Author: Reemberto@gmail.com

I had to go get a haircut.  So I did.  In the late afternoon.

I walked into Raphael’s, a barber shop owned by an Iranian women who runs the shop like clockwork. There were five folks cutting hair; and about 10 waiting. From the looks of it, the United Nations; people from everywhere.

My turn came up. Ah, it’s Jose! Good. He cut my hair last time so I don’t have to explain how I want it to look. Jose remembered me. We chatted. It did not take long to go to THE issue of the day, immigration. He shared with me that a cousin of his was stuck in Honduras, being extremely vetted. Never mind that his cousin is a native born USA citizen… He may have to miss their aunt’s birthday.

I shared with him that my nephew, a Cuban born immigration lawyer is visiting Mexico with his wife, whose family has deep roots in the American west. (Her family did not cross the border, the border crossed them.) They have old relatives across the Rio Grande. So they took their USA born son to visit relatives. They are sending pictures. From the looks of it, they are having a good time… Hope they have no issues coming back in. They shouldn’t, right? They are all USA citizens. We’ll see. (Why should we even be worried about such absurdity?!?)

Afterwards I went to our unique comic book store, Alliance comics. I wanted to show them the comic books I just found in my attic. These are Archie and Fantastic Four comic books from the late 60’s, mostly in Spanish. The clerk – an African American young man – was really engaging and helpful as we tried to determine whether I want to sell these or keep them for my new grandson. I decided to keep them. I asked if he had some comic books in German, since my grandson’s mother is of German heritage and we want to teach him German as well… He said he did not have any at the time, but would help me get them.

A short walk around the corner – down Bonifant Street – I stopped by to get some local wine from our local wine producer, the Urban Winery, owned by an amazing couple of Greek heritage. On the way there, I ran across the owner of Mandalay, our Burmese restaurant. He tells me he is open on
Sunday… I have to check it out for brunch…

Across the Urban Winery is Silver Spring Books, owned by Mrs. Cynthia, one of our African American matriarchs in the community. Mrs. Cynthia is up in age; she recently fell – but is ok, so tells me the old white guy taking care of the place as she recuperates… (The space is looking for a second tenant to help out with the rent.)

… had to take a walk through Mayor Lane to see how things are going for the Studio Plaza development, a major mix use development – one of five going up in downtown Silver Spring … Lots of commotion and disruption; working on trying to minimize the impacts…

On Silver Spring Avenue I stopped by Roadhouse Oldies, a vinyl record store – one of four in downtown Silver Spring!  They have what has to be the best collection of 70’s soul music LPs. I mentioned to Scooter, the owner/operator, that I may bring over some of my own collection, including one autographed by Gladys Knight. (Yes, THE Gladys Knight, before the Pips. She actually grew up in the same little hometown where I spent a few years of my childhood – Hampton, Georgia.)

Last stop for the late afternoon: Lesaac Restaurant, one of twenty one (yes, 21!) Ethiopian eateries/cafes in downtown Silver Spring, to meet a resident activist who relentlessly advocates for these independently locally owned businesses in the area known as Fenton Village. This white lady is a firestorm of an activist. As a white person living in a very mixed community, she has gained the trust of many – and fear of some – to make things happen in the community… We had a couple of drinks as we ‘talked community’… (Though I had to share with my good Ethiopian bartender that a Cuba Libre is more Coke than rum rather than the strong rum and (little bit) of Coke she brought me. We both laughed. By the way, the injera sushi was great!)

Finally got home. My wife called. She is in Kenya doing the good work of the National Institute of Health in the HIV/AIDs world… Of course she is doing a bit of shopping in a market before coming home.

And so it was. My bubble. Love it!

My hope remains that the rest of America – particularly White America – realizes that connecting with the world is a beautiful, wonderful, positive thing… This crazy ‘chest-pumping’, fear-filled, nativism of the “America First” cry is not only divisive, but also culturally and economically a bad idea.

We have so much to learn from these amazing cultures that come to America to – together – build on this imperfect and dysfunctional Union… Of course not everyone that comes over – or those from the African-American or American-Mexican heritages that have been around here for centuries – are model citizens. Some are right down bad criminals. (Not unlike the Whites, right?) Yes, bad hombres… AND – not but – casting all these folks as dangerous to America is simply a bad idea. And – ultimately – un-American.

