Why someone who is anti-abortion can vote for Obama!

[Flareod]

First of all let me get this out of the way: I'm not American and I can't vote. But this election is not just an election for the American President. It is one for a major world leader.

Since both you and I don’t have much time, let me get straight to the point. I know I'm probably too late with this post for a lot of people - however if I can help someone change their mind, or help someone help convince another person, then I think this post might be worth it.

Like many people I am Christian. I also have great respect for human life and believe that "life" starts in the womb. But this isn't a place for discussion of the morality of abortion. I'm writing this post as if I am discussing the issue with someone who thinks that abortion is wrong, not necessarily because that is the case, but because that is the kind of person who needs convincing that they can vote for Obama.

First, if you want to assess Obama on his character; Obama has acknowledged that abortion is a tragedy. Contrary to popular belief, he does not believe abortion is a “good” thing. He does, however, believe that it is sometimes necessary.

Whether or not one agrees with Obama’s personal morality in relation to issue the most important things to look at are his policies. Looking at Obama’s policies and voting history on a superficial level, one might immediately assume that a vote for Obama is a vote for more abortions. However you must also remember that Obama plans on providing lower and middle-class people with greater tax-breaks, better educational opportunities and better health care than McCain would. All of these initiatives make it easier for an individual to “choose” life for their unborn child. In fact, I have little doubt that if Obama was to carry out these promises it would help struggling women in bad situations to say yes to life.

It is because of this that Obama is aiming to create a society which promotes life, even if this might not be through obvious and overt means. I believe that a society shaped by Obama would be one in which less abortions are performed, because it would be easier to chose life. That said, I believe things like health-care, tightening of gun laws, Obama’s anti-war stance and his opposition to the death-penalty can all be considered opinions which are overtly “pro-life”.

If you don’t believe me that a President who has a pro-choice stance can lower abortion rates, one only has to turn to Clinton. It is interesting to note that despite his relatively “pro-choice” stance, abortions dropped under him to a greater degree than they have with any other president (if my statistics are correct, from about 1.6 million down to about 1.3 million). Under Bush, someone who claims to be pro-life, this number has almost stopped decreasing altogether. McCain’s only plan to try and decrease abortion is to attempt to overturn Roe vs. Wade, a strategy that has been ineffective from the get-go.

So I think that anyone who claims to be “pro-life” should vote for Barack Obama, because he is a candidate who is, in his own way, for life.

I will leave you with this thought: My ideal society is not one in which abortion is illegal, but one in which it does not need to be illegal.

[Aino]

Yes, exactly!

[Flareod]

I'm glad someone agrees. I often feel like I'm talking to a brick-wall with people who just respond with "but... he wants to legalise abortion"! I just have to shake my head because they manage to miss my point spectacularly.

[sweetblackcoffee]

Being for are against abortion is what has our country in a 700billion dollars in the RED nor did it start the war that is still going on now lets pray that being rape or u should get knock up by mistake and u don't want it and there could be a # of reasons for not wanting to keep it what will u do have he or she and give it away that would still be u not having it and just remember GOD still forgives, out of all the democrats thats been in office I know Obama is not the first to be as u say anti-pro life and will not be the last.

[Ali]

*applauds* THANK YOU for writing such a smart and well thought out post. I think alot of people could do with reading this :)

[Karolina]

Here here! I'm sick of people choosing McCain just because he is "pro-life".

Obama is the REAL pro-life.

[sweetblackcoffee]

***applauds*** goes out to u and THANK U for answering Ali cause u and I, etc are as just as smart.