Thank You so much for this. I am pro choice up to 12 weeks, after which I think abortion should only be legal in cases of rape, incest, or threats to the mother's health. (I had a first trimester abortion, and although it was emotionally painful, it was the right decision for me at the time. This is not a simple issue).
I was kicked out of the Texas Handmaids for telling them they were crazy for insisting that "men get pregnant, too." But before I got kicked out, I joined them in protesting "Crisis Pregnancy Centers."
Now, I am ashamed that I ever protested those wonderful places.
You know what these "evil" people do? They give away two years worth of free diapers, toys, and baby supplies to low income moms. They also provide free parenting classes and help sign moms up to medicaid and other social services. The volunteers at the crisis pregnancy centers I visited were some of the kindest people I've ever met.
When I was a homeless mom in San Francisco I would have LOVED to have access to a crisis pregnancy center.
But in Blue cities, it's much easier to get an abortion than it is to get free diapers (or a decent affordable place to live). In fact, there was an extremely strong anti-child vibe in SF when I lived there.
"Can't afford a nice apartment loser? Tough luck. You and your failed abortion can sleep on the street." They'll give you free condoms and clean needles in SF, but no free diapers.
For most women who get abortions, it's not a "choice" but an emergency.
A Democratic party that truly cared about poor women would try to make it far easier for pregnant women to choose life.
I’m sorry for those experiences. You’re right about crisis pregnancy centers. They also address the fact that many (probably most?) women considering abortion are simply terrified and feel alone in their pregnancy. These centers are never profit-based (because - how?) whereas abortion clinics are. They are incentivized to counsel women in the direction of having a procedure.
I'm sorry that your and you kids experienced homelessness and alienation, and I hope you're in a better place. This has given me something to think about.
For what it's worth, I found this sign of progress from 2022:
"San Francisco First in the Nation to Offer Free Diapers to all Families on Public Benefits
San Francisco, CA — Today, Mayor London N. Breed and the San Francisco Human Services Agency (SFHSA) announced the expansion of the San Francisco Diaper Bank, the nation’s first city-funded program that provides diapers for low-income families on public benefits. Today’s announcement expands the City’s Diaper Bank program eligibility to any family that receives Medi-Cal coverage. Previously only offered to CalWORKs and CalFresh recipients, the program’s expansion doubles the number of eligible families and means all low-income children under age three receiving public benefits in San Francisco can receive free diapers through the San Francisco Diaper Bank."
The other big litmus test I'm seeing from party operatives is transgender rights. Not the "live and let live" sort of "Adults can choose what to do with their bodies" but rather the bleeding edge trans activist approach that normalizes medical interventions in childhood that are increasingly being refused by northern European countries. Once again (irony?) it's worth mentioning that Planned Parenthood is the one of the nation's largest supplier of hormones for young people who want to medicalize their gender dysphoria without proper consultation.
Well now I feel guilty for leaving the Democratic Party, in part over their extreme pro abortion policy and culture. I used to work for the Clintons but am now disgusted by Democrats like them have done. The Democrats embrace death and degrade life in so many ways--it's corporate globalist war-mongering agenda in addition to it's anti-child, anti-mother, anti-family policy and culture. I admire these pro-lifers but I think they should probably move over to the Republican Party and help finish pushing out the corporate globalist and make the Republicans the ones who fight to give the little guys a shot at the good life, including the little guys who aren't born yet. But I get not doing it, I still call myself an "Independent".
I'm politically homeless, too. I was a lifelong Dem, but I am boycotting the election this year. Life was better for poor and working class people under Trump, so I might bite the bullet and vote for him. I'm scared, though, because he's such a loose cannon. He might end up being crazier than Kamala. His rhetoric certainly is.
I absolutely agree with the loose cannon assessment, but it seems mostly verbal to me. I thought one of his worst moves as president was lobbing cruise missiles at Syria, and in a move that blew my mind, that was the first time I remember our establishment approving of anything he did. One prominent pundit labeled the act "Presidential."
Did he do anything last time that was scary? (I'm not arguing, just sort of fact-checking my own memory.)