As for me, I will continue enJoying my bubble… AND #RESIST this loud, boisterous, warped minority who insist on creating an America that is simply not my America.

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I will not make a habit of this. (That is, to post things found elsewhere… But this list was too good to pass up. It appeared on CNN’s web-site.)

Oh, how we wish we could ‘move on’… Yet, are YOU ok with the complete elimination [i.e.: “zero out”] of these federal programs? Trump’s budget is… This is no joke or exaggeration. He is proposing to ELIMINATE these programs COMPLETELY… (If you do not know what these programs do, we suggest you take the time to Google them. Just because they do not impact you directly – or you don’t think they do! – does not mean they are not worthwhile and worthy of your hard-earned tax dollars.)

• The 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, which supports before- and after-school programs and summer programs
• Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, which funds research including clean energy
• African Development Foundation
• Appalachian Regional Commission
• Chemical Safety Board
• Community Development Block Grant, which in part funds Meals on Wheels
• Community Development Financial Institutions Fund grants, under Treasury
• Community Services Block Grant, under HHS
• Corporation for National and Community Service
• Corporation for Public Broadcasting
• Delta Regional Authority
• Denali Commission
• Economic Development Administration
• Essential Air Service program
• Global Climate Change Initiative
• Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, Chesapeake Bay funding, and other regional programs under EPA.
• HOME Investment Partnerships Program, Choice Neighborhoods, and the Self-help Homeownership Opportunity Program, all under HUD
• Institute of Museum and Library Services
• Inter-American Foundation
• US Trade and Development Agency
• Legal Services Corporation
• Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program
• McGovern-Dole International Food for Education program
• Minority Business Development Agency, under Commerce
• National Endowment for the Arts
• National Endowment for the Humanities
• NASA’s Office of Education
• Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation
• Northern Border Regional Commission
• Overseas Private Investment Corporation
• State Energy Program
• Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants program, the second-largest program feds have used to influence local education
• TIGER transportation grants
• United States Institute of Peace
• United States Interagency Council on Homelessness
• Weatherization Assistance Program
• Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

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Unemployment down. Number of people crossing the border down.

Stock market way up. Number of people entering the job market way up.

Woohoo for Trump, right?

He has scared us straight! His tough talk is evidently working. People are falling in line.

No time for questions. No need for the press. America is great again! Whoohoo!

Military might reaffirmed, check. Police power enforced, check. Communications controlled, check… Trump is trumping the world!

Increase the military budget. Embolden police to be more aggressive. Discredit the press.

Don’t you just feel it in the air? Can’t you just sense that we are back? We have the power again!

We knew it all along, right? All we needed was tough talk and scaring others with ‘in your face’ display of power.

Oh you wimpy liberals, progressives, and do-gooders! You thought you were in control. Ha!

We should have seen it coming. We never counted on the vile revenge of the combination of  uneducated whites and educated dogmatic evangelical believers. We never counted on the last hurrah of these two diminishing demographic groups that were not about to give up without one final fight… So they came together to form this toxic concoction that is the Trump administration.

Now, you’d better go back home you illegals. Behave boy! Hombre, pick those apples and shut up! Fix that tail light lest you be charged with driving while black or brown… The Jews? We’ll scare you too with a little fire here and there… Don’t you know your place? Ah, the sweet smell of making America great again!

… or is it the sickening stench?

Oh, how different would it be if we were talking about rebuilding schools at home and abroad; about staffing clinics with addiction counselors in America and building clinics in the third world; about cleaning up the water system in Flint and providing food for the famine in Africa; about celebrating the arts in local communities and throughout the world; and, encouraging neighborhood sports programs and engaging in sports diplomacy…

But no.

Those are frivolous, feel-good, non-essentials priorities of the Left that left and is no more.

We have to show strength. We have to let the world know America is for Americans first. We have to save our own…

“Our own”, that is, as in our own wealthy and wealth creators. Our own owners of the American pie; our own military complex… Never mind that they are the 1% who have been in power all along and our military continues inventing enemies to justify their ever increasing appetite for larger budgets…

Too bad.

For a short while there I truly thought we had turned the corner and America was on its way to shedding its egoist past as it became a member of the world family. For a moment there I thought we would respect other peoples, nations, and cultures and pursue diplomacy from the perspective of mutual support rather than from the zero-sum game of ‘I win you lose’. For a moment there I thought diversity was truly a national value. For a moment there I thought we cared.

