Friday January 22 marked the 48th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade. It’s kind of a confusing (and sad) fact, because for all of the conservative presidents that have been voted into office and for all of the conservative justices that have been appointed to the Supreme Court by those elected presidents, not much has changed. Granted, abortions are numerically declining within the United States, but for all the single-issue voting rhetoric, again, nothing much has changed. Abortion is still legal. Sadly, there’s a bit of an aftertaste with all of these elected officials. Why? Because for all those who were elected by single-issue voters, some of these politicians’ voting records have been less than pro-life.
President Biden and Vice President Harris constructed their statement on Friday with great wisdom. It is extremely important that everyone has access to care, including reproductive health care. Essentially that is a talking point to which we should all be paying attention, because in the long run, it contributes to a decline in abortions. In a sense, the call of Biden and Harris to better care for all illustrates how single-issue voting sometimes misses the mark. Again, improved access to health care and birth control leads to fewer abortions in comparison to the holy grail of overturning Roe v. Wade. Granted, it’s not 100%, but google it, better health care promotes life. In this context, it seems that too many single-issue votes have been diverted instead of applied to those promoting broader channels of opportunities for life.
However, as much as I appreciated the statement from the White House, in my Christian understanding, the statement fell short. I do not desire an administration that is “committed to codifying Roe v. Wade and appointing judges that respect foundational precedents like Roe.” I share in the Roman Catholic confusion of how can such a practitioner of the Christian faith (Pres. Biden) allow for abortion to continue? I would love to see Roe v. Wade overturned. However, I am not naïve enough to believe that just because abortion might be overturned, that all abortions would cease. Wherever there is a desire to terminate a pregnancy, people will always find a way. Take a good honest look at the neighborhoods and cities in which you live. No matter how illegal, people are still running red lights and jay walking. Laws may act as a curb to keep the traffic flowing safely, yet cars are always finding a way to jump the curb. Where there’s cars people will get hurt.
I would say in this brief Two Cities moment, that if we authentically desire the continued decline of abortion in America, then it is more than overturning a law. It is about being consistently pro-life 24/7. When was the last time all of us as pro-lifers were working towards eliminating maternal and infant health disparities, or increasing access to contraception, or supporting families economically so that all parents can raise their families with dignity? To be authentically pro-life is more than a single-issue vote. It’s a totally different perspective to be there for couples struggling with a decision because of all sorts of economic reasons.
Rather than focusing on single-issue voting, perhaps we all need to begin by asking ourselves what it really means to be pro-life. Personally, I have been deeply dismayed by those who are totally ‘anti-abortion’ yet somehow oblivious to the Covid-19 pandemic and the over 417,000 deaths. There should have been greater concern for all age groups in the pandemic as a pro-life issue. Instead, we were left with rash political comments that ‘it would be acceptable for seniors to die for the United States economy’ (for example, Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick in March 2020 and too many other references to cite). Exactly how is that a pro-life statement?
Rather than taking a single vote and rolling the dice on overturning a single court case, it’s time for all of us to be more considerate of the much larger picture. I appreciate some of the words of the President and Vice-President from last Friday’s statement. But I appreciate even more the much larger outlook of Pope Francis: “Our defense of the innocent unborn, for example, needs to be clear and passionate, for at stake is the dignity of a human life, which is always sacred and demands love for each person, regardless of his or her stage of development. Equally sacred, however, are the lives of the poor, those already born, the destitute, the abandoned and the underprivileged, the vulnerable infirm, and elderly exposed to covert euthanasia, the victims of human trafficking, new forms of slavery, and every form of rejection.” (various sources, April 2018).
Still want to talk single-issue voting? How about voting for ‘single-issue’ that once a child is born, that child will have adequate health care, housing, food on the table, a safe neighborhood, and the opportunity for a sound education. Too many children do make it to delivery, but are quickly forgotten in an America overdosing on Milk of Amnesia.
Leave a Reply
Your email is safe with us.