We come to what was intended to be the last of the 2012 Platform comparisons, Social Reformation or do what I say whether it is in your best interest or not. Both parties have a great deal to say about Society and social direction, both have their own ideas about the course our nation should be traveling and what is wrong with us. Obviously, the Candidates at every level have been speaking their minds for many months on many of the issues so we might think we know what is in store for us if one party or the other win the day in November, but do we really understand the platforms.
I am to the best of my ability going to try to keep this to the issues within the platforms and keep my opinions out of the way. I saved the social issues to the last knowing this would be the most difficult.
Let’s get to it shall we?
| DNC | GOP |
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Civil Rights |
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| We believe in an America where everybody gets a fair shot and everybody plays by the same set of rules. At the core of the Democratic Party is the principle that no one should face discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, language, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability status. Democrats support our civil rights statutes and we have stepped up enforcement of laws that prohibit discrimination in the workplace and other settings. We are committed to protecting all communities from violence. We are committed to ending racial, ethnic, and religious profiling and requiring federal, state, and local enforcement agencies to take steps to eliminate the practice, and we continue to support enforcement of Title VI. | Nothing |
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Women’s Rights |
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| We will urge ratification of the Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women | Nothing |
| We will continue to promote the full engagement of women in the political and economic spheres. We will work to address underlying socio-economic problems, including women’s access to health, education, and food security. And we will ensure that women are equal participants in reconciliation and development in areas affected by conflict. | Under our Constitution, treaties become the law of the land. So it is all the more important that the Congress—the Senate through its ratifying power and the House through its appropriating power—shall reject agreements whose long-range impact on the American family is ominous or unclear. These include the U.N. Convention on Women’s Rights, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and the U.N. |
| President Obama overturned the “global gag rule,” a ban on federal funds to foreign family planning organizations that provided information about, counseling on, or offered abortions. And that is why the administration has supported lifesaving family planning health information and services. | The United Nations Population Fund has a shameful record of collaboration with China’s program of compulsory abortion. We affirm the Republican Party’s long-held position known as the Mexico City Policy, first announced by President Reagan in 1984, which prohibits the granting of federal monies to non-governmental organization that provide or promote abortion. |
| The Democratic Party strongly and unequivocally supports Roe v. Wade and a woman’s right to make decisions regarding her pregnancy, including a safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay. We oppose any and all efforts to weaken or undermine that right. Abortion is an intensely personal decision between a woman, her family, her doctor, and her clergy; there is no place for politicians or government to get in the way. We also recognize that health care and education help reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and thereby also reduce the need for abortions. We strongly and unequivocally support a woman’s decision to have a child by providing affordable health care and ensuring the availability of and access to programs that help women during pregnancy and after the birth of a child, including caring adoption programs. | Faithful to the “self-evident” truths enshrined in the Declaration of Independence, we assert the sanctity of human life and affirm that the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed. We support a human life amendment to the Constitution and endorse legislation to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment’s protections apply to unborn children. We oppose using public revenues to promote or perform abortion or fund organizations which perform or advocate it and will not fund or subsidize health care which includes abortion coverage. We support the appointment of judges who respect traditional family values and the Sanctity of innocent human life. |
| We are committed to ending violence against women, why Vice President Joe Biden originally wrote and championed the Violence Against Women Act during his time in the Senate and why we support reauthorizing and strengthening it now. | Nothing |
| The President and the Democratic Party believe that women have a right to control their reproductive choices. Democrats support access to affordable family planning services, and President Obama and Democrats will continue to stand up to Republican efforts to defund Planned Parenthood health centers. The Affordable Care Act ensures that women have access to contraception in their health insurance plans, and the President has respected the principle of religious liberty. Democrats support evidence-based and age-appropriate sex education. | Nothing
See my notes below |
| My Notes: I urge you to read in its entirety the GOP statement on women’s health services beginning on page 13, I have not posted it here. I also recommend reading those UN White Papers, Conventions and Reports the GOP takes issue with. The links are below. The GOP has stated their intention to overturn the Affordable Healthcare Act. Within this context they have also stated their firm intention to limit access women’s health services including abortion, birth control and other services where these collide with ‘moral’ convictions of the insurance provider, employer or medical services provider. This information is provided in detail on pages 32 – 34 of the GOP Platform. | |
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Same Sex Marriage & DOMA |
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| We support the right of all families to have equal respect, responsibilities and protections under the law. We support marriage equality and support the movement to secure equal treatment under law for same-sex couples. We also support the freedom of churches and religious entities to decide how to administer marriage as a religious sacrament without government interference.We oppose discriminatory federal and state constitutional amendments and other attempts to deny equal protection of the laws to committed same-sex couples who seek the same respect and responsibilities as other married couples. We support the full repeal of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act and the passage of the Respect for Marriage Act. | A serious threat to our country’s constitutional order, perhaps even more dangerous than presidential malfeasance, is an activist judiciary, in which some judges usurp the powers reserved to other branches of government. A blatant example has been the court-ordered redefinition of marriage in several States. This is more than a matter of warring legal concepts and ideals. It is an assault on the foundations of our society, challenging the institution which, for thousands of years in virtually every civilization, has been entrusted with the rearing of children and the transmission of cultural values. My Note: I left out several paragraphs of fluff, read on page 10
We reaffirm our support for a Constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman. We applaud the citizens of the majority of States which have enshrined in their constitutions the traditional concept of marriage, and we support the campaigns underway in several other States to do so. |
I could simply do what others do; I could simply rail at the sound bites of the day. Rail at the stupidity of the news coverage from those who should be informing us but are not, more shame them. I could simply stop where I am, this is hard and not terribly popular this road of compare and contrast. I feel I am losing audience each time I post. Honestly, I thought I would be able to end the Platform 2012 review today, I thought this would be the end. I suppose it could be, but with less than 40 days to Election Day and would that make sense? Should I simply stop where I am? Perhaps.