Oh how foolish of me.

We are no different, no better, no more caring than anyone else in this dysfunctional crazy world… (At least for now. Under this Administration.)

Our time will come. We will do what it takes to make it be sooner rather than later…. (America is better than this.)

Onwards. Protest. Resist.

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We are told that Trump’s rise to power is all about him ‘telling it like it is’ in ‘everyday language’; in a way that ‘the common man can understand it’.

Hmmm… Same thing for Pope Francis. Populism itself is not bad. Indeed, it can be good. Very good!

He too ‘tells it like it is’ in ‘everyday language’ and in a way that the ‘common man – and women – can understand it.’

Their statements have a simplicity factor to them. You don’t need a college degree to understand them. You don’t need to be learned to relate. They convey the message without filters. They are to the point.

Oftentimes they are also broad ranging, sweeping statements that confront traditional, established norms. Their statement do not adhere to any given traditional style. There is a freshness to it.

And thus their appeal.

‘Tell it like it is!’, we like to acclaim. ‘You are saying what I am feeling’; ‘Yeah, that’s right.’

There’s an uncanny similarities to Trump and Francis approach to getting out their message…

 

EXCEPT.

Except one comes at it from a populism that pulls at our gut’s visceral instinct and the other pulls our heart strings.

Trump’s populism is divisive and void of empathy. Francis’ populism is first and foremost empathetic and forgiving.

 

When either misspeaks or exaggerates, or overly simplifies things we tend to look the other way, chalk it up to them being ‘everyday men’.

EXCEPT

Except that when Trump does it is hurtful, mean-spirited and seemingly intentionally malicious. When the Pope does it, it is humbly simplistic and idealistic.

 

Two very different approaches to populism. Trump’s populism appeals to our worst self. Pope Francis populism appeals our better self.

 

There are gazillion of examples of quotes from these two men out in the Internet… Just three to sum it all up:

Francis: A little bit of mercy makes the world less cold and more just.

Trump: Happy New Year to all, including to my many enemies and those who have fought me and lost so badly they just don’t know what to do. Love!

 

Francis: We must restore hope to young people, help the old, be open to the future, spread love. Be poor among the poor. We need to include the excluded and preach peace.

Trump: The point is, you can never be too greedy.

 

Francis: You can not insult the faith of others.

Trump: Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country’s representatives can figure out what is going on. According to Pew Research, among others, there is great hatred towards Americans by large segments of the Muslim population.

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A Capitalist Oligarchy is where a few men, led by one charismatic leader, gain control of most of a country’s wealth, means of production, and communication channels and use them exclusively for their own personal and family enrichment. In a Capitalist Oligarchy at least 1/3 of the population remains enamored with this leadership, and – like useful idiots – are willing to cooperate blindly. This ‘base’ forms the core of the bureaucracy and thus facilitates the implementation of draconian and dogmatic laws and regulations… How do we get there? >

[1] Identify at least 1/3 of the population who will agree with you 90% of the time. Demographically, the largest group in the land: Whites with least education.

[2] Campaign appealing to people’s worst instincts. Fear. Envy. Hate.

[3] Demean most existing institutions. ‘I know more than the generals’. ‘The economy is a mess’. ‘What does the Pope know?’

[4] Lie your way to power, accepting propaganda help only from others like you. Putin.

[5] Once in power, make no attempt to unite people. Instead divide. Set one minority against another. Insult every conceivable group.

[6] Make the press ‘the enemy of the people’. And create your own news feed to feed your useful idiots.

[7] Discredit the independent judiciary. Insult judges. Imply you will not comply with court rulings.

[8] Empower ‘big money’ and Wall Street. Get them on your Cabinet. Promise them deregulation and tax breaks.

[9] Deconstruct government by dismantling departments. Education. Environmental Protection.

[10] Accept no internal dissent. Fire folks. Litmus test for mid-level bureaucratic positions.

[11] Politicize the armed forces. Have your campaign guy sit in on the Security Council.

[12] Create crisis where there is none. Ban Muslims. Build a wall. Deport illegals. Investigate voter fraud.

Most recent examples of these systems includes the longest running Capitalist Oligarchy in modern history, Cuba; the now nearly failed Venezuelan government; and of course, the mother of all Capitalist Oligarchy, Russia.

… and you thought it could never happen in the U.S.A.?!?

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I woke up this morning in the safety and warmth of my house.

