In an effort to convince the Democratic party to use “more inclusive language” on the issue of abortion, Democrats for Life executive director Kristen Day is “urg[ing] all Democrats, including those who would come back to the Democratic Party if it changes its abortion stance, to sign the online petition calling for the 2012 Platform to honor and acknowledge our big tent policy.” Day’s announcement came in the form of a press release announcing the petition.
The petition states that “The Democratic Platform language should be inclusive and endorse the views of all Democrats.” Its aim its to sign up the one-third of Democratic voters who are apparently pro-life.
Here is the “inclusive language” that Democrats for Life hopes to add to the Democratic party’s 2012 platform:
“We respect the conscience of each American and recognize that members of our Party have deeply held and sometimes differing positions on issues of personal conscience, like abortion and the death penalty. We recognize the diversity of views as a source of strength and we welcome into our ranks all Americans who may hold differing positions on these and other issues.
“However, we can find common ground. We believe that we can reduce the number of abortions because we are united in our support for policies that assist families who find themselves in crisis or unplanned pregnancies. We believe that women deserve to have a breadth of options available as they face pregnancy: including, among others, support and resources needed to handle the challenges of pregnancy, adoption, and parenthood; access to education, healthcare, childcare; and appropriate child support. We envision a new day without financial or societal barriers to bringing a planned or unplanned pregnancy to term.”
In addition to the number of Democrats with pro-life leanings, half of the swing voters identify as pro-life.
Read the petition here.
