HUMAN RIGHTS AND FREEDOM 

with STEPHANIE MARDELL 
and MEGAN BROOKS

"Abortion wouldn't be a problem if religious organizations weren't against it"  Stephanie Mardell

"We can't live in fear and have our rights taken away.  We need to live in freedom, and therefore our fears will go away." Stephanie Mardell

Talk It Out with Jodi Leib
Stephanie Mardell and Megan Brooks
Photo by Jodi Leib
April 24, 2004, March for Women's Lives, Washington D.C.

While the rest of the activists were marching past the White House, my friend Lori and I were making our way across the mall, excited to encounter anyone who seemed like an interesting Talk It Out find...who did we meet?  Two students from American University in Washington D.C., proudly displaying a sign reading "I'm a Pro-Choice Republican"....the nerve of them to stand out in a sea of Democrats and Indies.  I was engaged, and so inspired. 

Jodi:  I'm at the March for Women's Lives with Stephanie Mardell, who is a Pro-Choice Republican.  Right on.  And what's your name?

Megan:  Megan Brooks.

Jodi:  Hi Megan, nice to meet you.  Are you also a Pro-Choice Republican?

Megan:  Yes, I am.

Jodi: Very cool! As Pro-Choice Republicans, what brings you to the March for Women's Lives?

Stephanie: Number one, Bush's past amendment to cancel out abortions after the first five months of pregnancy.  I think it's a woman's right to choose what she wants to do with her body, especially when it comes to children.  You should bring a child into this world unless you know that you can provide for them, bring them into a world that is going to be good for them, grow up in a good environment.  We have so many people around this world that are just so focused on bringing life into this world, which is a beautiful thing, but at the same time, look at how many children are up for adoption at this point in time.  We can't keep doing that.  I think abortion, number one is outrageous, because it costs about $350 to get an abortion, and already that is outrageous, because it already lessens a chance for a woman to do what she wants to choose. If Bush thinks that he's going to go ahead and make it illegal completely, it's not freedom.  It's not the woman's choice.  We are in the United States of America. Look at every person here, we are all here stating our speeches.  This is the Freedom of Choice.  The First Amendment dictates that we can do this, we should also have some freedoms to do what we want to do with our own bodies.  No one should regulate that.  

Jodi:  Do you think that President Bush is acting unconstitutionally when he uses his religion to make biased decisions against our country?

Stephanie:  I think that's exactly what President Bush is doing.  I think that, number one, he is using religion as a cause within his policy, even though he might not outwardly say it.  Abortion wouldn't be a problem if religious organizations weren't against it, abortion, gay marriage, nothing!  Any type of Freedom of Choice that's kind of controversial, can always be blocked by some kind of religious affiliation, and I don't that that's right.  We have a Separation of Church and State.  So therefore, being able to choose what we want to do as human beings, as living in the United States of America, we have the choice to do what we want, and we shouldn't have laws regulating what we can do with our own bodies.  We can't have people taking away our freedoms.  It's not just Gay Marriage.  That's another reason why I'm here.  Not only am I here for Women's Rights, but I'm here for the rights of every American.  So many people are here for so many different reasons, and women is one of them.  I think that's one of the main things that President Bush really does need to take into account, that religion is not part of the State.  You can have faith, you can have religion, that's wonderful.  You cannot incorporate it into law!  

Jodi:  Every time he gets up on the stage, and denounces Gay Rights to be married, he is using his job to promote discrimination, do you agree?

Stephanie:  I believe that President Bush does discriminate.  He has discriminated against women, with our right to choose.  He has discriminated against gay marriage - where if two people love each other - I mean, over 50% of the population is divorced, what does that tell you?  It shows that, number one, the sanctity of marriage has not been upheld.  So how does gay marriage get incorporated into that?  How can he say that he's trying to protect the sanctity of marriage, when a male and a female can't even provide the sanctity of marriage in the United States.  I think that when two people love each other, no matter what, they should be able to do what they want, and they should have the rights that go along with it.  

Jodi: Awesome.  What makes you a Republican?

Stephanie:  I'm more moderate than anything.  I am fiscally conservative.  I don't agree with a lot of the things that Bush is doing right now.  I feel as though he is making a bad name for the Republican Party.  I think that once we get Kerry in there, he's a little bit more of a conservative Democrat, and he's not too liberal, and I think he's a great guy.  As a Republican, I am not going to vote along party line.  I'm going to vote for the candidate who can best lead our country.

Jodi: Do you think there are a lot of Republicans that are going to vote for Kerry?

