California Republican Party Proposes to Abandon The Pro-Life Fight

Great Britain led the world in the abolition of human slavery. William Wilberforce is credited as the leader in the fight that began in the 1780’s. The prevailing opinion in Parliament in the 18th Century was, Africans were sub human and their lives were made better because they were enslaved. Our moral sensitivities today cringe at rhetoric like that, since we recognize the effects of dehumanization and slavery. After learning of the conditions of African slaves transported to Haiti, Wilberforce joined and began leading the campaign to see it abolished. In 1789, he made his first appeal to Parliament declaring the slave trade morally reprehensible and a violation of natural justice. He introduced the first bill to abolish the slave trade in 1791.  He faced steep opposition for years until he won a key victory by changing tactics in 1806 to make it illegal for British subjects to transport slaves. Further victories followed until 1833 when the Slavery Abolition Act was passed. 50 years of fighting with resolute fervor and holding to principles proved successful. William Wilberforce and his abolitionist movement serves as a model for establishing cultural and political change. He left us a pearl of wisdom to that effect when he said, “No one expects to attain to the height of learning, or arts, or power, or wealth, or military glory, without vigorous resolution, strenuous diligence, and steady perseverance.”

The fight for the Right to Life can easily be likened to the fight Wilberforce led in Britain. Abortion is a morally repugnant practice that dehumanizes the smallest and defenseless among us. The injustice of destroying a human life for the benefit of another is a violation of natural law. The Pro-life movement is achieving success. The California Republican Party has played a key role in this fight by endorsing pro-life candidates, pressing for amendments and changes to policy that protect life, and defend the liberties of those who speak up to defend the unborn. The California Republican Party is the pro-life party in our two party system. That could be changing.

On August 10th the Platform Committee for the California Republican Party produced a draft of a proposed platform. This platform is used to describe and outline what the California Republican Party believes and pushes in all its political activities. This committee is organized every four years before a National Presidential Election. The current version released in 2019 was 14 pages. The proposed version released earlier this month is significantly reduced to 4! These are best viewed side by side to see how the new version differs. Of note are significant reductions in hot issues, or “Planks” related to Family, Religious Freedom, and The Right To Life. Each plank should be reviewed carefully as Republicans will be electing officials to carry out these planks.

Notice how The Right to Life Plank has been chopped:

Current Plank

THE RIGHT TO LIFE

The California Republican Party is the party that protects innocent life because we believe life begins at conception and ends at natural death.

We support laws that protect children from partial birth, sex selection, and tax payer funded abortions, and abortions performed as a form of birth control or on minor girls without their parents’ notification and consent.

We believe that the question of abortion is a matter that should be left to the people through their elected representatives, not usurped by the United States Supreme Court. Accordingly, we encourage the reversal of the Roe v. Wade decision.

We support adoption as an alternative to abortion and call on lawmakers to reduce the bureaucratic burden placed on adoptive couples.

As a part of respecting the sanctity of life for disabled persons, we oppose efforts to legalize assisted suicide or euthanasia.

We support a comprehensive ban on all human cloning.

The California Republican Party supports ethical stem cell research that focuses on cures and does not destroy innocent human life.

Proposed Plank

THE RIGHT TO LIFE

We value protecting innocent life and want to see the number of abortions reduced. We support adoption as an alternative to abortion and call on lawmakers to reduce the bureaucratic burden on adoptive couples.

Let’s be honest, that is not a pro-life position. The proposed “Right to Life” plank is a departure from the declarative position that life begins at conception, and the party’s agenda proceeds from there. This statement is a first step from solid foundation onto shifting sand with no conviction.

The year before the Roe vs. Wade decision in 1972 George McGovern intervened to prevent the Democrat Party from adding any language on abortion to their platform. Since then the Democratic party has shifted from 1976 stating it was “undesirable” that the Roe vs. Wade decision be overturned, to “Abortion should be safe legal and rare” in the 80’s and 90’s, to “Abortion on demand” in the 2000’s, to “Abortion on demand without apology” in the 2010’s. Now the Democrat party position is “Shout or celebrate your abortion,” and to drive out leaders in the Party who are pro-life. How far will the California GOP slide? If they will not stand on life beginning at conception, when do they believe it begins? At what point are they willing to “protect innocent life?” This new platform says they will do nothing! Only that they “value” the protection of innocent life with no imperative to act. I wonder if Wilberforce would have been successful if his stance had been that he “valued” an end to the British slave trade. Or if his abolitionist caucus shifted to “wanting to see the British slave trade reduced.”

If a party will not define when a life begins, how will they defend life, liberty or the pursuit of happiness? Where is the pro-life movement going to turn with their political concerns when the Republican party looks no different than the Democrat party? If California Republicans want a platform of substance, they will have to fight for it.|

The platform will be voted in at the California Republican Party convention at the end of September. You can:

  • Submit an amendment proposal here September 14th is the deadline for submission.
  • Donate to support Pregnancy Care Clinic’s fight to defend life.
  • Contact the local chapter chair of the party. Visit California Republican Assembly page for a complete list
  • Go to the CA GOP Convention in Anaheim Sept 29-Oct 1
  • Contact the members of the platform committee:
  1. Jessica Patterson CRP Chairman chairwomanpatterson@cagop.org
  2. Corrin Rankin CRP Vice Chairman – CA GOP HQ
  3. Randy Berholtz CRP Secretary – CA GOP HQ
  4. Gregory Gandrud CRP Treasurer CA GOP HQ
  5. Brian Jones Leader State Senate
  6. James Gallagher Leader State Assembly
  7. Ted Gaines – Board of Equalization
  8. Doug LaMalfa – California Republican Congressional Delegation Chairman
  9. Shawn Steel – Republican National Committeeman – CA GOP HQ
  10. Harmeet Dhillon – Republican National Committeewoman – CA GOP HQ
  11. John Dennis Chairman of the County Central Committee Chairmen’s Association. chair@sfgop.org

CA GOP HQ: 1001 K st. 4th Floor, Sacramento, CA 95814, Fax 916-448-9497, Call 916-448-9496