I woke up this morning knowing that I am relatively secured in my neighborhood, community, city, country.

I woke up this morning with mundane worries about the weather, things to do at work, and what gifts I should buy for Valentine’s Day.

I also woke up this morning thinking about the millions – yes millions – of people in this country that woke up to a new America. To a new reality. To a new danger.

These are not some hypothetical people from the news. These are my neighbors. My friends.

And it hurts.

So many of them woke up with a level of anxiety unmatched in years. Even the documented folks… (Oh God, I never thought it’d come to this…)

In today’s America if you are black or brown or Spanish surnamed, you woke up to a new reality. A new America. Your federal government suspect you of being in this country illegally. They will come after you. They will deport you if you are here illegally. If you are here legally, they may detain you. For hours; maybe days.

This is NOT a ‘scare tactic’. The federal government’s Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) has clear directive from the President of the United States to vigorously enforce immigration laws. ICE is holding raids to round up suspects. And in these raids if you look the part, you are suspect. And in these raids – VERY different from raids under recent Administrations – they make NO distinction on the severity of your crime. If your crime is simply that you entered this country illegally, you will be detained as firmly as if you just raped someone.

A spokesperson for the President made it very clear that ICE enforces the law unilaterally and without distinction: If you are here illegally, you are a criminal and you will be detained for deportation.

Forget focusing on the rapist. Forget focusing on the gang member. Forget focusing on the serial criminal… “Round them all up! Deport them all!” is the new battle cry from the President to the ICE officials and personnel.

And THAT is what is different. Recent Administrations – particularly recent Presidents – had sent the clear signal to the undocumented community that the federal resources would focus on going after the criminal elements in the undocumented community… And, many – including many in the undocumented community – actually helped the federal government round up this criminal element. (Yes, mistakes were made and overzealous ICE agents disregarded this directive. But that was the exception, not the rule.)

What we have now is a ‘full court press’ – from the top down – to indiscriminately round up people first, ask questions later, and make no distinction of the severity of the ‘crime’. This approach creates a confusion and fear in the community that is unprecedented. And right down dangerous.

For decades local police departments worked hard at establishing trust in these communities. They solicited and gained the trust of folks in these communities so they’d call in when they saw crime happening. Folks knew that the police were there to keep the community safe from criminals, not to round up and deport people. While many local police departments will continue this ‘community policing’ approach, expecting community members to parse the nuance that your local police is with you, but the feds are coming to get you is just an unrealistic expectation.

And what happens when that trust is broken? What happens when the folks don’t feel comfortable calling the police because of a domestic violence case, a drug deal going on at the corner, or other criminal activity? Things get out of control. Folks take things into their own hands. Gangs flourish. Mafia-like and vigilante activities flourish. People lose hope.

And when people lose hope, people do stupid things.

And when people do stupid things all too often the government’s response is to hunker down, display more power.

And when more power is displayed, some people do even stupider things.

And thus the spiral of criminality spirals out of control.

All because.

All because the unfounded fear of some in America that undocumented folks are bad for America, bad for the economy, bad for our communities.

The fact (yes, fact!) is that the vast majority of these undocumented folks come to America to do work that no American is willing to do; they form families and friendships that strengthen communities; and they are value added to the local, national, and international economy. (It is only been days and we are already seen the devastating effect of workers not showing up in the fields of Alabama and the chicken coops of Georgia.) These are facts, not perceptions.

No matter.

The folks in power perceive different and they are hell bent on rounding up these undocumented and deporting them. “Damn the torpedoes!” If things get worst, they will just ‘hunker down’ and bring in bigger guns and more troops. “America First! America for Americans!”

Good freaking luck.

Things will get a lot worse before they begin getting better. AND – unfortunately – when they begin getting better (at most in 3 years and 9 month, November of 2020) – it will take decades again before the trust that had been established over the last decades is reestablished.

In the meantime, to all our black, brown, and Spanish surnamed amigos and familia > Don’t think for an iota of a second “it can’t happen to me”… Got ‘a foreign flag’ hanging on your rear view mirror (take it down)? Got that sticker of Our Lady of Guadalupe on your car (take it off)? Wearing that ‘Si se puede’ t-shirt (don’t wear it)? Got a broken headlight (fix it)? Walking while black/brown (beware)?  > It can happen to you.