Stephanie:  I believe a lot of Republicans are going to vote for Kerry.  You either have the really hard-core, the conservative Republicans that are of course going to stay by Bush.  But then you have more of the moderates, that understand that what Bush is doing right now is not something that we as Americans should be following.  Bush is taking away our rights.  Look at the Patriot Act.  He is infringing upon our rights as Americans.  I don't think a lot of people see that.  Granted we should be protected from the September 11th attacks, but we should also be able to still be free.  We can't live in fear and have our rights taken away.  We need to live in freedom, and therefore our fear will go away.  

Jodi:  That's so brilliant.  I think Bush is a misleader, and it's unfortunate for us all.  

Stephanie:  I think the Republican Party is still a great Party.  No matter what Party you affiliate with, sometimes there are people that misrepresent what you stand for.  And I think that as a Pro-Choice Republican, I believe in Women's Rights.  I believe in Gay Marriage, and I don't think the Republican Party should be strictly against those things.  I don't think people should view the Republican Party as that type.  Just because you have a leader that incorporates a lot of religious ideology into his platform, I don't think you should completely disregard Republicans.  I think Republicans - we don't think differently.  I think the same way as probably every other person here when it comes to marching right now for Women's Rights, for Gay Marriage.  A lot of people are against gay marriage, a lot of Republicans are, but it's part of freedom, it's part of someone's rights.  You can't take that away from people.  We live in America, that's why we're here!  

Jodi: That's so beautiful.  How many young people feel the same way you do?  

Stephanie:  Being in D.C. it's a lot different.  My generation is very apathetic, and I think it's very hard for people to get out there and speak their mind.  And when they do speak their mind, it's a beautiful thing, because we are able to sit here and take our rights.  I think that with a thing like this, with the March for Women's Lives, it takes a lot of young people, especially because I go to American University, it took by storm.  The entire campus was like, "I'm going to do this!  It's fabulous!  I'm going to march for my rights!"  All of my guy friends were like, "I support you as a woman.  I'm marching for your rights!"  

Jodi: It's amazing to see so many men here.

Stephanie: It is.  It's amazing.  I think it's fabulous!  I think young people, especially today, are showing that they do care.  Around the world...this is going to be broadcast all over the United States today, and so many people are going to see how many people care about this.  People are going to be watching going "Wow!"  There are over a million people here.  Something needs to change.

Jodi: I hope so!  

Stephanie: God willing!  God willing!

Jodi: Exactly!  Are there a lot of Pro-Choice Republicans out there?
Stephanie: Yeah, I'd say a good number. 

Jodi: Do you think the majority of the amount of voters who are registered as Republican are Pro-Choice?

Stephanie:  Yeah.

Megan: Yeah.  I think the older generation are more conservative, but the younger generation are Pro-Choice. 

Stephanie:  The younger generation are not following along with the strict Party guidelines.  We're trying to improve the fight.  We're trying absolve the Party into something that a lot more Americans can stand for.

Megan: My dad is very Republican.

Jodi: I grew up in a Republican home too, for the most part.  Republicans, to me, have always stood for protecting the Constitution, and it's completely ironic to see a President who is completely disregarding the Constitution and acting unlawfully.  
Stephanie: Republicans typically believe in less Government.

Jodi: Exactly.

Stephanie: I think what Bush is doing right now is taking the Government to a completely new level.  Not only is he imposing his Government upon the rest of the world, but he is imposing his Government here at home, and he's taking away a lot of the freedoms of a lot of the citizens.  

Jodi: He's not a Republican!  He's a Christian Politician!  

Stephanie: He's very, very conservative.

Jodi: I think there should be a Party called the Christian Coalition, and Bush should be in it.  I don't think he qualifies as a Republican.  Do you?

Stephanie: I think he qualifies as a Republican, because a lot of his viewpoints are along that type of party line.  There's no way that he could be a Democrat.  But at the same time, I think that he takes a lot of his viewpoints a little bit too far.  I, personally, will not vote for Bush in the next election, and elect him as a Republican.  I will vote for Kerry, because I believe he will lead our country to a better place.

Jodi:  To sanity.

Stephanie: Yeah.

Jodi: Thanks for being on Talk It Out!  I really appreciate it.

Stephanie: Oh, yeah. No problem!

Jodi:  And for your voice, and your opinion.

Back to www.jodileib.com

Talk It Out with Jodi Leib's Pro-Choice Republican Interview with Stephanie Mardell and Megan Brooks was taped on April 25, 2004.  Talk It Out (c) Jodi Leib, 2004. Reprint by Permission at talkitout@jodileib.com.