Mike Pence, Trump's former VP, has directly implicated Trump in Jan 6 and said Trump pressured him to overturn the election. Pence still refuses to endorse Trump. Here's a video of Pence speaking about Jan 6:
While Trump's supporters were marching on the capitol, Trump tweeted criticizing Pence by name for not going along with him. This article includes a timeline and visuals of the tweets.
Trump proposed a "total and complete" ban on Muslims specifically. Here he is on video saying it in 2015. Mike Pence and some other Republicans tweeted criticism of Trump for this at the time. Trump couldn't get the policy he wanted because religious tests are unconstitutional.
What do you think Trump would do to cause life to be better again for working class and poor people that Kamala would not do? I’m not here to attack. I’m just trying to understand another point of view.
I'll cite some examples that directly influence my family and local community. An example of them being anti-child is what the Democratic Party hacks Neera Tanden and Drew Altman did to turn school closures into a political issue, with the result that many millions of blue state/city children were kept out of schools in 2020/2021. An example of them being anti-mother is their promotion of abortion, including the coercion of "unfit" women to abort--this is something I have first-hand heard ob-gyns talking about what they say and who they send in to give the message to pregnant women whom they see as unfit to be mothers. Also see the article above for examples of how they celebrate abortion rather than having messages and more policies that promote keeping your baby. An example of them being anti-family is their promotion of policies that separate children from their parents/encourage lies and secrets from parents, including having teachers tell all the kids that they should tell them what names they want teachers to use with their parents (at my kid's school, 7th graders) and promoting 'special adults' as people children should go to instead of their parents and that these special adults will keep secrets. From your other comments, I'm guessing you might think the welfare state is pro child, mother and family? And children, mothers, and families are thriving in it?
I had no idea about leadership won’t even meet with them. That’s crazy. Abortion is a purity test for Dems? I’m not so much pro choice but that a politician nor strangers, will be telling my daughters what to do. I’m sure the Cheney thing was to just show, how many gop are endorsing her, a former VP, at that.
Yep. I was a lifelong Democrat until this year when I deregistered from the party over this issue. I’ll be writing in the American Solidarity Party slate at the top of my ticket because while I know it’s a wasted vote in the big scheme of things, it means something to them to see their numbers rise year over year, and I don’t have to shower afterwards.
I was surprised to learn recently that abortion is restricted after 12-20 weeks in most European countries (with exceptions for life of mother). That seems like a reasonable compromise that would take away Trump's "they're executing babies" slander once and for all.
Yes, I read that same time ago. And it’s not always abortion on demand during that limited time frame. Britain at one time required two doctors to sign for permission to have an abortion. That might have changed in recent years, but by Western European standards, our permissive abortion laws have been barbaric.
Dems are pro-life. We are for health care, climate care, justice, and equal rights - and when it comes to women - for freedom to make choices and have access to care, contraception, access to maternal and infant care. Abortion is part of care if you are a women - miscarriages, fetal issues, life-threatening pregnancy, violence against women, rape, incest -- all require abortion to be safe and legal. So the tent is big enough for people who fight for women to have the freedom to control their lives - if being pro-life in this article means that you lobby or vote to pass laws that restrict women and want them to be under govt' control - then you can stand outside the tent in my opinion. You have to respect women and trust them - and even support them when you don't like or agree with their decisions.
Not arguing, just asking. Does that mean that you believe birthing people should have the right to legally abort their pregnancy at any time, for any reason?
This question always comes up. I would say the same answer for any kind of right - guns for instance. Do you believe that guns should be legal and available for purchase at any time and for any reason? When we look at the facts about abortion - it is very rare past 22 weeks - and even more rare late in term - in Virginia - there has been 2 late term abortions in the past 15 years or so. Because late term care is typically a really tragic circumstance. Roe had limitations when the state would get involved - and that seemed to work for the states and I am in agreement with those guidelines. When we see lack of care for women or restrictions - like trying to stop women from getting Misoprostol for instance - or restricting access to contraception - that seems counter protective.
