The race to see who will be challenging President Obama next November is heating up. We all know it’s important to vote, but more specifically, it’s important to make an informed vote. In Massachusetts, if you are a registered Republican or Unenrolled (formerly Independent), meaning you are not affiliated with either party, you may vote in the Republican Primary on March 6th. Though this may seem far away and you may feel like you have plenty of time to do your research before voting, we all know that as the semester progresses, you’re only going to get more and more busy. Here, to help you, are the candidates’ opinions on some issues that may affect young women. More to come!
Reproductive Rights:
— All of the candidates believe that Planned Parenthood should not be funded by the government, and would stop it from receiving federal money. They would also all overturn Roe v. Wade.
— Mitt Romney, who supported abortion rights before he was Governor of Massachusetts but has since changed his opinion, was the only candidate not to sign a pledge stating that
he would only appoint federal officials with anti-abortion views to key government positions.
— Rick Santorum has the strongest anti-abortion record, and has said that doctors who perform abortions should be criminally charged.
— Ron Paul wants to define life as beginning at conception through a “Sanctity of Life Act.” He does believe, however, that only the states should have the power to enforce laws about abortion.
Marriage Equality:
— Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum have signed a pledge by the National Organization for Marriage to outlaw same-sex marriage through a Constitutional amendment. Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul both declined to sign the pledge.
— Mr. Gingrich and Mr. Romney have both said that marriage should be only between one man and one woman.
— Mr. Paul personally believes the same, but believes that the issue should only be decided by the states.
Marijuana:
— Ron Paul believes that the decision to legalize or outlaw marijuana should be handled by the states, and in 2011 co-sponsored a bill entitled “Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2011.”
— Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum are both against legalizing marijuana, including for medicinal purposes.
— Newt Gingrich was formerly in favor of legalizing medical marijuana but has since changed his opinion and now opposes it.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at BU chapter.