Civil Rights, not privilege granted because someone granted a favor but RIGHTS. The GOP spends a great deal of time in their Platform 2012 criticizing Liberal Activist Judiciary. The GOP doesn’t seem to mind Judicial Activism though when it is their own, in fact they frequently praise judges, legislators and Governors for their activism, for their creative stripping of citizens’ rights. Yes, the GOP truly doesn’t seem to have a real problem when it is Activism that strips citizens of Rights guaranteed within the Constitution, Rights enumerated by the Bill of Rights or defined by our Declaration of Independence as inalienable so long as those citizens affected aren’t models of Right Christian Propriety.
Well, despite my intent to end it here it seems we have one more to go, maybe even two.
Education
Poverty and Programs
Voter Suppression or better said maybe the Right to Vote
Republican Party Platform: http://whitehouse12.com/republican-party-platform/
Democratic National Platform: http://www.democrats.org/democratic-national-platform#moving-america
United Nations Human Rights: http://www.un.org/en/rights/
Convention on Women: http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/
United Nations Women: http://www.unwomen.org/
Convention of the Rights of the Child: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/crc.htm
Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: http://www.un.org/disabilities/convention/conventionfull.shtml
QBG_Tilted Tiara 
You know, Valentine, if you lived in Australia and were doing such a service to people who are not into dissecting & comparing policies, I would be your no. 1 fan. I don’t feel like a dork, exactly, but I do feel ignorant. I feel EVERY pamphlet from EVERY politician is mere advertising of what they think you want to hear from them, & that they will renege as soon as elected. I really, really feel that futile in it all. I would LOVE to BELIEVE in who I was voting for, but in all my years, I never have.
I didn’t understand “funding” the Violence Against Women Act – I didn’t know the Acts have to be maintained.
I suspect we all feel the same way, that every word dropped from a candidate is simply another lie. It is why the party platforms are so very important. I think Australian and British parties also have party platforms, I seem to remember reading some of them in the past. While candidates can say things, they have to somewhat stay within certain parameters. When governing though, especially where they have parties within governing bodies they will be held to the tenets of the platforms to the extent they can be held based on the opposition party and the power they have. This is why each party wants a majority.
As for the VAWA, many acts require refunding, they aren’t forever. So they are written and funded during every budget year. Each time they are reviewed they may be changed to reflect new needs within society, programs may be added or dropped and then new funding is requested. This year, funding was not reauthorized.
Val,
thank you for the education. I am such a dork at such things. Love. Xxx
I don’t believe, not for an instant that you are a dork about anything. But we all have our passions. One of mine is preserving our rights and insuring we move forward as a people. I don’t think we can do that if we are passive, uninformed or misinformed. The GOP wants to send us backwards, strip us of protections, has even refused to re-fund the Violence Against Women Act. I want to make sure we get them out of office.
Anyone that can add a political
posting with such an informative
feel to it deserves good feedback
and you have certainly posted it
excellently Val 🙂 🙂
I hope that you are very well and
enjoying the start of your week 🙂
Androgoth xxx
Thanks Andro, I find the only way to keep civility is to simply show the two sides. This is such a terrible time in national politics, but we have to get educated! You get what you pay for you know?
Yes and in all things my wickedly fine young friend 🙂 I hope that your Tuesday has started with a wonderful edge 🙂 😉
Androgoth xxx
Sadly, beating your head against the wall may be more productive than railing against the selfishly stupid. … I was going to call them ignorant, but that term is reserved for those who don’t know.
