While researching a healthcare company tonight, I came across an article on "Medical News Today" under the Abortion News Tab. In it they disccused how new fault lines are being defined in the body politic now that Catholics are moving to Obama and I am encouraged by what it tells us about the future of the party and more importantly our community at large.
In an opinion piece by Newsweek contributor George Weigel, a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, examines the emergence of Catholic abortion-rights opponents who are backing Sen. Barack Obama (Ill) in the presidential race despite his support for abortion rights
Since the percentage of people who identify themselves as Catholic has remained at about 22% since the 1960's this is an important shift.
Mitt Romney's (LDS strongly dicourage it but leave it up to each couple to decide) co-chair of all people has also now voiced his support for Obama as well in a Newsweek article.
The most visible support comes from Douglas Kmiec -- a former dean of the Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law and current Pepperdine University law professor who served in the Justice departments of Presidents Reagan and George H.W. Bush, as well as serving as the co-chair of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's (R) presidential campaign. Kmiec is the author of a new book, titled "Can a Catholic Support Him? Asking the Big Questions about Barack Obama," which was written after he concluded that "Obama was sounding more Catholic than most Catholics" on issues like wages, health care and the war in Iraq.
I was raised Christian by a Baptist Mom and an Episcopalian Dad as a Methodist and one of my sisters is a Druid and the other sends her kids to a Christian school (fun family) so I have always been one of those women caught in the middle of this issue. It is especially poignant since like 1 in 7 couples we were never able to have children ourselves.
Even though the rates have dropped dramatically between the 70's and now (down 50% for teens and 33% for women) in the United States, about half of all pregnancies are unintended, and 42% of unintended pregnancies are terminated by abortion. (about 20% of all pregnancies end in abortion)and there remains a pretty dramatic racial disparity (that might reflect lack of health insurance and lack of access to birth control). It is still three times higher among Hispanic women and five times higher among black women, compared to white women.
Although I have worked in homeless clinics, install computer systems in abortion clinics and driven Mormon friends to the hospital for abortions I have also always felt that we need to have a more reasoned public discussion of the issues behind those numbers and a deeper understanding of why there is such disparity between different groups versus the polarizing arguments that we often hear. Personally I like Obama believe as a fundamental liberty right essential for women's equality, but I also think that no one wants to see 20% of all pregnancies (1 million a year) happen if that isn't necessary.
Another Catholic Obama (or is is Obama Catholic?) supporter is Nicholas Cafardi. He is a law professor who was one of the original members of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' National Review Board,
Cafardi has stated that abortion is not the only "intrinsic evil" of the day, citing "intrinsically evil" acts of the Bush administration, including its policies on the interrogation and detention of terrorist suspects, as well as its actions after Hurricane Katrina. Furthermore, Cafardi says that Obama "supports government action that would reduce the number of abortions," including an "adequate social safety net for poor women who might otherwise have abortions."
The Newsweek article is reasoned and complex and well worth a read if you are Catholic (both Biden and Peloski are) or not. I did look to see if this had been diaried already but I am not online very single day so I apologize if this has already been discussed. I am not trying to start a discussion on abortion but on how we as a party have moved into a more nuanced position that allows people with differing views to stand alongside of us as we work to resolve social issues.