President Jimmy Carter on abortion

[Tallguy88]

"I never have believed that Jesus Christ would approve of abortions and that was one of the problems I had when I was president having to uphold Roe v. Wade and I did everything I could to minimize the need for abortions. I made it easy to adopt children for instance who were unwanted and also initiated the program called Women and Infant Children or WIC program that’s still in existence now.

...

I’ve signed a public letter calling for the Democratic Party at the next convention to espouse my position on abortion which is to minimize the need, requirement for abortion and limit it only to women whose life are in danger or who are pregnant as a result of rape or incest. I think if the Democratic Party would adopt that policy that would be acceptable to a lot of people who are now estranged from our party because of the abortion issue," he added. I think if the Democratic Party would adopt that policy that would be acceptable to a lot of people who are now estranged from our party because of the abortion issue," he added."

Full interview: Jimmy Carter: Democratic Party Should Be More Pro-Life | RealClearPolitics

 

[faroukfarouk]

Meanwhile, more Republicans seek to accommodate Wade v. Roe.

Except those who run for President and would find it hard to get nomination otherwise.

Politicians tend to talk round and round...

 

[faroukfarouk]

PS: I don't agree with some of what President Carter says, although with a lot of people, Americans or otherwise, I can certainly respect him to some extent as a man of principle, if not as one of the more successful Presidents.

 

[wondrousgnat]

Meanwhile, more Republicans seek to accommodate Wade v. Roe.

Except those who run for President and would find it hard to get nomination otherwise.

Politicians tend to talk round and round...

Republicans tend to be opposed to abortion up until election day. But then there are "priorities" and saving children is no longer high on the list.

I liked Carter personally. But he came across to me as a rather incompetent man who was also in a no win situation.

(Decided to not post the editing after all.)

 

[MikeK]

I think Carter is a fine man, especially judging by the way he's elected to spend his time after his Presidency. He was a mediocre President at best but he deserves credit for much of the arms buildup that Reagan was credited with. People are often ignorant of the facts that the B-2, the Ohio SSBNs, TLAM-N and the MX missile were all approved by Carter. Carter had a bigger hand in forcing the reds to spend beyond their means than Reagan did.

 

[Fantine]

When people say that politicians have no integrity, I always point to Jimmy Carter--and the way he has spent his more than thirty post-Presidential years should be a model for all former politicians.

It makes me sick that Eric Cantor has been retained at a million-dollar plus salary by a Wall Street investment firm just one day after resigning. His assignment? Living and lobbying his former cronies in Washington.

Wasn't his generous pension enough for him?

I also admire Carter's realistic view of the Israel/Palestinian crisis, although he has caught some flack for it.

 

[eastcoast_bsc]

Never been a fan of Jimmy Carter. Underneath I sense a seething hatred toward Israel in his support of Hamas. He was a hapless and ineffective president, much like the guy that now serves.

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

It' hilarious to hear how somehow Carter was the real Reagan and that he has been such a great guy. He's been 100% in favor of "gay marriage." Last time I checked, that is NOT Catholic teaching, so it causes one to wonder how anyone with Catholic values can see that as good stuff? It has also been interesting to watch Carter sucking up to Hamas for years and singing their praises....He still wants us to politically recognize them, a terrorist group.

How many times have we heard Carter say, "Jesus never said a word about Christianity!"? As Robin Williams would say, "heavy sigh..."

I find the claim that Carter was aggressive in the arms race and shared some glory for the collapse of the Soviet government to be interesting considering that Carter was a huge fan of SALT II. And after Carter got a big tingle in his leg over the signing of SALT II, the Russians invaded Afghanistan and ramped up weapons and positions in Cuba!

Hillary Clinton wasn't too pleased when mega-lib Carter said, “chosen to deliberately withhold food aid to the North Korean people because of political or military issues not related and is really indeed a human rights violation.”

I loved how, in a Youtube video back in 2009, Carter said that religion, including "Protestant and Catholic Christians" was the cause of most of the loss of women's rights and dignity. Yep, that's pretty great, isn't it?

I also love how Jimmy Carter courted racist groups back in the day when he was running for office. "The Real Jimmy Carter" is an interesting read. It talks about his dirty racist pamphlets he sent out in his early races, and how he said "I have no trouble pitching for George Wallace (leading segregationist) votes and black votes at the same time!" Carter also said, "I can win this election without a single black vote."

Carter was a disaster. My parents had to suffer through his administration. While my wife and I bought a house for 4.75% interest rate under Bush, my parents' first house was 18% interest rate under this liberal nutjob. Then their second house was 15.5%. Carter was an abject failure. About the only compliments I'd give this disaster of a man would be he was good at growing peanuts, playing both sides, helping the gay agenda while turning a blind eye to abortion talking out both sides of his yapper, and I do applaud his work toward freeing the hostages in the Iranian crisis. His efforts, not Reagan's, were what really made a difference. Apart from that, he was a total joke.

 

[MikeK]

He should have talked tougher with Iran.

He did authorize our best strategic weapons systems of the Cold War.

He did, as you note, begin the downward trend in interest rates that continued through the Reagan administration.

That he now supports same sex marriage does not bother me all that much. It is compatible with his (errant) beliefs about Christianity.

