This is Part 2 in a 3-Part Series on the U.S. presidential candidates and their positions on human rights.
John McCain is a veteran of the Vietnam conflict and was a prisoner of war in North Vietnamese prisons for many years. This has given him first hand experience with the major issue of torture and he has taken an admirable position viv-a-vis the Bush Administration with regard to prisoners of war at Guantanamo Bay, rendition, waterboarding and the like. However, from what I can tell, he does not speak to the broader issues related to global human rights on his official web site. Refer to our posts on Tuesday and Thursday of this week for more details about the differences between Senators Obama and McCain.
What seems to predominate his public policy views is the traditional conservative screed we have come to hear for so many years. Here are excerpts from his web site:
Overturning Roe v. Wade
John McCain believes Roe v. Wade is a flawed decision that must be overturned, and as president he will nominate judges who understand that courts should not be in the business of legislating from the bench.
He believes that constitutional balance would be restored by the reversal of Roe v. Wade, returning the abortion question to the individual states. The difficult issue of abortion should not be decided by judicial fiat.
Promoting Adoption
He co-sponsored legislation to prohibit discrimination against families with adopted children, to provide adoption education, and to permit tax deductions for qualified adoption expenses, as well as to remove barriers to interracial and inter-ethnic adoptions.
Protecting Marriage
John McCain would nominate judges who understand that the role of the Court is not to subvert the rights of the people by legislating from the bench. Critical to Constitutional balance is ensuring that, where state and local governments do act to preserve the traditional family, the Courts must not overstep their authority and thwart the Constitutional right of the people to decide this question.
Addressing the Moral Concerns of Advanced Technology
Stem cell research offers tremendous hope for those suffering from a variety of deadly diseases – hope for both cures and life-extending treatments. However, the compassion to relieve suffering and to cure deadly disease cannot erode moral and ethical principles. For this reason, John McCain opposes the intentional creation of human embryos for research purposes.
Protecting Children from Internet Pornography
John McCain has been a leader in pushing legislation through Congress that requires all schools and libraries receiving federal subsidies for Internet connectivity to utilize technology to restrict access to sexually explicit material by children using such computers.
Protecting Children from Online Predators
John McCain has taken a hard line against pedophiles that would use the Internet to prey upon children by proposing the first-of-its-kind national online registry for persons who have been convicted of sex crimes against children. Senator McCain’s legislation requires that sex offenders register all online accounts in a national database that can be used by law enforcement to investigate crimes against children.
If you would like to add to this discussion of Senator McCain’s policy positions on human rights, please comment below.
0 Comments.