprehend and just as easy to implement.
The 3R plan is designed as a six-month rapid advancement system.
Graduates may return for additional skill enhancements from time to time, or step up after new advanced training in executive management.
New jobs are the mainstay for creating a new guard for Social Security.
Initial estimates of 1 in 5 students will begin his or her own company and drive even more Americans into a viable lifestyle with real jobs, real benefits and a retirement to look forward to. By making these opportunities available without the crippling AFL CIO interference and their mob like influence, America will explode into the world market.
All of this governed under strict employee benefits as provided by state and federal standards and improved upon by each mfg operation to provide security and safety for these new 3R American workers.
This 3R plan may be accomplished without costing taxpayers (or the government) additional funds. America has the means to follow through with John McCain’s 3R plan, ready and in place across the USA. The buildings we need for our initial 3R schooling and MFG arenas sit vacant or abandoned.
By assuming leases on abandoned stores and factories across America with 3R schools and mini-manufacturing training centers, we may allow building owners to write-off their donations and reduced leases in taxes over a few years, and even more if they donate the space.
USA made tools, power equipment, bicycles, computers, TV’s, radios, furniture, building material, clothing, automotive products… the list is endless, will become the pride of American workers once again.
These ideas are great in themselves, but an entirely new stream of jobs to supply support for these manufacturing companies and their hundreds of thousands of new employees will be created and expanded. Business and infrastructure from shopping malls to homes, new roads to restaurants, grocery stores to government outlets and so much more…
McCain’s Straight Talk and decisive nature embodies a Progressive Theodore Roosevelt more than any US presidential candidate in history since the original Rough Rider blazed the greatest era of growth in America.
The 3R plan just makes sense.
THIS DRAFT COURTESY OF:
John Lewis Mealer
founding president Mealer Companies
www.betterconstructed.com (original promotional site)
I respect Jim Wallis point of view. I'm glad he doesn't operate from the sense that only Republicans be Christian
jl mealer - Does the millionaire John McCain have anywhere in his 3R plan for him to stop taking disability benefits out of the public pocket since he's clearly had a free market solution to his disability for decades now? Or is it only the rest of us in the country who should learn to do without government handouts?
As for the article... Democrats need to wake up and recognize that one of the reasons the republican took power so forcefully is that democrats started treating mainstream americans as the enemy. Many mainstream Americans have strong opinions about abortion.
I'm not saying that democrats should abandon their views on something like abortion but rather, learn to see the other sides viewpoint and recognize that we're all in this together. It is entirely possible to see from another person's perspective without giving up your own. This is classicaly referred to as "open mindedness" but somewhere along the line a ways back, the left that took over the democratic party for a while had come to view open mindedness as being when someone shared their viewpoint and closed mindedness when someone didn't.
Let's hope that philosophy is dead and buried or the republican party and the neo-con artists will rise again in no time at all.
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