about the 2008 Presidential election
I believe that a woman's right to choose and gay rights should not be political issues - they are about individual choices. If the Republicans would only agree that "market forces" and "states' rights" were applicable to these issues, I'd not have such a problem with them.
It troubles me that the Republican party favors constitutional amendments abridging rights. The forces of expanding rights and equality come from the ground up, and our country has a history of expansion in those areas. The 13th, 14th, 19th, 24th, 26th constitutional amendments about people's rights have been about more rights - emancipation, women's suffrage, voting rights.
A friend recently spoke with Maine Senator Susan Collins, who told her not to worry about Roe v Wade ever being overturned. How then does she reconcile with the Republican platform, then? It's a scary one in terms of choice and gay rights. I looked at the platform and found these items:
We support a human life amendment to the Constitution, and we endorse legislation to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment's protections apply to unborn children. (p. 52)
Because our children's future is best preserved within the traditional understanding of marriage, we call for a constitutional amendment that fully protects marriage as a union of a man and a woman, so that judges cannot make other arrangements equivalent to it. (p. 53)
My understanding is that the candidate agrees to the platform and has a key role in shaping it. This would be the agenda for a Republican administration.
So while Susan Collins may well be right (and I hope and pray she is!!!), this IS the stated agenda for McCain and Palin, and the folks electing them will be voting for this agenda. That's what I object to so strenuously.
It was strange reading the Republican platform (which is at www.gopplatform2008.com if you're interested). In addition to there being a lot of histrionic, hyperbolic language, there was an almost laughable misquoting of the Declaration of Independence:
As the Declaration of Independence states, our rights are endowed to us by our Creator and are inalienable: rights to life, liberty, and property. (p. 17)
The actual text is this:
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Text of Declaration of Independence
I think this use of the word "property" instead of "happiness" reflects the Republican Party's focus on getting "more" of "what's mine." It's so fear-based. Sad and scary.
It troubles me that the Republican party favors constitutional amendments abridging rights. The forces of expanding rights and equality come from the ground up, and our country has a history of expansion in those areas. The 13th, 14th, 19th, 24th, 26th constitutional amendments about people's rights have been about more rights - emancipation, women's suffrage, voting rights.
A friend recently spoke with Maine Senator Susan Collins, who told her not to worry about Roe v Wade ever being overturned. How then does she reconcile with the Republican platform, then? It's a scary one in terms of choice and gay rights. I looked at the platform and found these items:
We support a human life amendment to the Constitution, and we endorse legislation to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment's protections apply to unborn children. (p. 52)
Because our children's future is best preserved within the traditional understanding of marriage, we call for a constitutional amendment that fully protects marriage as a union of a man and a woman, so that judges cannot make other arrangements equivalent to it. (p. 53)
My understanding is that the candidate agrees to the platform and has a key role in shaping it. This would be the agenda for a Republican administration.
So while Susan Collins may well be right (and I hope and pray she is!!!), this IS the stated agenda for McCain and Palin, and the folks electing them will be voting for this agenda. That's what I object to so strenuously.
It was strange reading the Republican platform (which is at www.gopplatform2008.com if you're interested). In addition to there being a lot of histrionic, hyperbolic language, there was an almost laughable misquoting of the Declaration of Independence:
As the Declaration of Independence states, our rights are endowed to us by our Creator and are inalienable: rights to life, liberty, and property. (p. 17)
The actual text is this:
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Text of Declaration of Independence
I think this use of the word "property" instead of "happiness" reflects the Republican Party's focus on getting "more" of "what's mine." It's so fear-based. Sad and scary.
posted by julieannerickson at 3:32 PM
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