Democrats for Life Working for Change

You wouldn’t know it from the extreme positions held by the numerous Democrats vying for their party’s presidential nomination, but one in three Democrats identify themselves as prolife. Many prolife Democrats have become worried that their party and its leadership will become completely pro-abortion unless prolifers in their party begin to speak out and demand a change.

In 2002, Democrats for Life of America hired their first ever executive director, Kristen Day, to help promote the cause of life. Kristen, formerly chief of staff to former U.S. Representative and current Michigan State Senator Jim Barcia, is working to help elect prolife Democrats and promote a prolife plank in the Democrat Party platform.

The efforts of prolife Democrats have been met with a variety of responses. Even though the Democrat Party claims to be a party of inclusion and tolerance on the issue of abortion, the Democrat National Committee has continually denied a link on their web site to the Democrats for Life of America web site. However, the Michigan Democrats for Life caucus was “welcomed with open arms” by the Michigan Democrat Party.

William O’Neil, a state representative from Allen Park, co-founded Michigan Democrats for Life because “he wanted to get some basic exposure to the fact that you can be a Democrat and be prolife.” Even though this group is in its early stages, it plans to raise awareness of and money for prolife Democrats who run for elected office. Representative O’Neil wants to encourage anyone who is interested in getting involved with Michigan Democrats for Life to call 517/373-0140, or e-mail, woneil@house.mi.gov, his office.

The life of an elected prolife Democrat can often be difficult as pro-abortion groups like NARAL and Planned Parenthood are always working to retain their influence in the Democrat Party. Some formerly prolife Democrats have even done a complete about face when they began to seek a higher office. Al Gore, Bill Clinton, Jesse Jackson, and Dick Gephardt all come to mind. In the most recent “change of heart,” Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) went from having a basically 100 percent prolife voting record to saying that he wouldn’t vote for a ban on partial-birth abortion when he appeared on the television show Meet the Press. Why the change? Rep. Kucinich has decided to run for President and for some reason he felt it necessary to eliminate the only position that would have made him stand out from his fellow contenders.

One of the most famous prolife Democrats of our time and a former governor of Pennsylvania, the late Robert P. Casey, put his party’s current position of abortion this way, “It is for me the bitterest of ironies that abortion on demand found refuge .. found a home – and it pains me to say this – found a home in the National Democratic Party. My party, the party of the weak, the party of the powerless.”

Hats are off to the brave men and women in the Democrat Party who stand firm against the majority in their party. Prolife people must continue to support all prolife lawmakers. We are immensely proud that our state is home to two U.S. Representatives, three State Senators, twelve State Representatives and countless more commissioners, council members, and mayors who are all Democrats and 100 percent prolife.

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