Interesting because unless Dick Cheney has changed his views on abortion, he is staunchly pro-life. So, I guess the Democrats welcome, even celebrate, the former war monger and pro-life VP into their fold because it's a good optic and serves the campaign. As to those actual Democrats with an actual moral compass, well.....
Pelosi is one of many party leaders who leans heavily into the rhetoric of a woman's right to choose. That's fine except she also brags about being a devout Catholic. You can't have both, Madame Speaker. The Pope chooses not to comment. That's lucky for Pelosi because, if he wanted to, he has the tools to call her out.
There are plenty of prolife folks in the Democratic Party. The base of BOTH political parties is church-attending Christians, so that's normal. That said, the vast majority of voters in ALL parties are sick of this subject and think the way Pro-life, Inc, and the GOP have discussed abortion for the past 50 years is disgusting and despicable and it makes most of us not trust y'all anywhere near abortion laws. Women are not murdering their babies and every time I hear someone say that, I send another donation to Planned Parenthood.
And now we even have a new and improved Prolife, Inc - the abortion abolitionists who want to throw women in jail for ending a pregnancy. Lovely,
Pro-lifers is a paper tiger. Pro-life, Inc. is in the middle of being escorted OUT of American politics forever courtesy of one Donnie T and his merry band of authoritarian idiots (GOP politicians). The vast majority of elective abortions happen in the first trimester and the vast majority of elective later-in-pregnancy abortions happen because something terrible has occurred with the pregnancy. In NEITHER situation, do women need access to anything other than safe, legal medical care. Pro-life, Inc has spent 50 years taking that away from women and the country didn't want it taken away from women, so why in the world would y'all expect compromise?
As an ocean-feeder on the bottom of law for many years, I learned early that in negotiations "Pigs get fat and hawgs get slaughtered." After the Casey decision (a terrible decision), Prolife, Inc. was a pig and they got to pig it up by running around the country and installing thousands of terrible abortion laws in gerrymandered states. Everyone ignored Prolife, Inc, back then because Roe was still in place and that kept the Pro-life, Inc. from doing its worst to our women. After Dobbs (an insane decision), Pro-life, Inc, turned into the biggest hawg I've ever seen - with trigger abortion bans and abortion bans allowed to go into place that were enacted before states were even formed. This Fall, watch that hawg get slaughtered.
Roe v. Wade WAS the compromise and the GOP should have left it alone.
And that will be the ONLY good thing Trump leaves behind - the END of abortion as a political issue in these United States.
As a man and father of eight and grandfather to ten I should have no right or legal standing to say what a woman can or can not do. But, and you know there is always a "but." With almost 80 years of experience I have some opinions. My friends just think I am an old Socialist, I do like Bernie. But (there it is again) realistically the Democrats are the only party that will support a strong Social Safety Net that protects not only mother and baby from conception to natural death but a Safety Net to protect all of us.
I personally now benefit from Medicare as all Americans should be able to do. This "strong" Social Safety Net is going to be expensive. The rich are going to have to pay their fair share and the Military Industrial Complex (as described by President Eisenhower (R)) is going to have to take a financial hit, Is this realistic? NO. So, if we are never going to have a strong Social Safety Net what can we do? How about enforcing existing building codes. This addresses one of the reasons a woman may think an abortion is necessary, who in their right mind would want to take a new born home to an apartment over run with mold and vermin, no heat in the Winter and no air-conditioning in the Summer. Hold Slum Lords accountable and if they are corporations hold their shareholders accountable.
I am a Pro-Life Democrat and member of DFLA. I put my money where my mouth is when it comes to social issues. What social issues (???), take a look at Matthew 25:31-46 for a starter. My wife passed away a little over a year ago, I have had a family from Mexico living with me since last November, they are seeking asylum. They are good people and no, we do not eat dogs.
