Introduction
Rudy Giuliani is now the leading Republican candidate for the presidency in the 2008 elections. As a former mayor of New York, he is known to have improved the city’s quality of life by greatly reducing its crime rate. He also participated in rehabilitation from the 9/11 bombing.
There have been allegations of Giuliani being worse than President Bush. This is base on his stand on some major issues, particularly regarding Iraq. Other issues that raised controversies are his stands on abortion, immigration, and health care.
One event that made critics raise an eyebrow is when he indirectly claimed in a debate that opposing candidate Ron Paul’s view on the 9/11 bombing was absurd. Paul said that the terrorists did not attack because we are rich and powerful, but because we have been invading them for almost 10 years now. But Giuliani argued that Iraq started this whole thing and that we are right, they are wrong. His stand is clearly to go all out, not show any weakness, and win this war. He promised to keep America on offense in the war against terrorism.
Fight against terrorism
I believe that our soldiers are dying in futile. Almost 5000 American soldiers and civilians already died in Afghanistan, and for what? This so-called fight against terrorism is beginning to look like a sadistic hunt for power. What would a third-world country be doing fighting with the most powerful nation in the world if we did not covertly take interest in their oil deposits? We already have the power, much as we have the ego that we can not afford to go home just because we have to save face.
If Giuliani’s motivation for continuing the war is to avenge the deaths of our people, he might want to think ahead and expect many more deaths to come. For me, this war is useless and is going nowhere. We will most certainly reap more benefits in peace.
The dilemma
Another issue that causes hype is Giuliani’s stand on abortion. Here is the dilemma: he is anti-abortion but pro-choice. According to his “12 Commitments”, he will decrease incidences of abortion and encourage adoption. I wonder how he can achieve this if he does not want the government to interfere with its people’s private lives. Abortion is personal. The mother will be bearing all the responsibilities or suffer all the consequences of pregnancy. But giving the mother a choice to abort a baby will not help in the fight against abortion.
He once said that there is no room for neutrality (against terrorism). He drew the line and said that it is either you are with the civilization or you are with the terrorists. Why can’t this be the case with abortion? In the ’90s, it was recorded that Planet Parenthood, one of the country’s leading abortion-rights groups found in New York, received donations several times from Giuliani. (OnTheIssues.com) He also approved the state to pay for abortions in New York but reasoned that state funding for abortion is a case-to-case basis. And yet he says he abhors adoption. If he is against something, he should make sure that this does not happen. Ban any kind of abortion for it is inhumane. Abortion should never be a choice.
Instead of thinking of solutions for abortion, he should focus on prevention. Strengthen the campaign for family planning and safe sex. Provide women and future families encouragement by assuring them stability and a secured future. Conduct more programs about parenthood and family. They may also provide counseling for mothers in doubt. This will give them other options and inform them of what the government can do to help them. And if worst comes to worst, that is when the choice of adoption comes in.
Acceptance of illegal immigration
Another issue with Giuliani is his apparent acceptance of illegal immigration. This is based on his statement in 1994. He said “If you come here and you work hard and you happen to be in an undocumented status, you’re one of the people who we want in this city. You’re somebody that we want to protect, and we want you to get out from under what is often a life of being a fugitive.” (OnTheIssue.com)
First of all illegal aliens are illegal because they failed to accomplish and satisfy the immigration requirements. Why would we want them? Second, giving them work and protecting them is like feeding the mouth of people who poses a threat to the country’s security. These people are potential terrorists. Lastly, he insisted that being an illegal immigrant is not and should not be a crime. And yet he called them ‘fugitives’. And he wants these fugitives to have a better life. That is simply ridiculous. Illegal is illegal.
He also expressed that fighting illegal immigrants is pointless. He reasoned that there are far too many and that it is impossible to stop them. This is a good point of reflection on what kind of president Giuliani will become. He is someone who chooses to tolerate things that are difficult to control.
It seems that he is taking the side of illegal aliens when the priority should be on the American people.
Health care
Health care is another issue that concerns voters the most. Giuliani’s stand is to stop socialized medicine, instead, $15000 will be deducted from family tax to give each family funds for their insurance. He rationalized this by saying that the individual should take care of himself, not the government. (Steinhauser)
I beg to disagree. The government should see to it that every single citizen is cared for and is assured of a good life. For every decision the government must make, the welfare of its citizens should be the first consideration.
Health care from the government is imperative. Giving families tax discounts will not ensure that they will use it for health purposes. Of course, well-off families will benefit from this tax deduction. But how about the lower-class families who live on a day-to-day basis? They may use the money for what they feel is more necessary than regular check-ups and vitamins. The government should not let an individual take care of his own alone. It should assume responsibility by making sure that every family’s health is secured.
Liberalism – the fourth issue
The fourth issue discussed showed Rudy Giuliani as a liberalist. He is for giving the people the freedom to do whatever they want. In a huge country like America, we do not need this kind of leader. We do not need a leader who tolerates immoral and illegal deeds. Rather we need a leader that has strong moral values and a sincere desire to give every one of his people a better life. We need someone who can make rational decisions. We need someone willing to be responsible for his countrymen.
References
CNN Politics.com. 2007. Cable News Network LP, LLLP. Web.
Draft Rudy Giuliani for President. 2007. Draft Rudy Giuliani for President, NFP. Web.
Joinrudy.com. 2007. Rudy Giuliani Presidential Committee, Inc. Web.
On The Issues Every Political Leader on Every Issue. 2007. Web.
Saltonstall, David. “Rudy Giuliani: Being an Illegal Immigrant Not a Crime”. NY Daily News. 2007. Web.
Shear, Michael D. “Conservatives Step Up Attacks On Giuliani’s Abortion Stance.” Washington Post. 2007. Web.
Steinhauser, Paul. “Giuliani Attacks Democratic Health Plans as ‘Socialist‘”. CNN Election Center. Web.
The Free Encyclopedia. 2007. Wikipedia Foundation, Inc. Web.