The myth of the single issue pro-life voter

By Iowans for LIFE

“How can you vote for that man and that party?”

the daughter sobbed hysterically to her shellshocked parents.

“You’re nothing but a single issue pro-life voter. I can’t even talk with you right now!”

In a conversation between a group of pro-lifers, the scenario above was reported not once, not twice, but three times. Has anything like this happened to you?

These conversations often occur between a Millennial son or daughter, indoctrinated by our universities, and their more conservative, pro-life parents. Sometimes the child lives at home, sometimes he or she lives elsewhere, established in their own lives and careers. Either way, the challenge of traversing the political landmines of our our age is daunting.

Conversations are difficult, because they quickly become emotionally-charged. What’s a parent to do?

If your child asks for whom you are going to vote, you might respond,

“why do you ask? I’m happy to discuss the issues with you if you really want to know.”

They usually don’t. Chances are, they want you to agree with them, and if you don’t, there isn’t going to be a real conversation. More likely, the exchange will quickly become emotionally-charged, and ultimately unproductive.

Focus on issues

The best approach is to focus on issues and what you think are the best policies to solve the issues. Avoid personalities. After all, who would vote for someone they like, but would pursue destructive policies?

By the same token, who wouldn’t vote for someone they don’t like, but would pursue constructive policies when compared to the other candidate?

Iowans for LIFE is concerned with life issues. Readers of our blog know that they are often accused of being a single issue pro-life voter. So when your child hurls an emotionally-charged accusation at you that “you’re nothing but a single issue pro-life voter,” remain calm. Take a deep breath. Say something like this:

Issue one

“Actually, you’re mistaken. The life issue is far from a single topic when it comes to politics and public policies. It is six. Thank-you for respecting me enough to clear the air on this important subject.

I believe that it is always immoral to kill an innocent human being, which is what I always taught you. My belief is grounded in my faith and in science. In a recent survey of biologists, 96% of biologists stated that human life begins at fertilization.

And yet one political party calls for abortion-on-demand for the entire nine months of a woman’s pregnancy. That’s around 800,000 human beings killed every single year. I can’t vote for a party that calls for that, and that’s just one life issue.

Issue two

The second is they want taxpayers to pay for it. Have you read about Medicare for All? It’s in the language of their proposed legislation. Even more, one party calls for the end of the Hyde Amendment, which prevents the use of taxpayer money for abortions. I can’t in good conscience vote for a party that demands that I pay for the killing of innocent human life.

It gets worse.

Issue three

The third life issue is one-party’s refusal to support born-alive legislation. Hundreds of babies survive abortion every year. This law would require doctors to treat these survivors like any other baby instead of letting them die. It would sanction doctors who don’t. How could anyone oppose such compassionate legislation?

If possible, it gets still worse.

Issue four

The fourth issue is Medicare for All. If it passes, it requires Catholic doctors and nurses, and other people of faith, to violate their consciences and participate in abortions, or lose their jobs. It’s already happening in some locales. It just happened to a young, female doctor in Portland last year.

I’ve heard candidates … I’m sure you’ve heard them, too … tell us we Catholics can’t impose our religion on someone else. What do you think they’re doing but imposing their own religion on us? I can’t vote for a party that calls for that.

Issue five

And it get even worse with the fifth life issue. The abortion party wants to end the Mexico City Policy, which prevents the U.S. government from using taxpayer dollars to export abortion to other countries.

Issue six

And perhaps the worst part of this whole conversation, considering the times in which we live, is the sixth life issue. Abortion is racist.

The African-American community is disproportionately impacted by human abortion, because nearly half of all black babies in the womb are aborted. Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood, actively called for the reduction of undesirable populations, whom she called “human weeds.” But even Sanger opposed abortion. Today, blacks represent only 13% of our population, but 35% of all abortions. One party calls for more funding of Planned Parenthood, even though they know it affects blacks way more than any other group. The African-American birth rate is below-replacement level, because of abortion.

What can be more racist than that?

Again, thank-you for respecting me enough to explain why the life issue is far more complex than a single issue. I’m always interested in discussing other issues like immigration, the economy, and foreign policy. But these subjects pale in comparison to the 60 million deaths directly attributable to abortion since 1973.

There is no nuance between parties or candidates on the life issue. That’s why I vote for the life candidate every time.”

[Thanks to Iowans for LIFE for permission to re-publish this blogpost from their website. Learn more about their upcoming Christmas Gala on November 21st.]