This is a rare political season in this country where so much has surfaced that it has moved beyond our ability to process and cope. Prior to Roe being overturned, did the Republican party let women know that perhaps they felt that the rug was being pulled out from under them , but take heart we will take care of you? No! Fast forward and we are seeing women with real life emergencies being turned away from hospitals left to manage the potential for bleeding out! Pro-life Democrats (like me) know that we have a long way to go to provide for the health and safety of women in this country. We were then dealing with life-threatening Covid, an insurrection, conspiracy theories galore. It's all too much!! We may not be making the progress we wanted because more Dems are focused in moving past Trump in order to truly make inroads toward forwarding a pro-life message. The recent diaper drive was no small energizing campaign since it also boosted our psyches with a small yet powerful message of how we keep on keeping on with one woman supporting effort at a time until all of this Democracy in jeopardy turn of events takes a much less scary tone after the 2024 election.
Yes, it is always disappointing to find litmus tests for membership in a political party rather than a big tent approach. Sadly, I have found it impossible to discuss my mixed feelings about abortion with friends who are committed Democrats. Several of them have literally refused to even listen to my reasons. I was not trying to change their views just to explain my feelings on the issue. Reducing a complicated issue like abortion to a simple yes or no duality reduces our ability to find a place of compromise.
Thank you for this article. This attitude is shameful. I too am a lifelong Democrat, now politically homeless, because of the intolerance I see in the party.
On this particular issue, the Democrat outcry is deafening. and the hand wringing is hysterical. Yet, the CDC reported about 550,000 abortions in 2021 and the Guttmacher Institute, pro-life and funded by Planned Parenthood, reports over 1,000,00 abortions in 2023. And this doesn’t include abortions by the morning after pill, of which there are many!! Yet, over and over the site decries the terrible impact R v W has had on abortion accessibility. Jeez, what is the target number??
Because they are counting on abortion to be the one issue to get them over the finish line. It’s the only issue they are strong on and their message discipline has to be one hundred percent.
Thank You so much for this. I am pro choice up to 12 weeks, after which I think abortion should only be legal in cases of rape, incest, or threats to the mother's health. (I had a first trimester abortion, and although it was emotionally painful, it was the right decision for me at the time. This is not a simple issue).
I was kicked out of the Texas Handmaids for telling them they were crazy for insisting that "men get pregnant, too." But before I got kicked out, I joined them in protesting "Crisis Pregnancy Centers."
Now, I am ashamed that I ever protested those wonderful places.
You know what these "evil" people do? They give away two years worth of free diapers, toys, and baby supplies to low income moms. They also provide free parenting classes and help sign moms up to medicaid and other social services. The volunteers at the crisis pregnancy centers I visited were some of the kindest people I've ever met.
When I was a homeless mom in San Francisco I would have LOVED to have access to a crisis pregnancy center.
But in Blue cities, it's much easier to get an abortion than it is to get free diapers (or a decent affordable place to live). In fact, there was an extremely strong anti-child vibe in SF when I lived there.
"Can't afford a nice apartment loser? Tough luck. You and your failed abortion can sleep on the street." They'll give you free condoms and clean needles in SF, but no free diapers.
For most women who get abortions, it's not a "choice" but an emergency.
A Democratic party that truly cared about poor women would try to make it far easier for pregnant women to choose life.
I’m sorry for those experiences. You’re right about crisis pregnancy centers. They also address the fact that many (probably most?) women considering abortion are simply terrified and feel alone in their pregnancy. These centers are never profit-based (because - how?) whereas abortion clinics are. They are incentivized to counsel women in the direction of having a procedure.
I'm sorry that your and you kids experienced homelessness and alienation, and I hope you're in a better place. This has given me something to think about.
For what it's worth, I found this sign of progress from 2022:
"San Francisco First in the Nation to Offer Free Diapers to all Families on Public Benefits
San Francisco, CA — Today, Mayor London N. Breed and the San Francisco Human Services Agency (SFHSA) announced the expansion of the San Francisco Diaper Bank, the nation’s first city-funded program that provides diapers for low-income families on public benefits. Today’s announcement expands the City’s Diaper Bank program eligibility to any family that receives Medi-Cal coverage. Previously only offered to CalWORKs and CalFresh recipients, the program’s expansion doubles the number of eligible families and means all low-income children under age three receiving public benefits in San Francisco can receive free diapers through the San Francisco Diaper Bank."
