Religious Beliefs and Politics

With Election Day looming ahead and the nail-biting final days of campaigning, the Good Old Party seems to be doing everything to ruin their chances of winning majority control of the Senate.  An editorial from Huffington Post recounts the latest in GOP remarks on rape and abortion.  This article caught my attention because it seems throughout this election I've heard more about religious beliefs than any previous elections.  

During the last Indiana Senate debate the candidates were asked their opinions on abortion.   Richard Mourdock had the following remarks:

“The only exception I have to have an abortion is in the case of the life of the mother," said Mourdock, the Tea Party-backed state treasurer. "I struggled with it myself for a long time, but I came to realize life is that gift from God. I think that even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that it is something that God intended to happen."

I’m amazed anyone can make a remark like that in the wake of Senator Candidate Todd Aiken’s now famous ignorant comment that "If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.”  I’m not saying that Mourdock isn’t a kind hearted person with genuinely heartfelt feelings on conception.  He appears to be someone who is deeply concerned about preserving human life.  I don’t think that Mourdock was trying to say that God intends for rape to happen, but I do believe that he set himself up to be portrayed in a negative way by Democrats.  What I don’t understand is why Republicans have been consistently bringing God and their personal religious beliefs into election discussions.  Yes, the majority of citizens in the United States do believe in God, but what about the separation of church and state?  Why can’t the candidates just say I’m pro-life and I’m for returning the issue of abortion to the State-level?  Why can’t they leave their religious beliefs out of it? Especially when 76% of their own party believes that abortion should be legal in the case of rape.  While I do believe that everyone has the right to their own personal beliefs in regards to this sensitive issue, I think that Republicans need to focus more on public opinion and policy instead of voicing their individual (and ignorant) feelings on the issue.  

Future of Women's Rights

A recent editorial in the New York Times, illustrates the problem that Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney may face on Election Day--winning the female vote.  His position on equal pay for women and other women's rights issues has been inconsistent and rife with blunders. The article recounts these mistakes and discusses the detrimental statements made during the last presidential debate at Hofstra University.  When asked where Romney stands on equal pay for women, Romney tried to claim he believed in equality, but basically said that he plans on cutting funding from Planned Parenthood, cutting other free contraception programs, and claimed to have binders full of women candidates put together for his cabinet.  He further stated that he believes it should be the responsibility for each woman and their families to pay for contraceptives.  While I do understand that Romney is trying to find ways to decrease our trillion dollar deficit, what I don’t understand is how he claims to fix that massive problem by denying women the right to have access to health care related items, such as contraceptives.

Mitt Romney seems to always say and do what he thinks will gain him the most political capitol. He has wavered dramatically when asked about women's issues.  In 2005 he vetoed a bill to make it legal to offer contraceptives to rape victims, but at the debate he said that all women should have access to contraceptives in America.

The second laughable blunder that Romney made during the debate was in addressing equal opportunities for women. Romney began by saying that he was a supporter of women in the workplace and that during his time as governor he actively sought out women to hire for his cabinet.  He went on to say, “I recognized that if you’re going to have women in the work force that sometimes they need to a more flexible work schedule. My chief of staff, for instance, had two kids that were still in school… she said, I can’t be here until 7 or 8 o’clock at night. I need to be able to get home at 5 o’clock so I can be there for making dinner for my kids and being with them when they get home from school.”   Instead of just saying that he planned on supporting such important legislation like the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, he decided that it would be a better course of action to paint a picture of women needing flexible schedules so that we can get home to make dinner. 

As a woman, I was outraged after watching the last debate and I agree with the New York Times author's opinion.  Do we really want a leader in the White House who will not regard women as equals and advocate for the programs they rely on?  I attend school full-time and live on a meager budget. I rely on Planned Parenthood, not only for contraceptives, but for check ups and breast exams.  My only hope is that upon graduation, I can be guaranteed the right to equal pay for equal work and that I will have affordable health care so that I no longer need programs liked Planned Parenthood.  If Romney is elected, who knows what rights women will be guaranteed.

The Invisible People

I read an article today on the Huffington Post website that I wanted to share with you.  The story is about the release of a video created by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) union, which aims to humanize Mitt Romney's honest opinion on "forty-seven percent" of our country whom he thinks are entitled, slothful drains on American society.

At a secretly-taped private fundraiser in May of this year, Romney spoke candidly with wealthy supporters about his honest feelings on about half of our country.  In case you haven't heard about the forty-seven percent remarks, Romney presented this argument:

"There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it. That that's an entitlement. And the government should give it to them. And they will vote for this president no matter what…These are people who pay no income tax... My job is not to worry about those people. I'll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives."

Romney's comments are directly aimed at those with disabilities who are unable to work, seniors who've left the workforce, students like myself that go to school full-time and do not work, millions of low-income families, and middle-class families who take advantage of tax credits Republicans have long supported.

In response to Romney's comments expressing contempt for nearly half of the American population the AFSCME union decided to put a face on the forty-seven percent of us that Romney believes are lazy moochers.  The union decided to go to the La Jolla-San Diego area (where Romney has a home) and interview a local sanitation worker that picks up Mitt's garbage, a fire-fighter engineer and a former sanitation worker to put a face on the forty-seven percent that Romney refers to as the lazy entitled. The sanitation worker, Richard Hayes, is interviewed and says: “We’re kind of like the invisible people. He doesn’t realize, you know, the service we provide.”

