Written by Rebecca Branle, Ephrata Township. This piece was first published on Sept. 30, 2020 on Rebecca’s blog, basicallybeckyblogs. Reprinted here with permission from the author.

I’m tired.

But I want to be kind and I want to leave the door open, with a welcome mat, and I want to remind you that you can still walk through. But we have to talk about the hard stuff, and I understand that your first instinct will be to push back. That’s okay. That’s human. But could you listen for a sec? Please?

I know that so many of you are willing to (probably reluctantly) excuse racism, rampant lying, misogyny and fraud in order to defend your pro-life platform. I know that, even though the president called out the Proud Boys last night and told them to “Stand by,” so many are still going to stand in the voting booth and cast a vote, (hopefully reluctantly), for Donald Trump because of your pro-life platform.

But here’s the thing: Donald Trump’s party isn’t pro-life. It’s not even pro-birth. It’s certainly not Christian. I know these words are walls, that they’ve probably blocked you from listening further, but if you’re still here, please stay.

Republican politics (please note that I said politics, not people) don’t support life.

The reasoning is simple, and statistically proven. Abortions decrease overall by greater margins during democratic presidencies, and by the sharpest margin during Barack Obama’s presidency. Why? Overall, policy. And for Barak Obama’s sharpest decline, you can’t point directly to the Affordable Care Act. Affordable healthcare means less abortions. Full stop. If Republicans were really committed to decreasing abortion, they’d be doing more than intimidating women outside of Planned Parenthood. They’d be working their asses off to provide affordable healthcare to every American, which, unlike bullying, actually saves lives.

Here’s how:

When women, and men, have access to affordable and free healthcare, they’re far more likely to use protection. And, by women and men, I also mean boys and girls. I kind of lagged behind the rest of my peers when it came to sex, but I can tell you that the majority of my friends were sexually active starting their freshman or sophomore year of high school, some even earlier. The Welsh Mountain Clinic and its supply of affordable birth control and, later, PlanB, kept them from having to make a decision about abortion. Republicans work hard to fight funding for just such clinics. Without these clinics, as data has proven in communities where they were removed, there are more unwanted pregnancies, and more abortions (and, more adult death. Without affordable cancer screenings, too many women find out too late that they’re sick).

Affordable healthcare doesn’t just prevent abortion through condoms and birth control pills, it also prevents abortion because of the peace of mind it provides.

Statistically, most women choose abortion because they don’t have healthcare, and, as an extension, won’t be able to afford healthcare for their child. It’s common sense, really, and yet Republicans who call themselves pro-life are also standing in the way of affordable healthcare. How can that possibly be pro-life? Here’s where I have to ask you to sit quietly with God for a sec. Do you think Jesus would be like, “Yeah, so I think only some people should get healthcare, and I think we should only give that healthcare to the folks who are more inclined to be healthy, and more able to afford it.” The Bible doesn’t make us wonder what His stance is on this issue. Verse after verse points us in the right direction. I’ll include just one: “Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him.” (Proverbs 14:31 ESV)

This is the point where I usually hear about your friend. You know, the French/Swiss/British/Canadian who had to wait in a super long line last year when he hurt his knee. I’ll just say it’s wildly convenient that everyone seems to share that one friend, that anecdote that goes against all statistical data. But let’s say your anecdote holds water…do you think Jesus would say, “Well, friend, I would hate for you to wait additional time for your care. How inconvenient. To solve this for you, let’s just continue to deny healthcare to millions who’d be happy to wait in your stead.” Nah. Pretty sure not.

I know it’s said often, but it needs to be said – you can’t claim to be pro-life and fund policies that lead to massive loss of life. The most obvious of these policies is the stripping away of healthcare. But what about this pandemic specifically? Donald Trump has repeatedly, openly, misled the American public concerning its severity and its spread. He’s pushed back against masks because, well, he doesn’t like the way they look and he doesn’t like the image they project for his re-election chances. Yet scientists the world over point to proof that masks stop spread, and save lives. It’s such an easy ask, wearing a mask, and yet there are groups called “Faith over Fear” that site God as a reason to forego mask wearing. Again, verse after biblical verse would seem to point the faithful in the opposite direction, you know, the “love your neighbor” route. And, image aside, masks actually solve more than health problems, they help economically. If we all wore masks, businesses could more safely continue to operate. Instead, we have a large portion of the population refusing to care for their neighbor and, as a result, creating a devastating physical and financial impact for the middle and lower class…the very people Jesus fought hardest for. As a result of the attitude from the top, over 205,000 people are dead. How can that possibly be pro-life?

Speaking of the Prince of Peace, I’ll never understand conflating guns and God. Love your guns, but please leave God out of it. I think, often, about how sad this must make Him…this tying His name with an angry defense of weapons made to murder. In 2017, 23,854 people took their own lives using a gun. 14,542 were murdered by gun. 4 women per day are killed by their husband or boyfriend. The Violence Against Women Act works to reduce this number, but Mitch McConnell refuses to bring this bill, which has bipartisan support, up for a vote. Why? Because like so many in the Republican Party, he’s in bed with the NRA. Because the NRA gave Trump 30 million dollars. Because the NRA is a money-making machine with one aim – selling more guns, to whomever wants them (and taking really great vacations for themselves). The NRA and Mitch McConnell have women’s blood on their hands and they stand in direct opposition to everything Jesus taught. So, go ahead, support the second amendment, but abandon the NRA and embrace background checks and safety measures. If you’re sane, you’ve got nothing to lose.

Please know I understand. I understand how strong the pull is to support the party you’ve been loyal to your entire life. And I’ve tuned into Fox, read the mailers, and taken in the rhetoric. I promise you, you’re not being told the truth. Consult an unbiased source, or listen to the President speak, but, please, sit with it, quiet those word-tracks you’ve been fed by Fox and its pundits and sit with the information. And then vote pro-life, and I mean real pro-life. I mean the pro-life that actually drastically reduces abortion. I mean the pro-life that provides healthcare (please, my family will lose our healthcare if the ACA is struck down). I mean the pro-life that works to end systemic racism, bring about unity, and stop unjustified murder. I mean the pro-life that wants to take guns out of the hands of the dangerous. I mean the pro-life that wants to address mental illness (through healthcare and programs that will work in tandem with police). I mean the pro-life that honors of the sanctity of all life.

Vote pro-life.

Vote for Joe Biden.

*And beware of false idols.*

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