CWA Response to Thursday’s RNC Speeches

“Donald Trump made further gains with American voters by powerfully challenging the narrative that America’s best years are behind us.  He presented an inspirational vision for Americans on key issues including national security, crime, taxes, the economy and education. His reaffirmation of his promise to only appoint constitutionalists to the courts and to support Israel will resonate again with Evangelical Christians.  I believe that as Americans begin to pay closer attention to this race, Donald Trump will continue to attract new voters to the Republican party.

“Perhaps the Trump campaign had new voters in mind with two speakers in particular.  In Peter Thiel’s (PayPal Co-Founder and Venture Capitalist), address he brought up the recent controversy surrounding transgender bathroom usage in his speech. He said, ‘Now we are told that the greatest debate is about who gets to use which bathroom. This is a distraction from our real problems. Who cares?’ Concerned Women for America respectfully disagrees. Though our country faces many issues, it does not diminish the importance of other issues such as protecting the safety and privacy of women and children.

“While trying to make one minority group comfortable, open bathroom and shower policies ignore the feelings of women who have been abused or who have cultural and religious modesty concerns which make them uncomfortable with men in their bathroom or showers. Concerned Women for America cares about this policy because it creates an enormous opportunity for abuse, as other men may use it to gain access to the vulnerable. There are currently about 850,000 sexual predators on the national registry who will use any pretext to access innocent women and children.

“The Obama Administration began this conversation by working to coerce states and schools into abandoning common sense. Mr. Thiel shares some of our conservative principles, and we are happy to work with like-minded people in the areas where we can agree and specifically for his safety from Islamic fascist.  But we must respectfully disagree with his statements tonight. We take comfort in knowing that there are better solutions which consider everyone’s needs.

“In addition, despite Donald Trump’s clear promise to clean up America’s 19 trillion dollars in debt, Ivanka Trump’s speech may have hinted at new government entitlements.  She suggested in her speech that her father, Donald Trump, as President would work towards equal pay and affordable child care. She is correct in her assessment that motherhood is the dividing line in the pay gap.  For single mothers, this is particularly difficult.  We look forward to market-based approaches to this issue instead of more warmed over, bureaucratic solutions.   Seventy percent of parents with children five and under say that one parent at home is the best child care arrangement during a child’s earliest years. When parents were asked to rank nine childcare options for pre-school children, they ranked government-run childcare centers dead last. Mothers often prefer home care by a relative, even when other childcare is convenient. Rather than imposing more government, lets lower the tax burden on families as a means to achieve the affordable childcare of their choice.”

 

*For more information and statistics please see CWA’s A War No More: The Truth Behind the “War on Women” booklet here.