Make sure you have the name of a good immigration lawyer on speed dial. And:

• If you were born in this country, have a copy of your passport with you.
• If you are a naturalized citizen, have a copy of your citizenship certificate with you.
• If all you have is a green card, have it with you.
• If you are undocumented, good luck friend.

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I challenge all my anti-T friends and family to spend time – not too much lest you get sick to your stomach – browsing the primary news source of the Trumpistas.

http://www.breitbart.com/

http://www.foxnews.com/

https://www.whitehouse.gov/

http://www.cnsnews.com/

It is relatively safe to say – though, no, I can’t prove it scientifically (as if that mattered anymore) – that most people get their news from a select, limited number of sources. When – and if – they ever venture beyond those sources, it is to ridicule or identify alarming – at least from their perspective – exaggerations.

Now, I know this works both ways – and I am guilty as anyone of it.

Yet:

Can you imagine someone going through their days – their whole life! – immersed on these sources for what forms their conscience?

Add to this, of course, the fact that most of us rather hang out with folks that think like us, and you get the picture: We live in a silo of influence that feeds on itself, reaffirms our ‘greatness’ and accentuates how ‘wrong’ everyone else is.

And, to top all, then we go church were unless the words from the pulpit acclaim our views, we rush to find another church where we can feel good after the sermon because it was all about how right we are in our preconceived notions of the world.

Sad. Sad. Sad.

In times of too much information we have chosen to censor ourselves into a handful of sources and disregard and discredit everything else.

Not just sad, but dangerous.

What happens when we can no longer even talk with each other because we simply do not have the capacity to understand, empathize, and agreeably disagree with those that have been formed differently?

What happens when words that we thought had definitive meaning (facts, lie, data) no longer matter?

What happens when I simply not only don’t trust you but no longer even like you, care for you, or feel for you?

What happens when we reach the point of no return and we lose our capacity to function together as a society?

What happens when we create these circles of acquaintances and friends that are all like us, put up our guards, circle our wagons, and begin talking about getting ready for battle?

It can get ugly. It can get ugly real fast.

So, to my pro-T friends – if any are still out there that would read this far – I say: Get out of your self-imposed censorship world and venture into the world of CNN (gasp!), America Magazine (even if you are not Catholic), and NPR (while it is still around.)

Do it with an open mind – if you have not yet closed yours and thrown away the key.

Believe you me. This is not an either/or zero sum game. Frankly, it is not a “game” at all.

Our future – as in yours and mine – depends on it.

… here’s hoping it is not too late …

p.s.: And, if you respond, I ask you do it in the spirit of charity and not simply ‘spit and fight back’ as if we were in a schoolyard.

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Señor Presidente:

Am I the only one beginning to get the sense that this train is about to derail? This speed is not sustainable. You are playing with fire. And we will get burnt.

You cannot piss off your diplomatic friends, enrage your enemies, and disorient the biggest corporations in the land and expect for there to be no consequences.

Words have consequences. Presidential Executive Actions even more so.

Bureaucrats matter. Bureaucrats care. You cannot expect your orders to be followed without enlisting your troops to believe and embrace them.

Other countries and governments are not your foot soldiers. They will fight back. Figuratively – and literally.

While your approach to ‘making the deal’ of starting with ballistic language and bullying your ‘opponent’ into submission might have worked wonders in the real-estate development world, the world of governance is vastly different.

While your insults may have gotten you elected, governing by insults and decrees is going to get you nowhere.

You have demonstrated zilch – as in zero – capacity to deescalate the volatile situations you have created. Instead you choose to hunker down, double down, and fight fight fight – even if it means perpetuating a lie or further demeaning others.

Well, Señor Presidente, as others have much eloquently than I have said: See you in court!

You may be conducting the train, but we – the people – are its fuel… And, we are not about to let you derail America.

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It is easy to vilify those who think different from us. It is easy to lump them all together as ‘they’ against ‘us’. It is easy to de-friend them on Facebook; stop crossing path with them; stay away from them.

But. But these are our family and friends! The fact that we do not understand, cannot fathom, will never agree with them should not – cannot – mean we disown them.

… and maybe – just maybe – as we engage them in dialogue (and listening) we will gain a sense of why they think like they do. Not that we’ll ‘agree’. (Not likely.) Rather, that we will hold our own pride in check and humbly – and genuinely – listen to their stories, frustrations, anxieties, angst, and aspirations.

