It might seem a little bold for a Canadian to give advice to American pro-lifers on how to manage their political affairs.
Notwithstanding the complete lack of fetal rights in this country, I will venture to put forward an opinion on the American Presidential race.
The socially liberal candidates for the Republican nomination-- John McCain and Rudy Giuliani (I might be forgetting others, there are so many)-- are trying to pander to the pro-life vote by appealing to what appear to be pro-life values.
Don't fall for it.
John McCain has said that he thinks Roe v. Wade should be overturned and Rudy Giuliani has said that he's personally oppposed to abortion, but that he would appoint conservative judges.
I have a strong fear about these ploys.
These tactics appeal to anti-abortion sentiment. John McCain and Rudy Giuliani are very mainstream about their feelings about their abortion. Their willingness to say things that could appeal to pro-lifers says a lot about the remarkable work that pro-lifers have done in the US.
But please pro-lifers: don't sell yourself cheap in this next Republican race.
As it is, openly pro-life presidents such as Ronald Reagan and George Bush Sr. didn't do a whole lot for unborn children.
Even George W. Bush couldn't go as far as we would have liked. The Partial Birth Abortion ban, the prohibition of federal funding of embryonic stem cell research and the acknowledgement of unborn children as patients for the purposes of Medicare-- these were all excellent starts.
But as it is, the PBA ban is in limbo and the funding of embryonic stem cell research is now on the agenda.
These are all extremely modest initiatives in the fight for unborn rights.
What makes anyone think that McCain and Giuliani will deliver more than that?
Although they say that they want to appoint conservative judges, it won't mean they will. If George W. Bush had a hard time with that, what tells us that McCain and Giuliani would have an easier time?
Giving the vote to Giuliani or McCain would be selling one's vote cheap.
One of the problems with the situation is that the language of the rhetoric might suade pro-lifers into voting for them.
It's still called the abortion issue. It's still centred on abortion.
Many, maybe most, American pro-lifers think in terms of ending an action rather than acknowledging the equality of the unborn child.
So the talk is centred on abortion and what to do about this act.
McCain's and Giuliani's rhetoric does speak to that. Appointing conservative judges would, eventually, lead to the overturn of Roe v. Wade. No doubt about that.
But is that all pro-lifers should expect from their President?
Pro-lifers should be talking more and more about fetal rights. I was heartened to see coverage of the West Coast March for Life calling the pro-life movement the civil rights movement of our time. It should be a civil rights movement, a fetal rights movement. Yes, it is anti-abortion, yes it is pro-life, but without specifically mentioning fetal rights, the discussion loses the focus on the unborn child.
McCain and Giuliani are not thinking in terms of the unborn child. They're thinking in terms of an act. They should not be asked to speak to what they think about abortion but rather about fetal rights.
This would be far more fruitful, and would push the envelope more, than simply taking what pro-lifers can get, and running with it.
In life, when you negotiate, and someone wants something you have, you don't put forward a low bidding price. If you want to sell your used car for $10 000, you don't ask for $8 000 and hope the buyer raises the ante. You ask for $20 000 and if need be, bargain down to $10 000. You might not even get to $10 000-- you might sell for $15 000 or $12 000.
In the same way, if pro-lifers are willing to accept limited abortion bans or fetal rights, given the American political context, you don't ask for a small concesion and then run with it-- you ask for more.
So really, American pro-lifers should be asking McCain and Giuliani: we want equal rights for unborn children. What are you willing to do to that end?
If pro-lifers push the envelope a little more, and rally behind that strategy, there could be a true political advance in the struggle for unborn rights in the US.
We Canadian pro-lifers are counting on you. The world is counting on you. Make no mistake about it. You are the leaders in this fight.
Trackback to The Bullwinkle Blog and Adam's Blog.
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