Posted on June 13, 2011 by Stephen D. Foster, Jr.
Since the Roe v. Wade decision, we have never seen a fight over abortion like we have been seeing recently from the right wing. Republicans across the country are introducing bill after bill, designed to assault legal abortion rights and take it apart one piece at a time. But for all the GOP claims of being “pro-life”, they are certainly hurting a lot of children. In their crusade to change the United States as we know it, Republicans that claim to be pro-life are actually not so pro-life after all. They have constantly called abortion the mass murder of unborn children and yet, the Republican agenda being slammed through the US House of Representatives and Republican controlled state houses across the country will end up killing or harming more children around the world than abortion ever could.
According to USAID, 70,000 children around the world will die if Republicans make the cuts it wants to make. Approximately 30,000 kids would die from cuts in malaria control programs, 24,000 from lack of immunizations, and 16,000 due to unsafe birthing practices. Because of these draconian budget cuts, Republicans are essentially sentencing tens of thousands of children, both born and unborn, to certain death. That is NOT pro-life.
Children in foreign countries are not the only children facing a life and death struggle. Even American children are in danger because of the Republican agenda. Republicans are currently attempting to eliminate the ban on insurance companies that keeps them from denying coverage to children with pre-existing conditions. Up until the enactment of reform, thousands of children with a pre-existing condition were denied coverage by insurers each year. There are as many as 19.4 million children in the U.S. living with a pre-existing condition. Compared to those with insurance, children who are uninsured are less likely to get critical preventive care including immunizations and well-baby checkups, leaving them twice as likely to miss school and at much greater risk of hospitalization for avoidable conditions. Repeal of insurance company reform would empower insurance companies to once again deny these children coverage because of their pre-existing condition. That puts 19.4 million children at risk of possible harm or even death. That is NOT pro-life.
But Republicans are not through threatening the lives of children, both born and unborn. If Republicans have their way, kids will no longer be able to remain on their parents’ insurance plans until the age of 26 and pregnant women as well as breast and prostate cancer patients could be thrown off the insurance rolls. That not only puts unborn children and mothers at risk of dying, but also increases the likelihood of a child losing a parent. Republicans may not believe that they are harming children by harming their parents, but they are. Children can be affected emotionally and psychologically by the loss of a parent and putting pregnant mothers at risk will end up killing not only mothers but the unborn as well. That is NOT pro-life.
Republicans are still not finished. They are also targeting welfare, unemployment benefits, and food stamps. Nearly half of all US children depend on food stamps during childhood. If you get food stamps, you are by definition in poverty and your household doesn’t have many assets. That means half of America’s children are living in poverty and Republicans are seeking to make that poverty even worse. Without food stamps, WIC, unemployment benefits, and welfare in general, millions of children across the country are at risk of starving to death How in the hell is that pro-life? Republicans think abortion is cruel. Forcing children to starve to death is by far, crueler.
You would think that Republicans are done attacking children, right? Well, they’re not. In addition to attacking the health and nutrition of children, they are also seeking to destroy their minds and their childhoods as well. Republicans in many states, especially in Missouri and Maine, are introducing bills that will repeal child labor laws. Basically, Republicans are making it legal for corporations and factories to employ children, pay them less, and exploit them. Sick, isn’t it? Republicans are also introducing bills in states that would label molested or raped children as mere accusers instead of victims. Republicans are essentially making it easier for pedophiles to rape children. In Minnesota, Tim Pawlenty, former governor and potential Republican candidate for President, pardoned a child molester while he was in office, so that molester’s wife could open a child day care center in THEIR home. That’s endangering the well being of multiple children and this could be repeated by Republicans all over the nation. I dare a Republican to try and convince me that these kinds of bills protect children. But that’s not all Republicans want to do. The GOP is also waging war against the public school system. In their effort abolish public education in favor of privately run schools, Republicans are trying to slash funding that is used for desks, books, technology, and other materials that contribute to learning. That’s all in addition to their scheme to rewrite textbooks in order to indoctrinate children to the conservative philosophy.
Approximately 60 million children attend public school every year and the destruction of public education would affect at least half of them. According to the statistic mentioned earlier, nearly half of America’s children live in poverty. Thus, they would not be able to afford private education. Parents are having a hard enough time keeping their kids from starving and now Republicans want to force parents to send their child to expensive and overrated private schools. Private schools cost about $30,000 a year. That is a huge chunk of cash compared to the insignificant school tax we all pay to keep public education going. Millions of young minds will not be developed which would further weaken their ability to find excellent jobs in later life and would therefore remain in poverty as adults too. It’s a never ending cycle. When you are forced to choose between expensive education or food in your belly and heat in the winter, that is NOT pro-life.
The Republican war on children doesn’t end there, however. Republicans in Michigan and other red states are pushing for laws that will only allow foster children to buy second hand clothing. What the hell do these monsters have against kids in foster care? Is it not enough that foster children already face tough childhoods? Republicans also want to ban them from owning new clothing and shoes? Despicable. And that’s not all. Thousands of foster children are being denied permanent homes because of Republican opposition to same sex marriage. That’s right, Republicans would rather a child grow up without parents, than have them be adopted by a gay couple that would feed, cloth, and love them. Republicans have no humanity left in their souls.
And believe it or not, it doesn’t end there either. Republicans also want to shatter our children’s dreams and aspirations too. Many Republicans have stated that President Obama is an illegitimate President, because he is an illegitimate child. You see what Republicans are doing? They’re saying that if you are not an American child or if you are a child born out of wedlock or if you are child born to just one American parent, you are disqualified from pursuing your dreams and a better life. That’s cold. Telling children that they can’t achieve their dreams and live the life they want to pursue is NOT pro-life.
The lives and futures of our children is the most important reason to vote against Republicans in 2012 and beyond. Their plan would take away education, health care, nutrition, clothing, fun, love, and even life from children. When you get to the ballot box to cast your vote in 2012, ask yourselves, “What kind of life do I want for my children?”, “Which party seeks to keep my children healthy and educated?”, “What do I want the future to be like for my children?” Democrats support health care for children. Democrats support public education. Democrats support children being adopted, even to gay couples. Democrats support child nutrition and assistance to families in need. Democrats also support contraceptives and condoms which prevent pregnancy, thus preventing more abortions than Republicans could ever dream of. Republicans do not believe in pregnancy prevention and therefore only escalate the number of unwanted pregnancies. Your election day decision, therefore, should be the Democratic Party candidate, the candidate that REALLY does give a damn about children. 1.2 million abortions occur each year in the United States. The Republican plan would endanger over 60 million children and countless unborn children, even unborn children of mothers that want the pregnancy. A vote against Republicans, is a vote for your children. And that IS pro-life.
You can visit Stephen at his web site Fighting Democrats! and on Facebook at We Demand That Democrats Fight Back. and Fighting Democrats