Insurrection Exposes Right-Wing’s Racism and Threats to Civil Rights–Statement by Jamie L. Manson, CFC President
Jamie L. Manson, President of Catholics for Choice, issued the following statement:
This morning, we at Catholics for Choice welcome the news that the election of the first pro-choice Catholic president, Joseph R. Biden, and the first woman and person of color vice president, Kamala Harris, is official. However, our hearts are heavy with the profound weight of injustice of what happened at the U.S. Capitol yesterday.
A mostly white, angry mob stormed the steps of a building that was heavily guarded and protected last year during the months of Black Lives Matter protests. We know that if yesterday’s rioters had been peaceful protestors of color, the Capitol steps would have run with blood. People would have been beaten, shot and jailed. Instead, after hours of rampaging, insurrectionists were pushed out and allowed to go back to their hotels without consequence. It angers us that few, if any of them, will ever face justice for these crimes.
Yesterday was yet another enraging reminder of the powerful forces of racism and hatred of Black, Indigenous and people of color that still dominate in this nation. The bodies of BIPOC are treated as property while white bodies, no matter how offending, are allowed to go free. We share the righteous anger of Fr. Bryan Massingale who wrote that what we saw yesterday “is a clear declaration that many white people would rather live in a white dictatorship than in a multiracial democracy.”
Yesterday was also the result of a toxic mix of nationalism, white supremacy and religious fundamentalism. It is not lost on us that many of these white men and women who caused so much destruction would consider themselves “Christian” and “pro-life.” We hope that all of those who voted for Donald J. Trump because of his claims to family values and opposition to abortion see this as a moment to reckon with their own values and to question the true values of these terrorists and extremists.
At Catholics for Choice, we commit to being an organization that recognizes the interconnections between racism, homophobia and transphobia, and attacks on reproductive rights and justice. All of us face constant threats to our civil rights and all of us are struggling, in one way or another, for our freedom and dignity. Though these are scary and unstable days, we look with hope for a new day in the White House and Congress, and we will work tirelessly to do our part to keep our elected officials accountable and committed to protecting the freedom and civil rights of all people.
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Catholics for Choice shapes and advances sexual and reproductive ethics that are based on justice, reflect a commitment to a person’s well-being and respect and affirm the capacity of all people to make moral decisions about their lives.
