Below is a post-election analysis sent out by Fr. Frank Pavone. Very interesting is his hope/analysis that the Democrats who have been elected to Congress more closely resemble at least centrist viewpoints, rather than the far-left liberal policies that have become stereotypically associated with the Republican Party. Although many Democratic Party candidates that have been elected do tend to support policies violently opposed to the teaching of the Catholic CHruch, Fr. Frank seems to think the tide may be turning.
By Fr. Frank Pavone
National Director, Priests for Life
Pendulums swing, and political experts point out that the results of yesterday's
elections are not unusual for the sixth year of a two-term President. I will
leave to them the detailed political commentary about the dynamics of this
election. Let me share with you, however, some key points for us to keep in mind
as a pro-life movement, and as we continue with renewed zeal to press forward
with our goals.
1. The Democrats gained power by latching onto our momentum, not theirs. These
comments in the Washington Post today are instructive: "The complexion of the
Democratic presence in Congress will change as well. Party politics will be
shaped by the resurgence of "Blue Dog" Democrats, who come mainly from the South
and from rural districts in the Midwest and often vote like Republicans. Top
Democrats such as Rep. Rahm Emanuel (Ill.) see these middle-of-the-road
lawmakers as the future of the party in a nation that leans slightly right of
center. In private talks before the election, Emanuel and other top Democrats
told their members they cannot allow the party's liberal wing to dominate the
agenda next year."
And the hear of the "liberal wing" is support for abortion on demand.
The Democrats did not (and could not) gain any control in Congress by opposing
the pro-life position, but rather by having enough candidates who claimed to
embrace it (like Bob Casey, Jr.). Neither party made abortion a top campaign
issue; meanwhile, on issues like the war or taxes or spending, pro-life people
take various positions. Democratic advances are no indication that people buy
into the party's platform on abortion, which in fact the American public has
never supported.
2. Unless pro-life wins, nobody wins. The Democrats' continued failure to affirm
that government must protect unborn children from the violence of abortion calls
into serious question their ability to speak credibly about war. In 1994, Mother
Teresa asked President Clinton, and all America, "The greatest destroyer of
peace today is abortion, because it is a war against the child, a direct killing
of the innocent child, murder by the mother herself. And if we accept that a
mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one
another?" (Speech at the National Prayer Breakfast, February 3, 1994).
The Washington Post reports today that exit polls found 41 percent of voters
rated corruption "extremely important" to their decision. Yet corruption cuts
both political ways. The willingness to permit, under law, the dismemberment of
children in the womb without so much as supporting measures to give them pain
relief represents a deep corruption of the mind and heart. In fact, one of the
first questions I have for the new House leadership is, "What action will you
take on the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act, that would require a mother to be
given the option of providing pain relief for her unborn child at 20 or more
weeks of pregnancy before killing that child by abortion?"
Indeed, it's time for Democrats to prove our point. Every effort to build a just
society will fail until we eliminate the most fundamental injustice. We cannot
welcome the poor or the immigrant without welcoming our own children, and we
cannot advance peace in the world until there's peace in the womb.
3. Culturally, we continue to have the momentum. The fact is, we are well on our
way to re-establishing peace in the womb, despite the Democratic extremism on
abortion.
Today, I will be in the Supreme Court to listen to the oral arguments in which
the Bush Administration will defend the Federal Ban on Partial-birth abortion.
This law represents the first time the United States has banned an abortion
procedure since Roe vs. Wade. That would not have happened except for the
election victories of the last six years. Moreover, the law is being considered
by a Supreme Court with two new Justices, placed there again as a result of
electoral progress over the last six years and likely to be favorable to
upholding the ban.
Every trend continues to move in our direction:
* opinion polls about abortion
* the declining number of abortions, abortionists, and abortion mills
* the strong new motivation of our young pro-life activists who know they are
abortion survivors
* the growing voice of women and men harmed by abortion, who contradict its
promise of "benefit"
* the evidence in science about who the child is
* the medical evidence that abortion is no benefit to women
* the sociological evidence that abortion is no benefit to society
* a new wave of clergy who are more ready for the pro-life battle than ever
* a new wave of reporters and other professionals who are far more pro-life than
their predecessors
and much more.
4. The vote on the South Dakota ban does not mean what abortion supporters want
it to mean. The American people continue to oppose all but a small fraction of
the abortions that are permitted. The circumstances in which most of the
American public supports the legality of abortion are the circumstances of rape,
incest, or a threat to the mother's life or physical health - circumstances
which account for a few percentage points of the total numbers of abortion.
This, in fact, explains why there was not majority support at the ballot box for
the South Dakota abortion ban. Pro-abortion forces, bringing most of their money
in from outside of the state, bargained on being able to get the people to
reject a "no rape exception policy," and hence miss the forest for the trees.
The people of South Dakota don't support the Planned Parenthood policy of
abortion on demand, and neither does the rest of America. But don't hold your
breath waiting for abortion supporters to tell you that.
5. Keep politics in perspective. Ultimately, what are we seeking when we try to
put pro-life public officials into office? We are not looking to them to do our
work for us. We are looking to them to do their work and to let us do ours.
Ultimately, the People of God have the responsibility for ending abortion, and
will do so. The only question is how many obstacles public officials will put in
their way, not whether public officials will stop them. The work of public
officials is, first and foremost, to protect the public. Yet it is that same
duty that falls to the People of God as they continue to expose the truth about
abortion, promote alternatives, heal those wounded by abortion and help them
speak out, close abortion facilities, and continue to work within the
legislative and political arena to challenge government to fulfill the purpose
for which it was established.
6. Start working now for 2008. Pendulums swing, and elections are about people
getting involved. The time to begin the effort to elect people in 2008,
including a pro-life president, is now. Mobilize, educate, grow your lists, and
be more vocal and confident than ever before. I look forward to working together
with you to pick up the slack, awaken our fellow citizens and believers with the
enduring message of truth and life, and restoring, in culture and in law, the
protection of our most vulnerable brothers and sisters. Remember, we are not
just working for victory; we are working from victory. Victory is our starting
point, because Christ is Risen. The outcome of the battle for life has already
been decided. It only remains for us to be sure to do our part to proclaim,
celebrate, and serve that victory, and bring its transforming power to every
segment of our society!
God bless you!
Fr. Frank Pavone
National Director, Priests for Life
