By Jim Sedlak
In the last two weeks, both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party have held their respective national conventions and selected their nominees for president and vice president of the United States. In this article, we are not going to discuss individual candidates, but will look briefly at the contrasting platforms of both parties. Our purpose is to give you a quick idea of where each party stands on questions dealing with the sanctity of the lives of every human being—born and preborn.
The importance of the platforms is that individuals who run for various offices, especially at the national level (president, vice president, and Congress) are expected to vote for and work for bills that reflect the party platform.
On the matter of abortion, the Democrat 2020 Platform takes the following positions:
- Democrats [believe] that every woman should be able to access high-quality reproductive health care services, including safe and legal abortion. (stated twice)
- Democrats oppose restrictions on medication abortion.
- Democrats will always protect sexual and reproductive health and rights. We believe that comprehensive health services, including access to reproductive care and abortion services, are vital to the empowerment of women and girls.
- We will support the repeal of the global gag rule (also known as the Mexico City Policy) and measures like the Helms Amendment, which limit safe access to abortion.
- We will also restore and expand American contributions to the United Nations Population Fund to help guarantee access to health care for women and children around the world.
These are positions that racist Planned Parenthood and other pro-abortion groups have fought hard to get into the Democratic Party platform. Item number two is actually a top priority of Planned Parenthood’s at this time. The specific “restriction” Planned Parenthood wants removed is the requirement that the abortion pill can only be dispensed at a medical facility. It cannot be sold in pharmacies or delivered through the mail. Planned Parenthood wants to be able to take orders for the abortion pill through telehealth links and then mail the pills. It will greatly increase the profits for PP and will see more babies die.
The Republicans decided not to create a new platform this year and will adhere to its 2016 platform. That platform speaks not only about abortion, but euthanasia and other “life” concerns:
- We oppose the use of public funds to perform or promote abortion or to fund organizations, like Planned Parenthood, so long as they provide or refer for elective abortions or sell fetal body parts.
- We will not fund or subsidize healthcare that includes abortion coverage.
- We support the appointment of judges who respect traditional family values and the sanctity of innocent human life.
- We oppose the non-consensual withholding or withdrawal of care or treatment, including food and water, from individuals with disabilities, newborns, the elderly, or the infirm, just as we oppose euthanasia and assisted suicide.
- We affirm our moral obligation to assist, rather than penalize, women who face an unplanned pregnancy. In order to encourage women who face an unplanned pregnancy to choose life.
- We oppose school-based clinics that provide referral or counseling for abortion and contraception.
- American taxpayers should not be forced to fund abortion.
Obviously, Planned Parenthood is not happy with any of these statements in the Republican platform—especially the stated effort to withhold taxpayer money from Planned Parenthood by name. Planned Parenthood is so upset that it has already committed to spend more than $45 million to defeat candidates who run on this platform.
In addition to the specific statements on abortion, there is another topic that is of particular concern to Planned Parenthood. For at least 60 years, Planned Parenthood has been pushing, through its sexuality education programs, the concept of sexual fluidity. It tells our children there is an entire spectrum of sexual experience and not just male or female. It is a concept that has been actively opposed by parents and routinely thrown out of local schools.
Here, in the 21st century, this has evolved into the concept of “gender identity.” You are not restricted to being male or female but can change your identity whenever you want—being a female one day and a male the next if you desire. Planned Parenthood wants this concept to be accepted and fights hard to get political parties to embrace it.
The Democratic Party platform mentions its support of “gender identity” 14 different times.
The Republican Party platform does not mention “gender identity” at all.
The two platforms present a clear picture of the two parties. You can choose to support unfettered abortion and confusing gender roles from the party of death or support every human being from his biological beginning with acknowledgement of the gender assigned by God from the party of life.
When faced with this choice, the Bible makes your decision clear: “I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19).
Jim Sedlak is executive director of American Life League, founder of STOPP International, and host of a weekly talk show on the Radio Maria Network. He has been successfully fighting racist Planned Parenthood since 1985.