April 06, 2005
Republicans vs. the Legacy of John Paul II
In the interest of full disclosure, the Rat is not, nor has he ever been, Catholic.
Nonetheless, as somebody who still believes in the teachings of Christ, if not a member of any organized church, the Rat has observed the complex legacy of John Paul II (how could one not observe this of the most powerful religious figure in the world) as well as the actions of the Republican party during his reign.
(More below the fold).
Worst still, I've seen the Republican Party, aided and abetted by the media, try to claim him as one of their own. I've done a lot of reading on this, as well as 20+ years of watching from afar, and I don't think Republicans would claim his legacy if they really took full stock of what he stood for.
While, as a staunchly feminist, pro-choice, pro-civil rights Democrat, I disagree with John Paul's stances on birth control, homosexuality and family planning on purely practical grounds, I'd like to suggest that there is much to John Paul II that the right disagrees with as well. The following are some of his stances that certainly lead me to question why Republicans are acting like this guy would vote the Bush-Cheney ticket:
- John Paul II staunchly opposed the Iraq War, and strongly rebuked the President last summer over the torture of prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison.
- John Paul II staunchly opposed the death penalty. Repeatedly, he requested that the US and other countries stop putting their own citizens to death, including appeals directed at a certain Preznit during his first term in office, as well as when he used to be a Texas Governor.
- John Paul II strongly championed the cause of the poor and the third world. The Republican Party, um, not so much.
- One of John Paul II's early causes was to champion labor, and to criticize the dangers of unbridled capitalism. The Republican Party mainly honors labor by, um, cutting overtime play, refusing to extend unemployment benefits, supporting job outsourcing, and busting labor unions.
The truth is, John Paul II's legacy is not exclusively the property of the left or right in America, and Republicans would do well to avoid the hypocrisy of claiming him as one of their own, unless of course, they are willing to accept and encourage the portion of his legacy that is not part of their platform.
Frankly, I'm not holding my breath that this is going to happen any time soon.
This has been cross-posted at Desert Rat Democrat