(… and, yes: Do it without expecting they do the same.)

One step in that direction might be to stay away from charged language. Don’t use the words you know are laden with pre-conceived negativism. Rather, dialogue from the position of love, showing empathy, care, and authenticity.

(… and, yes: Do it without expecting they do the same. If they do, great! If they don’t that’s ok too.)

It occurs to me that I have always advocated dialogue and diplomacy with enemies and dictators – including the Castros. (And, I’ve always advocated the positive results of ‘people-to-people’ exchanges with those with who we disagree.) So, it would be rather hypocritical of me not to reach out and try to find where my agenda intersects with the Trump supporters.

I do find that humanizing your opposition does help in establishing this dialogue and diplomacy. We do not need to tear them down to make ourselves big. They do not need to be ‘wrong’ for us to be ‘right’. Acknowledging equality of humanity does not have to excuse bad behavior… But, ultimately, we are indeed all humans.

I have real life examples of family and friends with which I am trying – albeit probably unsuccessfully – taking this approach. These are real people with amazing capacity to love. Thus, I am hopeful and prayful they will do the right thing… I am NOT trying to ‘convert’ them. That would be disingenuous. I am trying to have them see the opposition – us dissidents – as real people too. As their family and friends.

[] One is a niece who is totally committed to the cause Trump spouses and clearly sees him as the champion of those causes – and capable of causing change. She is a wonderful mother and wife and seeks nothing more than what she believes is best for family and country.

[] A second is a couple that are God fearing, committed Catholics and see in a Republican Congress (with a marginal Republican President) their best hope to reverse certain social agenda initiatives – and Roe v. Wade. They are wonderful parents and a beautiful family.

[] A third is a local businessman who has strong conservative economic views and sees over-regulation and the like as hurting his bottom line. He sees Trump as a businessman who will understand his plight. He is a wonderful community activist and a great addition to our community.

My hope is that as they – being in ‘power’ – affirm their positions, contact their congressperson, and write letters to Mr. Trump, they will know more, they will have been exposed to other perspectives, they will approach their actions with a tad broader grasp – and a more expansive perspective of their action.

(… and, yes: That is my hope.)

p.s.: This approach in no way shape or form condones or normalizes the extremists (on either side) who insult and demean… (And that – of course – includes President Trump.)

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UPDATED Nov. 24, 2019. We now have a conservative majority on the Supreme Court, where reversing Roe v Wade is an eventuality. And, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops has just released their voting guide naming abortion the “preeminent priority” when voting. I agree 100%. And that is why I vote Democrat.

I am a proud Democrat. And I believe we need to work at making abortion unnecessary.

I will not become a Republican because of the single issue of abortion. I will not leave the Democratic Party because of the single issue of abortion. The Republicans want to restrict access to abortion. The Democrats want to increase access to abortion.

Many of my pro-life friends want to make abortion illegal. Many of my pro-choice friends want to make it unrestricted.

I want neither. There is a common ground: Let’s make it unnecessary.

At the Inauguration, surely there will be plenty of platitudes about the Supreme Court appointee that will reverse Roe vs Wade… (Too narrow a focus for me.)

At the Women’s March, surely there will be plenty of platitudes about the need to support Planned Parenthood… (There are so many women’s issue beyond this one that I hope the March highlights.)

At the Right-to-Life March there will be little talk of anything beyond abortion… (For years this March has become an anti-abortion march much more so than a ‘pro-life’ march.)

Too bad. Too bad… There is really little ‘space’ for those of us who simply do not feel comfortable in any of these ‘tight boxes’… (Though I will be participating in the Women’s March, passionately supporting all but one of their unity principles.)

Below is a piece I co-authored* back in the days when Obama was running for President for the first time. It has been updated to reflect some more recent developments, but it is still quite potent.

(*My co-author was a ‘sister in the struggle’. As I man I feel inadequate in addressing this issue, though I understand that no group has sole ownership of any issue.)

Disclaimer One: For the person that is vehemently anti-abortion and for which abortion is the only issue they care about regardless of any other discussion or rationale, then this thesis is worthless and this article meaningless… I commend your commitment and would never try to dissuade you.  However, don’t bother reading any further, this is not for you.  But, for the person that is pro-life in the broadest sense of the word, including being anti-abortion – and yes, within the Catholic Church’s teaching – please read on.