https://www.sfhsa.org/about/announcements/san-francisco-first-nation-offer-free-diapers-all-families-public-benefits
The other big litmus test I'm seeing from party operatives is transgender rights. Not the "live and let live" sort of "Adults can choose what to do with their bodies" but rather the bleeding edge trans activist approach that normalizes medical interventions in childhood that are increasingly being refused by northern European countries. Once again (irony?) it's worth mentioning that Planned Parenthood is the one of the nation's largest supplier of hormones for young people who want to medicalize their gender dysphoria without proper consultation.
https://www.thefp.com/p/how-did-planned-parenthood-become
Well now I feel guilty for leaving the Democratic Party, in part over their extreme pro abortion policy and culture. I used to work for the Clintons but am now disgusted by Democrats like them have done. The Democrats embrace death and degrade life in so many ways--it's corporate globalist war-mongering agenda in addition to it's anti-child, anti-mother, anti-family policy and culture. I admire these pro-lifers but I think they should probably move over to the Republican Party and help finish pushing out the corporate globalist and make the Republicans the ones who fight to give the little guys a shot at the good life, including the little guys who aren't born yet. But I get not doing it, I still call myself an "Independent".
I'm politically homeless, too. I was a lifelong Dem, but I am boycotting the election this year. Life was better for poor and working class people under Trump, so I might bite the bullet and vote for him. I'm scared, though, because he's such a loose cannon. He might end up being crazier than Kamala. His rhetoric certainly is.
I absolutely agree with the loose cannon assessment, but it seems mostly verbal to me. I thought one of his worst moves as president was lobbing cruise missiles at Syria, and in a move that blew my mind, that was the first time I remember our establishment approving of anything he did. One prominent pundit labeled the act "Presidential."
Did he do anything last time that was scary? (I'm not arguing, just sort of fact-checking my own memory.)
What do you think about January 6th or Trump’s proposal to ban Muslims from entering the US (from 2015)?
He had no involvement with January 6th and the “ban” was a temporary moratorium on visas from terrorist sponsoring countries. Not “Muslims”.
Mike Pence, Trump's former VP, has directly implicated Trump in Jan 6 and said Trump pressured him to overturn the election. Pence still refuses to endorse Trump. Here's a video of Pence speaking about Jan 6:
https://www.c-span.org/video/?c5074089/mike-pence-trump-demanded-choose-constitution
While Trump's supporters were marching on the capitol, Trump tweeted criticizing Pence by name for not going along with him. This article includes a timeline and visuals of the tweets.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-56004916
Trump proposed a "total and complete" ban on Muslims specifically. Here he is on video saying it in 2015. Mike Pence and some other Republicans tweeted criticism of Trump for this at the time. Trump couldn't get the policy he wanted because religious tests are unconstitutional.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viDffWUjcBA
What do you think Trump would do to cause life to be better again for working class and poor people that Kamala would not do? I’m not here to attack. I’m just trying to understand another point of view.
“it's anti-child, anti-mother, anti-family policy and culture”
Could you expound upon this?
I'll cite some examples that directly influence my family and local community. An example of them being anti-child is what the Democratic Party hacks Neera Tanden and Drew Altman did to turn school closures into a political issue, with the result that many millions of blue state/city children were kept out of schools in 2020/2021. An example of them being anti-mother is their promotion of abortion, including the coercion of "unfit" women to abort--this is something I have first-hand heard ob-gyns talking about what they say and who they send in to give the message to pregnant women whom they see as unfit to be mothers. Also see the article above for examples of how they celebrate abortion rather than having messages and more policies that promote keeping your baby. An example of them being anti-family is their promotion of policies that separate children from their parents/encourage lies and secrets from parents, including having teachers tell all the kids that they should tell them what names they want teachers to use with their parents (at my kid's school, 7th graders) and promoting 'special adults' as people children should go to instead of their parents and that these special adults will keep secrets. From your other comments, I'm guessing you might think the welfare state is pro child, mother and family? And children, mothers, and families are thriving in it?
I had no idea about leadership won’t even meet with them. That’s crazy. Abortion is a purity test for Dems? I’m not so much pro choice but that a politician nor strangers, will be telling my daughters what to do. I’m sure the Cheney thing was to just show, how many gop are endorsing her, a former VP, at that.
