On Saturday, June 30th, the Missouri Democratic Party voted and approved a new platform. An amendment was added at the last moment which opened the door for pro-life voices in the party.



Per Sarah Fenske at the Riverfront Times, the amendment stated:



“We respect the conscience of each Missourian and recognize that members of our party have deeply held and sometimes differing positions on issues of personal conscience, such as abortion. We recognize the diversity of views as a source of strength, and welcome into our ranks all Missourians who may hold differing positions on this issue."

The amendment was requested for the ballot by Joan Barry, a pro-life democrat and former state representative, and placed on the ballot by the chairwoman of the St. Louis County Democratic Party, Mary Elizabeth Dorsey.

It passed with a vote of 35-28.



The amendment was met with immediate pushback. Alison Dreith, the head of NARAL Missouri, issued condemning statements as did State Representative Stacey Newman. They claimed it was a betrayal of women, and the party should not allow dissenting points of view on this any more than they would on workers’ rights.



Joan Barry, however, claims there are many members in the Democratic Party who are pro-life, and she believes if they are brought to the table, they could win votes if the broader public understood they were no longer hostile to Pro-Lifers in their own party.



In truth, the Democratic Party has been pushing out pro-life Democrats for decades. Since Bill Clinton vetoed the Partial-Birth Abortion Bill in 1996, the party has become more extreme in their pro-abortion policy. There are several voices calling out for the party to open up their arms once again to pro-life members.



Janet Roberts, in an article for the LA Times, argues, “If the Democratic Party is to become a truly national party — one that can win consistently outside of urban, coastal America — it has no choice but to welcome people with different views on abortion.”



If the Democratic Party were to adopt amendments and platforms similar to this all over the country, it would signal a hopeful future for the pro-life cause, but it will not come without a fight from the pro-abortion left.

Thankfully, the Missouri Democratic Party had men and women who were courageous enough to pass the platform, and one can only hope it will strengthen the cause of Life throughout the state of Missouri — and the nation.

