Confessions of a "pro-life" Democrat

I just read the Bob Herbert piece about a 16 year old girl in Nacogdoches, Texas, whose battle against cancer max-ed out her parents' health insurance policy. This story will make you want to cry.

It's not just the millions of Americans without health insurance who go without medical care.

It's not just the millions of Americans who lose their jobs and discover that COBRA health coverage is 10 times the price of their old coverage.

It's not just young Americans working for employers that don't offer health insurance.

It's not just the self-employed who can't find affordable coverage.

It's not just those with pre-existing conditions that health insurance companies won't cover.

No, as the story shows us, hard-working people with good health insurance find that a catastrophic health problem will wipe out their coverage and leave them defenseless. I was moved by this story, so much so that I want to confess something to you:

I am a "pro-life" Democrat. What does that mean?

It means that I am for universal health coverage, so that every American has access to health care. Lives will be saved.

I am for stem cell research because lives will be saved.

I am for bringing our troops home from Iraq because their lives will be saved.

I am for chasing down Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan or Pakistan or wherever he is, because lives will be saved when he is caught.

I am for DNA testing of death row inmates and appellate review of newly discovered evidence, so that no innocent person is accidently executed for a crime he or she did not commit.

I am for taking care of our Earth's air, water, and natural resources, because it will save lives.

I wish there were never another abortion, but I am for reproductive rights for women during the first trimester. No woman should ever have to become a mother because of rape, incest, accident, mistake, misdiagnosis, or legislation. I am for the woman's life. I support her right to choose during the first trimester, or anytime after when her health is endangered by the pregnancy. I support her right to march in the streets and demand that we all have the same health insurance coverage that our Congressman has. That will save lives, both of the mother and the child.

For me, the topic of abortion is inextricably intertwined with how we care for the health needs of our society. You cannot require a woman to complete a pregnancy if you fail to provide her health care, child care, a living wage, and an educational allowance. You cannot say you are "pro-life" if, at the same time, you send our troops to be maimed in an unnecessary war in Iraq. You cannot say you are "pro-life" if you won't support medical advances that could save lives. You cannot say you are "pro-life" if you would allow insurance companies to deny health insurance coverage to a 16 year old who is fighting cancer.

If you're "pro-life", been voting for Republicans and are now disillusioned with the hypocrisy, vote with us. Democrats have a wide variety of opinions on the issues of the day, but we are united on the need to return power to the people. Corporate money and lobbyists have taken over our government, to the detriment of our future. We believe in privacy, individual rights and respect for the law. We believe in free enterprise and profitable businesses that are good stewards of our resources, both natural and human. We believe in having an equal opportunity for hard work and success. We believe that together, Americans can build a better society and life for us all. We believe in life, and it's not just a slogan.