There are fewer than four weeks left before Americans go to the polls and cast their ballots on Election Day, and some family advocates are concerned that values voters — who had such impact in 2004 — may not bother to show up for the midterm congressional elections.
"If you don't show up, you have done precisely what the liberals want you to do," Don Wildmon, chairman of the American Family Association, told CitizenLink. "They will have succeeded magnificently if we, as values voters, come to the place of saying, 'Well, it's not worth it. I'm not even going to go vote.' They will have won."
Indeed, it's high time to consider what is at stake this November if values voters do not go into the voting booths. Wildmon said liberals would take over the House and Senate.
Bruce Hausknecht, judicial analyst for Focus on the Family Action, said a change in power would lead to a change in who runs the Senate Judiciary Committee. That spells possible disaster.
"If that happens, we will see the obstruction of conservative jurists like we have never seen before," he said. "The president will be totally frustrated in his goal to appoint justices in the mold of Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas — because their nominations will never see the light of day."
Amanda Banks, federal policy analyst for Focus on the Family Action, agreed a change in control of the House and Senate will mean a world of difference on many levels.
"If values voters stay home and liberals take control of the House or Senate," Banks said, "one of the clearest examples of change that we'll see is that the progress that we've been making on the Marriage Protection Amendment will be reversed."
From 2004 to 2006, there were marginal increases in the both the House and Senate votes, Banks pointed out, and the House cast a majority vote both of those years. That progress would, no doubt, be wiped out.
"It could very likely translate into disillusionment and even defeat on state measures to protect marriage," Banks said, referring to state marriage amendments up for grabs. "We could see ramifications ripple through the country on marriage protection."
And there are certainly other issues at stake. One to be especially wary of is what will happen to sex education as it is taught in public schools.
"It is a contentious issue on Capitol Hill that's not often highlighted as much as marriage or abortion," Banks said. "But it is a very important issue, we believe, in terms of the values we hold dear, and having policy that is in line with those."
By just a 3-vote margin, the Senate this term defeated an anti-abstinence education bill that would have made condoms the sole focus of sex education in public schools.
"That's only three votes — three seats in the Senate — and it would have gone the other way," Banks explained. "And we would have had a movement behind this so-called 'comprehensive sex education,' which is really making condoms the cornerstone of sexuality education in our schools. That's very troubling."
Pro-life legislation, meanwhile, would definitely be affected.
"If liberals control, they don't have to allow votes on anything pro-life," Banks added. "Chances are they absolutely would not."
Even with pro-family/pro-life leadership currently in the House and Senate at this time, Banks said it is still difficult to advance pro-life bills through Congress, because there is strong opposition. The margins on many votes of importance to values voters are frequently very slim.
In May, on a vote of 233 to 194, the House narrowly rejected a bill that would have required our tax dollars to fund abortions in military hospitals overseas.
If control of Congress changes, say goodbye to the strides conservatives made in promoting ethical stem-cell research, Banks said.
"Both the House and the Senate passed legislation that would have required our tax dollars to fund embryo research that requires the destruction of human life," she said. "It was only because we have a pro-life president who is willing to stand firm on this issue that that legislation did not become law."
In the end, when it comes to something as precious as the institution of marriage or as important as taxpayer-funded sex education, Banks said voters need to consider carefully how they cast their ballots for in November.
"It is our right — and our privilege to vote in this election," Banks said. "I really believe this is a 'speak now or forever hold your peace' moment."
(Paid for by Focus on the Family Action)
