Op-ed submission: The dilemma of the pro-life voter

Marc Maguire and Luisa F. Castañeda-Cano | President and Vice President of WU Students For Life

Let’s face it—we’re stuck between a rock and a hard place. Although many proudly sport blue “H” buttons or red “Make America Great Again” hats, more voters than ever have strong reservations about voting for either candidate. Among the most conflicted is the pro-life voter: One who denounces the legalization of abortion with the same urgency that pro-choice advocates fight against restrictive abortion laws.

In most American elections, the majority of pro-life voters face a fairly straightforward decision: A Republican Party candidate supports the right to life, and that same candidate’s positions on other issues are at least satisfactory to earn the pro-life voter’s support. Even if some of the Democratic candidate’s policy positions are preferable, disrespecting an unborn human’s basic right to life is a bit of a deal-breaker, as 699,202 American fetuses died in legal abortions in 2012 alone. Despite the enormity of that loss, however, the GOP’s nomination of Donald J. Trump potentially throws a wrench in this typically simple voting choice and causes many pro-life voters to search deep in their consciences when deciding how to cast their ballot this November.

To be pro-life means to value all human lives, regardless of race, age, gender, sexual orientation, disability or any other condition. The pro-life voter is one who genuinely considers abortion an objectively grave injustice, as opposed to one who says “I’m personally pro-life but I think it should be legal.” Although the pro-life movement focuses on defending the rights of unborn humans, born humans are clearly just as valuable and deserving of basic rights. It is with this mindset that the pro-life voter could be hesitant to support Mr. Trump—a man whose words and proposed policies show blatant disregard for human life. From encouraging the murder of terrorists’ families to his consistent trend of unabashed misogyny, Donald Trump does not appear to respect all human lives. One could argue that his apathy toward climate change alone could cause an unfathomable number of deaths, due to the monumental dangers presented by rampant pollution and rising sea levels.

 

With that said, it is understandable to see how a pro-life voter would justify supporting Mr. Trump. They might contend that Trump’s controversial statements have been misrepresented or insensitive at worst, and his presidency would not lead to a loss or degradation of human lives. A Trump supporter could even admit that Trump is a deplorable demagogue, but still maintain that the importance of gaining conservative Supreme Court justices in order to end abortion outweighs the costs of having such an unsavory character in the oval office.

 

The pro-life voter’s potential objections to Trump do not necessarily translate into support for Secretary Clinton. The Democratic National Committee platform continues to deny the rights due to unborn humans, even going so far as to call for the repeal of the Hyde amendment, which prohibits the federal funding of abortion. This unprecedented push to institutionally perpetuate the unjustified ending of innocent lives makes it clear that the DNC does not intend to change its platform on abortion any time soon.

 

Even after several months of critical self-reflection on this issue, many pro-life voters are still unsure how to cast their ballot. Whether they vote for Trump, Clinton or yet another candidate, one thing is certain: The pro-life movement is far greater than any single election, and the pro-life voter will never stop fighting for human rights.

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