An Open Letter to Donald Trump — 9/6/2020
- Phoenix Congress 2020 represents members of the American Union, who are willing to vote for both Republicans and Democrats in the 471 federal races who will meet our terms, including Donald Trump.
- This is the sixth in a series of open letters, explaining our demands. These links are to the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth.
September 6th, 2020
Dear President Trump,
Today is Sunday, and tens of millions of Christians are attending church services this morning. During the pandemic, Christians, just like everyone else, had their lives laid bare. Churches were forced to reevaluate their strategies and procedures–the core beliefs remained, but the methods changed. Truly, some churches have come up with creative ways to be more effective than they were before.
We, as a nation, could be more effective in protecting the lives of our most innocent. Around 22,000 infants die each year before their first birthday, at a rate that is much higher than most industrialized nations. These deaths fall disproportionately on women of color; according to the CDC, Black infants are twice as likely to die.
As Psalm 127:3 reminds us, “Children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.” We should be ashamed that we allow thousands of infants to die unnecessarily in our country, when every other developed nation has adopted a proven method of decreasing the infant mortality rate; paid maternal leave.
Mr. President, if you sign the Blueprint for a Better America, you will guarantee every new mother 18 weeks of paid maternity leave. If we can bring America’s infant mortality rate down to the level of the European Union average, ten thousand babies each year will live. How can America be great if we know this and do nothing?
Christians also care deeply about the unborn; the number of abortions each year has fallen over the last three decades, but Americans on both sides of the aisle hope to see it fall further. As we look for creative ways to be more effective, let us first ask, Why do women in the United States get abortions?
Answers vary, however, studies have shown that the majority of abortions in the United States come from households that already have children (60%), are afraid another child will disrupt their ability to provide for members of their family (74%), or cannot afford the cost of childcare (73%). All of these reasons share one thing: they’re economic.
Mr. President, we believe it is time that Christians are offered a new approach to the abortion issue and the chance to take the lead in creating a better America. Universal basic income (UBI) is a policy that has become more popular for economic reasons; it is the idea that the safety net under all citizens in a society should be replaced with a floor that no one can fall beneath. Studies show that UBI would likely result in an immediate reduction in abortions.
Despite being “unorthodox” in the traditional sense, UBI is truly a pro-life stance. UBI can remove the financial burden of unpaid maternity leave past 18 weeks, further reducing infant mortality rates. Likewise, UBI offers financial stability for families to utilize birth control and effective family planning methods to avoid pregnancy until they are ready.
America has been a country of great wealth for generations, and yet an estimated 1 in 5 families were living in poverty before the Coronavirus pandemic. America has the material resources to end poverty, but has thus far lacked the political will to do so. This is a moral blight on the conscience of the American nation. Is it not time for people of faith to lead the way to end this immorality?
Mr. President, you are the man who can bring the Republican party on board with UBI and save the lives of countless American babies. The Phoenix Congress is committed to fighting for UBI on behalf of all Americans. Will you you show your willingness to embrace 21st century solutions by joining us in a fast for peace on September 15?
Respectfully yours,
(You can read September 7th’s open letter here.)
Other articles on Medium:
A call to action around Martin Luther King, Jr.’s triple evils: The Marginalized Must Unionize in 2020
A look at our duties as Americans and the legislation they inspire: The Blueprint for a Better America