Pro-life Cheney btw
Yep. I was a lifelong Democrat until this year when I deregistered from the party over this issue. I’ll be writing in the American Solidarity Party slate at the top of my ticket because while I know it’s a wasted vote in the big scheme of things, it means something to them to see their numbers rise year over year, and I don’t have to shower afterwards.
Glad to hear you've joined the ASP. We need to vote our conscience and take the long view, and the American Solidarity Party allows us to do that.
I was surprised to learn recently that abortion is restricted after 12-20 weeks in most European countries (with exceptions for life of mother). That seems like a reasonable compromise that would take away Trump's "they're executing babies" slander once and for all.
Yes, I read that same time ago. And it’s not always abortion on demand during that limited time frame. Britain at one time required two doctors to sign for permission to have an abortion. That might have changed in recent years, but by Western European standards, our permissive abortion laws have been barbaric.
Dems are pro-life. We are for health care, climate care, justice, and equal rights - and when it comes to women - for freedom to make choices and have access to care, contraception, access to maternal and infant care. Abortion is part of care if you are a women - miscarriages, fetal issues, life-threatening pregnancy, violence against women, rape, incest -- all require abortion to be safe and legal. So the tent is big enough for people who fight for women to have the freedom to control their lives - if being pro-life in this article means that you lobby or vote to pass laws that restrict women and want them to be under govt' control - then you can stand outside the tent in my opinion. You have to respect women and trust them - and even support them when you don't like or agree with their decisions.
Amen, sister!
Not arguing, just asking. Does that mean that you believe birthing people should have the right to legally abort their pregnancy at any time, for any reason?
This question always comes up. I would say the same answer for any kind of right - guns for instance. Do you believe that guns should be legal and available for purchase at any time and for any reason? When we look at the facts about abortion - it is very rare past 22 weeks - and even more rare late in term - in Virginia - there has been 2 late term abortions in the past 15 years or so. Because late term care is typically a really tragic circumstance. Roe had limitations when the state would get involved - and that seemed to work for the states and I am in agreement with those guidelines. When we see lack of care for women or restrictions - like trying to stop women from getting Misoprostol for instance - or restricting access to contraception - that seems counter protective.
Interesting because unless Dick Cheney has changed his views on abortion, he is staunchly pro-life. So, I guess the Democrats welcome, even celebrate, the former war monger and pro-life VP into their fold because it's a good optic and serves the campaign. As to those actual Democrats with an actual moral compass, well.....
Rack this up to the poison of politics.
Pelosi is one of many party leaders who leans heavily into the rhetoric of a woman's right to choose. That's fine except she also brags about being a devout Catholic. You can't have both, Madame Speaker. The Pope chooses not to comment. That's lucky for Pelosi because, if he wanted to, he has the tools to call her out.
I meant "chalk", not "rack"
There are plenty of prolife folks in the Democratic Party. The base of BOTH political parties is church-attending Christians, so that's normal. That said, the vast majority of voters in ALL parties are sick of this subject and think the way Pro-life, Inc, and the GOP have discussed abortion for the past 50 years is disgusting and despicable and it makes most of us not trust y'all anywhere near abortion laws. Women are not murdering their babies and every time I hear someone say that, I send another donation to Planned Parenthood.
And now we even have a new and improved Prolife, Inc - the abortion abolitionists who want to throw women in jail for ending a pregnancy. Lovely,
Pro-lifers is a paper tiger. Pro-life, Inc. is in the middle of being escorted OUT of American politics forever courtesy of one Donnie T and his merry band of authoritarian idiots (GOP politicians). The vast majority of elective abortions happen in the first trimester and the vast majority of elective later-in-pregnancy abortions happen because something terrible has occurred with the pregnancy. In NEITHER situation, do women need access to anything other than safe, legal medical care. Pro-life, Inc has spent 50 years taking that away from women and the country didn't want it taken away from women, so why in the world would y'all expect compromise?
