Election of Trump essential to stop abortions

I've been running presidential campaigns in Alaska since 1980 for Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bob Dole and now Donald Trump.  My motivation is defined by my political philosophy. I am an unashamed fiscal and social conservative. This year I had the honor, once again, to serve on the Republican National Convention's Platform Committee. I served once before in 1984 on that committee as then President Reagan was going for his second term. In 1980, those of us in the Reagan camp, for the first time, added a right to life section to the Republican platform. We did so at the local, regional, state and national levels. We wanted to restrict taking the life of a baby. We made exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother.

[Thrilling a Christian audience, Trump vows to end ban on politicking, appoint anti-abortion judges]

Abortion is a vote motivator for me. The Rev. Tom Moffitt, a Russian Orthodox priest and head of the Alaska Right to Life, came to see me when I was Alaska coordinator of offices for U. S. Senator Ted Stevens. I didn't want to talk about abortion. Ted's position was pretty clear. He thought that government should not be involved in the decision to carry a baby to term. He was not pro-abortion but to pro-life folks, he was still the enemy. After leaving the staff some years later, my approach with Ted was to ask his support to stop federal funding of abortion.  He agreed and federal funding of abortion stopped.

Father Tom was persistent. I didn't want to think about abortion. I didn't want to have to take a position that divided so many people with a single issue in campaigns. Father Tom was a wily old guy. Jim, he said, give me two minutes and two questions and then you'll personally know if you are pro-life or pro-choice.

First question. Is it a baby inside?

Science is proving that answer daily with new imaging techniques that prove that the baby is a baby. It's not a zygote or an embryo or other dehumanizing names. The pictures show a baby growing inside his or her mother's womb in the first months of pregnancy.

Second, and this one is a bit more inflammatory: Is there any reason to kill an innocent, human baby?

Ouch. That hurt. I had to say no and I've been a member of the Right to Life movement since.

Why, as Trump chairman for Alaska, would I be crazy enough to bring up this divisive subject? Because in the third presidential debate this week, I witnessed Trump's clear opposition to abortion and Clinton's clear advocacy of abortion, even partial-birth abortion. Killing babies is grotesque in a civilized society.

[There's a reason many anti-abortion leaders support Trump: His running mate]

I was born and raised Catholic in Anchorage. Educated by the Jesuits. Now my wife and I are evangelical Christians. In my analysis of the presidential race both in Alaska and nationally, I believe this presidential election turns on the vote of evangelicals and Catholics. Both strongly oppose abortions. Both understand that the appointments to the U. S. Supreme Court by the winner of this election will stop abortions in the case of Trump and encourage them as in the case of Clinton. The turnout of Christians will win or lose the election.

Despite fire bombings of Republican headquarters in North Carolina, egging and terrorism of our Trump headquarters in Anchorage, the theft of literally 3,000 Trump-Pence signs in Anchorage, all of us who would protect babies in the womb, must vote. Not because it's politically correct, not even for a candidate who agrees with us but because God asks us to protect innocent human life. The constitutional protection for freedom of religion doesn't exclude those with religious views from the political process. It protects us from those who would stop our voice from being heard. And from my perspective, it mandates our involvement.

Jim Crawford is a third generation, lifelong resident of Alaska. He is Alaska chairman for Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. Jim has chaired six presidential campaigns in Alaska, starting in 1980 with President Ronald Reagan. A former resident of Fairbanks, Tok and Valdez, Crawford is a real estate broker who lives in Anchorage with his wife, Terri.

The views expressed here are the writer's and are not necessarily endorsed by Alaska Dispatch News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, email to commentary@alaskadispatch.com. Send submissions shorter than 200 words to letters@alaskadispatch.com.