He is pro life and I appreciate that. That he is calling out other members of his party on their support for abortion is wonderful. Inside voices are much more powerful than those from the outside. Speaking against abortion is a greater positive than favoring same sex marriage is a negative. As bad as same sex marriage is, it pales in comparison to the ghoulish tragedy that abortion is.

He does good work for charitable organizations like HFH and I appreciate that.

He was not, as I mentioned, a very good President.

SALT 2 talks were a good thing. That a strategic weapons limitation treaty was not eventually ratified is not reason to believe that it was a waste of time. Neither Carter nor Reagan were able to convince the Soviets to leave Afghanistan.

Jimmy Carter is not among the Presidents that I have portraits of hanging in my home, but he was not as dismal a failure as some suggest. The mid-to-late 1970s were a very dark time for a lot of Americans who couldn't read the writing on the wall regarding our stagnant postwar heavy industrial mindset.

I bought a house at under 3% under Obama. That doesn't reflect much on Obama.

 

[Fantine]

The 1970's, the decade in which my husband and I were in our twenties and beginning our family, were an odd decade economically. Inflation was rampant, partially because the very first oil crisis occurred.

In 1973 or so, OPEC came into being and gasoline prices doubled. In NY, where I lived, gas was so scarce there were odd and even gas days. Both our cars were "even." My husband worked and attended college at night in the outer boroughs. Every even day I had to put gas in one or the other of the cars, and I could only get 4 to 5 gallons. I'd have to get on line at 5 a.m. and sit till 7 when the gas station opened.

I remember sitting online with my blanket and pillow finishing my night's sleep and waiting for the station to open.

Wage price controls began under Ford in an effort to get inflation under control. Most economists say they are ineffective. When Carter took office he rescinded them--and inflation and interest rates "caught up."

Despite all that, I think there was much more opportunity for young people than there is today. We bought our home in our early twenties. I was able to be a stay-at-home Mom with my children. By the end of the decade my husband had become a VP. He had a company car. We bought a vacation home on a lake in the Adirondacks.

There is much less opportunity for young people today, one reason, I guess, why my middle child, aka my mogul, moved to Asia to enjoy the American dream

 

[classicalhero]

Perhaps the only thing i will ever agree on wih President Carter.

 

[Armoured]

If we genuinely believe a foetus has all the rights anyone else has, why does being a product of rape or incest make abortion acceptable? I mean, you couldn't legally kill anyone who has already been born for being the product of rape or incest.

 

[MikeK]

If we genuinely believe a foetus has all the rights anyone else has, why does being a product of rape or incest make abortion acceptable? I mean, you couldn't legally kill anyone who has already been born for being the product of rape or incest.

Allowances for abbortion in cases of rape or incest are incompatible with the pro-life position. No person who accepts these reasons for abortion can be called pro-life, they are merely against some abortions.

 

[Tallguy88]

Allowances for abbortion in cases of rape or incest are incompatible with the pro-life position. No person who accepts these reasons for abortion can be called pro-life, they are merely against some abortions.

We can still find allies with moderates in the hopes of reducing some abortions.

 

[MikeK]

We can still find allies with moderates in the hopes of reducing some abortions.

Certainly - but being pro-life with exceptions is being pro culture-of-death. It might be necessary sometimes to work with moderates to achieve a common goal, but we should never be silent when dealing with peoe who are "pro-life but..." Aim small, miss small.

 

[AvilaSurfer]

If we genuinely believe a foetus has all the rights anyone else has, why does being a product of rape or incest make abortion acceptable? I mean, you couldn't legally kill anyone who has already been born for being the product of rape or incest.

Many people believe it is not acceptable even then.

 

[MikeK]

Many people believe it is not acceptable even then.

Not enough, unfortunately.

 

[Rhamiel]

Certainly - but being pro-life with exceptions is being pro culture-of-death. It might be necessary sometimes to work with moderates to achieve a common goal, but we should never be silent when dealing with peoe who are "pro-life but..." Aim small, miss small.

Mike.... I have to disagree with you now

the culture and political structure, including both major parties and legal jurisprudence, are in favor of abortion and other pro-death activities

so if we could limit abortion to only cases of rape or if the mothers life is in danger, we should go for that
not as an end goal, but as a stepping stone.

I understand "aim small miss small"
but we did not get the "culture of death" over night
so we might have to take many small steps to get rid of it

I would be over joyed if some major Democrats supported Carters ideas on abortion
it would not be our end goal ofcourse, but it would be a step in the right direction

 

[MikeK]

I don't think pro-lifers as a voting block have any power until we get together and demand real change. If we, though we might only be 15% of the voting population, either abstain from voting or vote only for 3rd party candidates for just ONE Presidential election, one of the parties would shift their platform to bring us in by the next campaign cycle. They trust we won't do that, so we keep getting what we've gotten do 50 years.

Now, the obvious counter to my argument is to note that abortion is bigger than politics and that maybe, as evidenced by a 25 year downward trend in abortions regardless which political party is in power, legislation isn't where our pro-life efforts should be focussed. I don't see it as an either/or though. I think we can create support systems for young mothers AND work toward passing laws that are fully pro-life in the Catholic sense.

 

[wondrousgnat]

I believe that more than 50% of us are pro-life. But politicians have lied to us so many times and changed the subject so often we have given up in defeat. They will have to answer to God.