I don’t believe ignorant fits the bill except in some cases, those that consistent vote against their own best interest. I will never understand them.
I am learning a great deal combing the platforms, learning a lot about those I support just as I learn about those I disdain. It is a sad day in truth, how far we all have fallen. But it is I think important we look at the slippery slope and call out the problems before we get to the bottom and pick the burrs out.
I think it’s very telling that when you compare the two side-by-side, the Republican side in many cases, says “nothing.” Any why does Reince Priebus look weasily?
It is indeed telling, that is why it is so important that we actually read the platforms. This is what every single legislator is committed to. These are the principles they agree to govern by. Not the soundbites, not the campaign promises, these written documents.
Reince looks that way because he is weasily.
Activist judges are so very bad. Except when they are deciding what women can do with their bodies. Except when they are stealing elections. And of course, except when making sure that a group of angry rich guys have more say in an election than the voters. Then activist judges are peachy.
I understand what you mean about political posts. Folks love them or hate them. This series, though, Val is a public service. Seriously. Even a geek like me doesn’t read the platforms. But your analysis is helpful.
Thanks! And you should re-post this one about a week before the election…
I have always read the platforms, don’t know why guess it is simply the way I am wired. I had a Social Studies teacher in middle school that said it was a responsibility to read them before you voted, I took him seriously.
This year though, I think it is so important. The two sides are so different and if we don’t know, really know what the parties intend to do if they are in power we are lost. All the talking points, all the sound bites, all the BS aside if we don’t pay attention we could really lose for years to come.
This is really well done. I usually hate politics – but, you made this pretty darn easy to read the significance of claims. GREAT post.
That is what I am trying to do, make it easy to compare the claims, brush the cobwebs away. Many of us hate politics, hate the strident screaming from both sides. The fact is though, our world is controlled by who sits in the White House and Congress. The laws the pass or for that matter don’t pass, affect us.
I am glad if you found this helpful.
Val
All of your political posts are great, but I especially love this one. =)
Thank you Stacie, the social issues are so diametrically opposed. My feelings about them so black and white it is hard to keep myself from simply bashing. I am glad you like this one.
Val
Thank you again for civility, reason and reality. I hope you GAIN audience.
Thanks for reading and commenting. I try for reason and civility. I can always go to some of my favorite haunts for a good battle. 🙂
Val forgive a Dreamwalker.. but politics is way out of my league in the USA especially.. its hard enough to get to grips with UK Politics
Excepts Im all for peoples rights and women’s rights and Equal rights etc etc… and you still get my VOTE! 🙂 😉 xxx
No forgiveness needed from me my friend. Some of these are especially difficult because they aren’t just about the US but cross over to simply human rights. Stunning isn’t it.
Yes it is,.. and its happening all over.. Im just glad you champion your corner of the world Val, and had you been born earlier no doubt you would have chained yourself to some railings somewhere in the world 😉 .. 😀 xxxx Hugs to you
Protect the rights of the unborn child but – whoa – don’t sign a treat to protect the rights of already born children – Somalia must be so proud to the US as the only other country not to sign the treaty.
I have read the treaty several times trying to figure out what is in it that makes the US not sign it – I fail every time. Last fall I read the 4 year progress report from Canada that shows where they have made progress and where it is still lacking – to me it means progress is being made for the better of society – why is this so bad?
Finally – I read alot of the GOP Platform and not once did I read “we take responsibility for x and we need to do better”. To me it is a sign of a leader – admit failure while making it better. The platform reads like they had no hand in the government actions and are brand spanking new.
Good post…
I am with you, I read the Conventions and scratch my head. But then I get it when I read the language of the Platforms, we that is the GOP of the we don’t want to be held to high standard. This is far to much of a stretch, that is to hold ourselves as a nation to a standard of equality, fairness and democracy.
I have read the 2008 and 2012 platforms, it is beyond me how any moral, ethical thinking person could vote for GOP candidates today.
It’s unbelievable that the GOP are forever trying to reign in women’s rights – hard fought for in the past. If you subsituted the word woman for black, American cities would be burning by midnight. The wives of these men go along with it too.
They can’t all have been born in Stepford.
If they cared so much about the rights of children to life; then why not campaign to stop the daily drone attacks across the middle East and interventionist wars that kill far more children than they save by cutting off funding to NGOs who promote birth control in devloping countries. I think they care less about the unborn child, and more about the unfufilled sperm.
You don’t have to substitute, there is more I just haven’t gotten there yet. The dog whistles of poverty, welfare, medicaid and other programs are all there. We still live under the Reagan ‘welfare queen’ mantle and the GOP has got that one down pat. They have an entire section on Criminal justice that reeks of race baiting.
I am stunned they continue without shame and no one says a word. I think you are absolutely correct.