Quantcast
Channel: Jamaica Observer
Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 9214

Power of the religious right

$
0
0
Dear Editor,

The political world is seemingly still in shock about Donald Trump beating Senator Hillary Clinton in the USA elections on November 8. How could this have happened, they have been asking

Exit polls showed a third of Latinos voted Trump despite the pre-election rhetoric; eight per cent of African Americans voted Trump, and some analysts believe that it could be as much as 15 per cent, as a full seven per cent of African Americans refused to participate in exit polls.

The group, however, which seemed to have swung the election for Trump was white evangelicals who voted 80 per cent - 20 per cent in favour of Trump. Some within the media and general public are shouting “racism”, but this seems like faulty analysis because the bulk of this subset voted twice for President Barack Obama. Senator Hillary Clinton lost the race decisively because the religious right, including some African Americans, turned against the Democratic Party because of the party’s extreme positions on abortion and gay rights. Some conservatives were not planning to vote Trump but the exchange at the third debate on partial birth abortion gave them a perfect reason not to necessarily vote for Trump, but against Clinton.

The discussion on abortion went like this at the third debate:

Chris Wallace (moderator): …You have been quoted as saying that the foetus has no constitutional rights. You also voted against a ban on late-term, partial birth abortions. Why?

Hillary Clinton: Because Roe v Wade very clearly sets out that there can be regulations on abortion so long as the life and the health of the mother are taken into the account. And when I voted as a senator, I did not think that that was the case. The kinds of cases that fall at the end of pregnancy are often the most heartbreaking, painful decisions for families to make. I have met with women who have toward the end of their pregnancy, get the worst news one could get. That their health is in jeopardy if they continue to term. Or that something terrible has happened or just been discovered about the pregnancy.

CW: Mr Trump, your reaction, particularly on this issue of late-term, partial birth abortion.

Donald Trump: Well, I think it is terrible. If you go with what Hillary is saying, in the ninth month you can take baby and rip the baby out of the womb of the mother just prior to the birth of the baby. Now, you can say that that is okay, and Hillary can say that that is okay, but it’s not okay with me. Because based on what she is saying and based on where she’s going and where she’s been, you take baby and rip the baby out of the womb. In the ninth month? On the final day? And that’s not acceptable.

There you have it! Trump won the election with seven lines! The religious right not only moved towards Trump, but organised themselves and made a great difference in states such as Florida, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

The result of the election in the USA holds a lesson for some politicians in Jamaica who seem to think that the views of Jamaicans on abortion and gay rights should be ignored. The presidential election in the USA shows the power of an organised religious right and presents a teachable moment for our local politicians.

Marsha Thomas

marshburns@hotmail.com


Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 9214

Latest Images

Trending Articles



Latest Images