One of my friends on Facebook sent me a message apparently objecting to one of my posts about Joe Biden and his support for abortion. I'm not sure which post prompted that response, but part of the response was basically that President Trump's pro-life status consisted just of being anti-abortion.
I responded:
I think you need to look at Trump’s record a little
more closely.
Abortion is a clear and significant pro-life issue,
one that currently outweighs so many others because of the scale of it. Every
year, hundreds of thousands of babies are killed. Every year, countless numbers
of women (and men) are lift with physical and emotional scars. We certainly
want a President who speaks out against it – and takes action. Biden’s position
on abortion is extreme, and completely out of keeping with Catholic teachings.
Related to that is government funding for
abortion/birth control, promoting it national and internationally, and forcing
people to pay for them, and to participate in them in some way. That’s a
violation of their conscience rights – do we really want to go after the Little
Sisters of the Poor again? The current administration has sought to limit this,
cutting funding, halting promotion. The Obama/Biden administration increased
such funding and efforts, and sought to undermine conscience rights.
In addition
to conscience rights related to abortion is conscience rights related to gay
marriage. This administration – while Trump is gay tolerant – has opposed
forcing people of faith from being forced to take part in gay wedding in some
way. And Trump did not betray his religious faith and officiate in a gay
wedding.
Embryonic stem cell research is a pro-life issue.
The Trump administration banned embryonic stem cell research by the federal
government (The Obama/Biden administration actually supported and increased
funding for it.).
Prison reform is a pro-life issue. Trump signed the
First-Step Act, freeing thousands of inmates who had lengthy sentences but who
had shown good behavior – and his administration redirected funding to help
support the program.
Human Trafficking is a
pro-life issue, Trump earlier this year signed an executive order expanding
efforts to combat it. In the first two years of the Trump administration, there
were more than 12,000 arrests for human trafficking – and average of 6,000 a
year. In contrast, in the last year of the Obama/Biden administration, there
were just over 500 arrests.
Racism is a pro-life issue.
Economic aspects come in here. Under Trump (before the pandemic hit), Black
unemployment reached record lows – people had jobs. The Trump administration
created economic empowerment zones in impoverished – primarily minority –
areas. That has led to the creation of businesses and jobs.
On two pro-life issues, the use
of the military, and the death penalty, the positions of the two candidates are
comparable – essentially a wash. The Trump administration has made use of drone
strikes, for example, but so did the Obama/Biden administration. Trump supports
the death penalty, but then so has Biden for years (though he seems to be
shifting his position – it’s not clear yet that he will ultimately oppose it.
Given his switch on the Hyde Amendment, it could happen for political reasons.)
Trump had also made many MANY mistakes.
His record is not perfect when it comes to life issues (environmental ones, for
example) – or so many other things. But, he has done a lot for life beyond just
opposing abortion. And the contrast between him and Biden on so many issues is
very clear.
Oh, and by the way, I did not
vote for Trump.
.................................................I'm not likely to vote for Trump this time either - though I'm safe voting third party given the state I'm in. But he does have a far more pro-life record, however flawed, than Biden promises to have.
Pax et bonum
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