Disclaimer Two: This article is not the place where you will find the definitive theological argument for/against abortion… Many other people that know much more than I do have developed the theological argument much more deeply than I ever could.  Let it suffice to say that I am confident the position set forth below is within the Catholic Faith.

——————————–

Being Democrat will unequivocally support the broader “life” issues…

AND: The path to less abortions is not to criminalize it further, but rather to create a culture of love, compassion, and understanding where abortions would no longer be an ethical option for the vast majority of the population.

Being “For-Life” goes well beyond the anti-abortion rhetoric of the pro-life movement.

Being “For-Life” includes saying NO to:

ABORTION

LATE TERM ABORTION

INFANTICIDE

ASSISTED SUICIDE

EUTHANASIA

UNREGULATED STEM CELL RESEARCH

DEATH PENALTY

However, being “For-Life” is also saying YES to:

PRENATAL CARE

ADOPTION

SEX EDUCATION

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

CHILDCARE

SENIOR SERVICES

UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

In today’s political climate, the pro-life movement (mostly Republicans) is focused pretty exclusively on being anti-abortion.  They have had very little patience – and are simply not welcoming – of any attempt to broaden the spectrum from “anti-abortion” to “For-Life”.  (To the credit of a few, some segment of the pro-life movement are engaged in regulating stem research advocacy; some have been instrumental end-of-life debate; and others are aggressively active in the pro-adoption movement.)

The pro-life movement is also perceived to be dogmatic, condemning of different views, and generally antagonistic to any discussion with those that differ with them.  They have opted for a course that abortions must be eliminated by criminalizing the act.  They have shown very little patience for the approach to ‘change hearts, not laws’.

The Republicans – the party that wants ‘less government’ – has chosen to concentrate their strategy on issues where government must act forcefully to enforce laws against those things many want to say “NO” to (except – for some inexplicable reason – capital punishment.)  It is the Democrats – as might be expected – that generally support government programs that promote – and indeed, codify entitlement benefits for – those things many want to say “YES” to.  It is also the Democrats, however, that have less than a stellar record on support for the issues in the “NO” list.  It seems to be a matter of emphasis: Though obviously not absolute, the Republicans emphasize the legal path to the “NO” list; the Democrats emphasize the programmatic path to the “YES” list.

This artificial division of the full “For-Life” issues into ‘Republican’ or ‘Democratic’ camps has made it very difficult for someone committed to ALL “For-Life” issues to totally agree with one or the other political party… So, compromise is in order… By “compromise” I mean the acknowledgement of the political reality we live in and choosing a path for maximum impact.  I fully know that to some no ‘compromise’ in the abortion issue is possible – and I respect that…  I also recognize that abortion is “first among equals” in many people’s list.

Life is sparked at conception.  Any other position is neither scientifically, ethically, or philosophically defensible. Some may wish it to be different, but it simply is not.  Abortion terminates a life a life in the making – not a ‘potential’ life.  I am a practicing Catholic and that is what I believe.

Women that choose to have an abortion are – more often than not – very thoughtful, prayerful, and totally torn by the decision.  Most women that choose abortion do not do so lightly.  Rather, it is a wrenching, difficult decision.  A decision that oftentimes leaves the woman scarred for life.  Women that choose abortion should not be demonized.  They need our compassion, empathy, love, and prayers.  That too is what I believe.

No one “likes” to have an abortion.  For most women that have an abortion, the act is perceived less of a choice and more of the ‘least worst’ of all alternatives.  Many people may firmly believe that the act of an abortion destroys a life and condemns another.  Most women that have an abortion believe neither.

We can not legislate beliefs.  We can certainly legislate norms and we can certainly legislate cultural consensus – we do that all the time.  An adult killing another adult without provocation is called murder; it is wrong; and we as a society see this as heinous act and punish the culprit.

However, for a variety of complex reasons, in 21st Century America, there is simply no cultural consensus that abortion in the first trimester of pregnancy is ethically unacceptable, that it is ‘wrong’.  While many wish that the cultural norm would be ‘abortion is wrong always’, that consensus simply does not exist in any culture in the world…

It is this “cultural consensus” – not laws – that we need to work to change.