I think that it's important to know that the Republican presidential nominee has such a negative view of such a big portion of our society.  He is running for a job in which caring for the citizens of this country is essential.  His remark that "[his] job is not to worry about those people" leaves zero doubt in my mind that he should not be elected president. Elections are so important as they provide political education for citizens, and ensure that the people are represented in a way that reflects the people. 




Works Cited:

• http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/09/secret-video-romney-private-fundraiser 
• http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lee-a-saunders/mitt-romney-garbage-man_b_1929728.html?utm_hp_ref=elections-2012

My Political Past and Future

 Up until my mid-twenties, I never gave much thought to politics.  I never viewed the democratic process as anything that pertained to me or anything tangible that I could have any influence over.  It was my opinion that nothing that I could do would ever make a difference.  I had two amazing experiences that forever changed my mind about politics and getting involved in the democratic process.  The first was working for the Utah State Bar Association and the second was volunteering for political campaigns.  Through both experiences I developed a passion for politics and government that I know I will have the rest of my life.

In 2008 I worked for the Utah State Bar as the Pro Bono Coordinator.  I was in charge of placing habeas corpus cases for inmates, running two legal aid clinics, recruiting and retaining attorneys for pro bono work, and finding new ways to raise funds for legal aid.  While working for the Utah State Bar I had the extraordinary experience of writing and submitting Senate Bill 215 to the Utah State Senate.  The bill’s goal was to raise funds for legal aid in Utah.  The bill was for an “And Justice for All” license plates in which all proceeds would benefit legal aid in Utah.  I began by researching similar specialty license plates bills and found language that I could use to assist me in writing the bill.  After I had a draft of the bill I submitted it to Utah State Senator Greg Bell and House Representative Lorie D. Fowlke and asked for them to sponsor the bill.  After they agreed the bill was presented to the Utah Transportation Committee and was accepted by a unanimous vote.  I can’t express the amazing feeling of accomplishment for the small bill that I created.  The bill was approved by the Utah State Senate and was sent to the Utah House of Representatives, where unfortunately the 2009 Session ended without the bill ever being heard.  The bill is still on file at the Utah State Senate and will be heard by the House of Representatives next year.  It gives me an immense sense of pride to know what it is like to be an active part of the democratic process.  If you would like to view the bill you can see it at http://le.utah.gov/~2009/bills/sbillint/sb0215.htm.

Another amazing experience was working for the Brian King campaign for Utah House of Representatives in District 28 and for President Obama’s campaign in 2008. I had never before worked on a political campaign and I was amazed at all of the work that went into the process.

For President Obama’s campaign I had a small role of knocking on doors and passing out literature, but for the local campaign of Brian King I was assigned the role of volunteer coordinator. I was responsible for tasks such as calling people to ask if they would volunteer to canvass, phone bank, or just put up a yard sign. I was grateful for this position as it helped me strengthen my leadership skills.

Once I was able to secure volunteers, we began walking. I walked with volunteers and other campaign staff every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 5 p.m. until dark. We also walked all day on Saturdays, breaking only for lunch. Yes, we walked in the snow, rain, or sunshine, and we knocked doors until the sun went down. I’m personally proud to say that we knocked on every door in district 28 at least once and personally asked each individual for their vote.  Knocking on strangers’ doors presented me with the opportunity to improve upon my public speaking skills. At first, the canvassing was really intimidating, but I have always had a difficult time speaking in front of large groups. I have to admit, I was really thankful when people didn’t answer the doors and I could just leave a piece of literature. By the end of the summer, I was irritated when no one was home. I had my pitch down for Brian and I was actually good at getting “ones” or “definitely voting King”. In my opinion, the face-to-face voter contact was the most effective way to make an impression for the candidate.  It was truly inspiring to see the candidate knocking doors along with all of the staff and volunteers. Brian was almost always the last to pack it in for the night, always saying that there was just one more street that he had to get to, one more sign he needed to deliver.

As I look back on my time volunteering, there is no doubt that it played an invaluable role in my professional life. Not only did I learn about the ins and outs of working on a political campaign, but I also learned the importance of networking and public speaking. For much of the political “real world” is dependent on both your experience and who you know. The work was not glamorous or overly-stimulating, but it was wonderful to experience how a campaign is run and how different members of our community relate to the process.  In the end, our efforts were not in vain. Collectively our campaign distributed over 750 yard signs, we raised over $50,000, and we got our message out. We were successful in electing Brian King as Representative of District 28 and of course... President Obama was elected as well.

I was lucky to be a part of a huge democratic outpouring of political support that helped elect good candidates, spanning the distance between the local level with Brian King and national level with President Obama.  It was an historic year and I played a small part in that history.  I can't think of anywhere I could have learned more about working with people, being an advocate, organizing for a particular goal, and motivating volunteers. And on top of all that--we won!  That's the best part. Campaigns are hard, trying, endurance tests and the reason so few people run for office is that it's hard to run a campaign well and hard to be one of the people responsible for its success.  That combination is what gets into a lot of people's blood and makes it interesting for them.

I plan to stay involved.  To build on the skills I have learned and continue to offer my services to another candidate that I believe in.  I believe that this is what being a good citizen in a democracy is all about, being an active political participant in our communities to enrich all our lives.