Democrats for Life Leader Calls on Pro-Life Voters to "Take Back" the Democratic Party
Micaiah Bilger Jul 25, 2016 | 3:17PM Washington, DC
The Democratic Party has not always been so extreme on abortion. The party, which prides itself in fighting for the vulnerable, once welcomed strong pro-life politicians who fought for the rights of unborn babies. It later abandoned that fight and aligned itself with the abortion industry instead.
But a vocal contingent within the party wants its national leaders to welcome those who fight for unborn babies' rights again.
Kristen Day, executive director of Democrats for Life, is one of the leading figures who is urging the Democratic Party to reverse its radical pro-abortion agenda. She recently spoke with Crux about the party, the 2016 presidential election and abortion.
As late as 2010, there were still some Democrats fighting against the radical pro-abortion agenda. That year, Day said Democrats in both the U.S. House and Senate fought against taxpayer funded abortions.
"… there was excitement among Democrats for being free to oppose abortion," Day said. "The abortion lobby is vicious, and applies tremendous pressure on Democrats to confirm to one way of thinking on abortion."
Six years later, the party has very few pro-life Democrats left. And its new platform is the most extreme on abortion ever – calling for taxpayer funding of abortion both in the U.S. and abroad, and unregulated abortion for any reason through all nine months of pregnancy.
She and fellow pro-life Democrat Charles Camosy wrote for the Los Angeles Times:
U.S. abortion law (which permits abortion for any reason until viability, about 22 to 23 weeks) already makes many progressive countries in Europe (which set their threshold for abortion at 12 to 13 weeks) look like pro-life radicals. Now the Democratic platform pushes the party to roll back even the very modest abortion regulations currently on the books.
And removing even a nod toward "religious liberty" from the platform puts Democrats at fundamental odds with the many religious organizations whose mission is nonviolence and protection of the most vulnerable.
Day said the new platform shows that party is not welcoming to pro-life Democrats anymore. In the column, Day and Camosy called the radical new platform a "flat-out betrayal" of 21 million pro-life Democrats and the unborn babies and moms who they believe should be protected.
"I have been working on behalf of pro-life democrats since 1996, and this is the worst I have seen it and our party is at its smallest numbers," she told Crux. "Again, party leaders are blind to the fact that the party is weak when we exclude people. We cannot legitimately claim the mantle of the 'big tent' party of diversity and inclusion when we openly say that we don't want pro-life voters."
"… the party that is supposedly on the side of justice for the vulnerable no longer welcomes those of us who #ChooseBoth; that is, those of us who want the government to protect and support prenatal children and their mothers," she continued.
Instead of taxpayer funding for abortion, Day said the party should put money toward the pregnancy assistance fund in the Affordable Care Act, which would help pregnant women and their children.
She said she has found hope in watching the pro-life feminist movement grow and promote a message of love and support to both babies and moms. Eventually, she hopes their compassionate pro-life approach will change the political landscape on abortion and help take back the party from pro-abortion activists, she said.
"They are building pro-life health clinics, teaching churches to support single pregnant women instead of shunning them and advocating for women and our ability to persevere," Day said. "My crystal ball tells me the pro-life feminists are going to take over the movement with a message of love and support."
To her fellow pro-life Democrats, she added, "I would urge them to start getting active in the Democratic Party and help us take the party back from the pro-abortion forces who are trying to increase the abortion rate and their bottom line."