As an ocean-feeder on the bottom of law for many years, I learned early that in negotiations "Pigs get fat and hawgs get slaughtered." After the Casey decision (a terrible decision), Prolife, Inc. was a pig and they got to pig it up by running around the country and installing thousands of terrible abortion laws in gerrymandered states. Everyone ignored Prolife, Inc, back then because Roe was still in place and that kept the Pro-life, Inc. from doing its worst to our women. After Dobbs (an insane decision), Pro-life, Inc, turned into the biggest hawg I've ever seen - with trigger abortion bans and abortion bans allowed to go into place that were enacted before states were even formed. This Fall, watch that hawg get slaughtered.
Roe v. Wade WAS the compromise and the GOP should have left it alone.
And that will be the ONLY good thing Trump leaves behind - the END of abortion as a political issue in these United States.
As a man and father of eight and grandfather to ten I should have no right or legal standing to say what a woman can or can not do. But, and you know there is always a "but." With almost 80 years of experience I have some opinions. My friends just think I am an old Socialist, I do like Bernie. But (there it is again) realistically the Democrats are the only party that will support a strong Social Safety Net that protects not only mother and baby from conception to natural death but a Safety Net to protect all of us.
I personally now benefit from Medicare as all Americans should be able to do. This "strong" Social Safety Net is going to be expensive. The rich are going to have to pay their fair share and the Military Industrial Complex (as described by President Eisenhower (R)) is going to have to take a financial hit, Is this realistic? NO. So, if we are never going to have a strong Social Safety Net what can we do? How about enforcing existing building codes. This addresses one of the reasons a woman may think an abortion is necessary, who in their right mind would want to take a new born home to an apartment over run with mold and vermin, no heat in the Winter and no air-conditioning in the Summer. Hold Slum Lords accountable and if they are corporations hold their shareholders accountable.
I am a Pro-Life Democrat and member of DFLA. I put my money where my mouth is when it comes to social issues. What social issues (???), take a look at Matthew 25:31-46 for a starter. My wife passed away a little over a year ago, I have had a family from Mexico living with me since last November, they are seeking asylum. They are good people and no, we do not eat dogs.
Peace my friends
This is a rare political season in this country where so much has surfaced that it has moved beyond our ability to process and cope. Prior to Roe being overturned, did the Republican party let women know that perhaps they felt that the rug was being pulled out from under them , but take heart we will take care of you? No! Fast forward and we are seeing women with real life emergencies being turned away from hospitals left to manage the potential for bleeding out! Pro-life Democrats (like me) know that we have a long way to go to provide for the health and safety of women in this country. We were then dealing with life-threatening Covid, an insurrection, conspiracy theories galore. It's all too much!! We may not be making the progress we wanted because more Dems are focused in moving past Trump in order to truly make inroads toward forwarding a pro-life message. The recent diaper drive was no small energizing campaign since it also boosted our psyches with a small yet powerful message of how we keep on keeping on with one woman supporting effort at a time until all of this Democracy in jeopardy turn of events takes a much less scary tone after the 2024 election.
Yes, it is always disappointing to find litmus tests for membership in a political party rather than a big tent approach. Sadly, I have found it impossible to discuss my mixed feelings about abortion with friends who are committed Democrats. Several of them have literally refused to even listen to my reasons. I was not trying to change their views just to explain my feelings on the issue. Reducing a complicated issue like abortion to a simple yes or no duality reduces our ability to find a place of compromise.
Democrats love war mongering and killing.
Thank you for this article. This attitude is shameful. I too am a lifelong Democrat, now politically homeless, because of the intolerance I see in the party.
On this particular issue, the Democrat outcry is deafening. and the hand wringing is hysterical. Yet, the CDC reported about 550,000 abortions in 2021 and the Guttmacher Institute, pro-life and funded by Planned Parenthood, reports over 1,000,00 abortions in 2023. And this doesn’t include abortions by the morning after pill, of which there are many!! Yet, over and over the site decries the terrible impact R v W has had on abortion accessibility. Jeez, what is the target number??
Because they are counting on abortion to be the one issue to get them over the finish line. It’s the only issue they are strong on and their message discipline has to be one hundred percent.