Some will point to slavery as the fallacy of this argument.  After all, slavery was declared illegal while there was still a cultural consensus – at least in part of the country – that it was ethically acceptable.  But slavery is an act visible to society; i.e.: “I know if you have slaves”.  Thus, we were able to make it illegal, fight to enforce the law, and eventually change the cultural consensus.  Abortion, however, is relatively a private act; i.e.: it can be performed by a willing woman and a willing abortionist (be it a doctor or a coat-hanger.)  No one else needs to know it happened.  The parallels between slavery and abortion have serious limitations.

Abortion does have a critical economic component that is seldom discussed – and important to the debate.  In the harshest of terms, abortion is an economic ‘plus’ for the woman having the abortion – and arguably for society as well.  One less mouth to feed; one less child to raise.  Indeed, China has led the way in institutionalizing abortions to support its one-child policy.  In the USA, few are so against abortion that they have offered to pay for the cost of the pregnancy, the cost of rearing the child, and compensation to the mother for carrying the child to term.  If these offers were widespread, abortions would be drastically reduced.

While the above sounds crass, it is a cultural reality.  We have not come far from the days that the first child were sacrificed by the Mayans to ensure longevity and economic wellbeing… Abortion is all too often an expedient solution to meet a personal rationale; or the decision is oftentimes disguised in the illogical argument that “it is best for the child not to be brought into this earth” – a common argument to abort down-syndrome babies. These arguments cannot be reversed by simply changing laws.  We have to create a cultural consensus that abortion makes no economic sense.  We have to create a culture where having child is seen as an investment in the human race… We cannot put a cost on human life. 

Yet, in today’s America, not everyone is on board with this rationale; with this line of thinking…. The cultural consensus is that it is simply not the place of government to legislate against an act that is seen by many as a deplorable, but not deviant; illogical, but not illegal.  We seem to have gotten to the point that there is an uneasy consensus regarding the current law: During the first trimester, abortion is acceptable and legal.  Beyond that, it is not.

Additionally, there also seems to be a growing consensus that many actions to lower the number of abortions are universally supported.  While there remains real differences of opinions – and beliefs – regarding contraceptives, there is definitively a sense that ‘the less abortions the better’.

None of this makes abortion any less wrong or any more palatable.  Yet, there just does not seem to be the cultural will – or the economic incentive – to change the status quo….  And, no legal shift, no new law, not even the reversal of Roe vs. Wade is going to change this cultural consensus… Indeed, the legal path to less abortion may very well lead to increasing the guilt, the dehumanization, of those choosing abortion – and it is even questionable whether it would truly lead to less abortions.

Let there be no doubt, though, that a Republican administration will make abortions increasingly difficult to get through restrictive regulatory means; and a Democratic push back will do the opposite… It remains debatable however, that either path will lead to less abortions.

It could very well be that the fight to have less abortions stands a much better chance to succeed if we concentrate on changing hearts rather than changing laws or criminalizing it.  It might be good also if we sweeten the heart by providing a real economic incentive not to have an abortion.

We can’t just tell a woman: “Don’t get an abortion! It is murder! Just don’t do it!”

We must provide alternatives to abortion.  There are charities that successfully do this… But, a few token private charities is not sufficient; it will take cultural will matched by corresponding government support.

Let’s share with the woman – and her companion – considering an abortion:

“We’ll be with you and support you during your pregnancy.  You’ll have health insurance that will cover prenatal care and once you give birth, if you decide to keep the baby, know that we’ll be there with you as well.  We’ll provide support for food, shelter, childcare, and medical attention…. And, if you choose to give your baby up for adoption, rest assured that the baby will go to a safe, loving home where he or she will have access to quality education.”

Which political party will most likely speak this language?  Which political party will go beyond the simple, harsh, unattainable legal slap: “Just don’t have an abortion!”?  Which political party will promote a culture where woman choosing to give birth can feel they have society’s support?

The Democratic Party is the political party that promotes programs we can say “YES” to… And, it is the political party that is open to continued conversations regarding what we must legislate to say “NO” to.

The Republican Party, in the other hand, remains dogmatic about one key “NO”: abortion… But, the Republican Party is sorely lacking in the support for the programs we must say “YES” to; and is not willing to even talk about possible broader support for women choosing life.

Let’s work on changing hearts, not just changing laws… Let’s support a true “For-Life” agenda…

And thus in the meantime, I proudly remain in the Democratic Party.

Postscript: National Catholic Review recently (Jan. 2020) did a very good article on that – while it is not exclusively about abortion – is spot on: “Trump seals his Catholic deal“.

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