12 The Message -- for Catholics of Southwestern Indiana Platforms excerpted on range of" Following is a comparison of excerpts from the 1992 Democratic and Republican Party platforms on issues of interest to the Catholic Church, prepared by Catholic News Service. The topics, listed in alphabetical order, ore taken from the U.S. Catholic Conference's 1992 Statement on Political Re- sponsibility. An analysis of Ross Perot's positions is included on this page. ABORTION m Democratic platform: Democrats stand behind the right of every woman to choose, consistent with Roe vs. Wade, regardless of ability to pay, and support a national law to protect that right. It is a fundamental constitutional liberty that individual Ameri- cans m not government can best take responsibility for making the most difficult and intensely personal deci- sions regarding reproduction. The goal of our nation must be to make abortion less' nec- essary, not more difficult or more dangerous. We pledge to support contraceptive re- search, family planning, com- prehensive family life educa- tion and policies that support healthy childbearing and en- able parents to care more ef- fectively for their children. -- Republican platform: We believe the unborn :chlld has a fundamental indi- :::  vtdual right to life which can- not be infringed. We therefore reaffirm our support for a human life amendment to the Constitution, and we endorse legislation to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment's protections apply to unborn children. We oppose using public revenues for abortion and will not fund organiza- tions which advocate it. We commend those who provide alternatives to abortion by meeting the needs of mothers and offering adoption ser- vices. We reaffirm our sup- port for appointment of judges who respect tradi- tional family values and the sanctity of innocent human life. ARMS CONTROL AND DISARMAMI,IT -- Democratic platform: To halt the spread of nu- clear and other weapons of mass destruction, we must lead a renewed international effort to get tough with com- panies that peddle nuclear and chemical warfare tech- nologies, strengthen the Inter- national Atomic Energy Agency and enforce strong sanctions against govern- ments that violate interna- tional restraints. A Compre- hensive Test Ban would strengthen our ability to stop the spread of nuclear weapons to other countries, which may be our greatest fu- ture security threat. -- Republican platform: We will renew and strengthen the Nuclear Non- proliferation Treaty. We will design security policies to counter proliferation dangers. We will reinforce multilateral cords like the Missile Tech- nology Control Regime, And most important, we will de- velop and deploy global de- fenses against ballistic missiles. CAPITAL PUNISHMENT -- Democratic platform: Issue not addressed. -- Republican platform: For 12 years, two Republi- can presidents . . . have re- peatedly proposed legisla- tion, consistently rejected by congressional Democrats, to restore the severest penalties for the most heinous crimes, to ensure swift and certain punishment and to end the legal loopholes that let crimi- nals go free .... There is no excuse for the wanton de- struction of human life. We therefore support the stiffest penalties, including the death penalty, for major drug traf- fickers. DISCRIMINATION AND RACISM Democratic platform: Democrats will continue to lead the fight to ensure that no Americans suffer discrimi- nation or deprivation of rights on the basis of race, gender, language, national origin, religion, age, disabil- ity, sexual orientation or other characteristics irrele- vant to ability .... We will re- verse the Bush administra- tion's assault on civil rights enforcement, and instead work to rebuild and vigor- ously Use machinery for civil rights enforcement . . . (and) provide civil rights protection for gay men and lesbians and an end to Defense Depart- ment discrimination .... -- Republican platform: We oppose efforts by the Democrat Party to include sexual preference as a pro- tected minority receiving preferential status under civil rights statutes at the federal. state and local level. We op- pose any legislation or law which legally recognizes same-sex marriages and al- lows such couples to adopt children or provide foster care .... Asserting equal rights for all, we support the Bush administration's vigor- ous enforcement of statutes to prevent illegal discrimination on account of sex, race, creed or national origin. Promoting opportunity, we reject efforts to replace equal rights with quotas or other preferential treatment. THE ECONOMY Democratic platform: To begin making our econ- omy grow, the president and Congress should agree that savings from defense must be reinvested productively at home. including research, ed- ucation and training, and other productive investments. • . . We must also tackle spendingby putting every- thing on the table; eliminate non-productive programs; achieve defense savings; re- form entitlement programs to control soaring health care costs; cut federal administra- tive costs by 3 percent annu- ally for four years; limit in- creases in the "present budget" to the rate of growth October in the average American's paycheck; apply a strict "pay as you go" rule to new non- investment spending; and make the rich pay their fair share in taxes. These choices will be made while protecting senior citizens and without further victimizing the poor. -- Republican platform: Republicans want individ- uals and families to control their own economic destiny• Only long-term expansion of our economy and jobs can make the American dream a reality for generations to come. That is why we de- mand that the Congress do what President Bush called for last January: open a new era of growth and o nity by enacting his hensive plan for covery, including a in the capital gains tax; vestment tax allowan $5,000 tax credit for home buyers; a needed fication of the rule"; a $500 increase See PLATFORMS Texas billionaire backs z higher taxes, opposes spending By LAURIE HANSEN Catholic News Service WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Ross Perot, the in-again, out-again, in-again presiden- tial candidate, preaches a liberal social agenda and a conservative economic pro- gram. A self-declared "servant" of the people who tossed his hat back in the ring Oct. 1, Perot supports legalized abortion, sex edu- cation in schools, less government spend- ing and higher taxes. The Texas billionaire has made balanc- ing the budget and paying off the national debt the centerpiece of his campaign. The theme has struck home with tens of thou- sands of supporters. "The debt is like a crazy aunt we keep down in the basement. All the neighbors know she's there, but nobody wants to talk about her," writes the ever-colorful Perot in his book, "United We Stand," a national bestseller. At one point in the campaign before the press and critics began zeroing in on his personal background, Peter led in the polls. Then on July 16, as the attacks were build- ing, the can-do candidate withdrew from the race, leaving behind broken-hearted supporters. At that time he said he felt he could not win and "did not want to be disrup- tive." Critics had portrayed Perot as mean- spirited and dictatorial, with a reputation for snooping on competitors, political foes and employees. Questions were raised about his sensi- tivity to racial issues after he referred to members of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People as "you people" and "your people." By Sept. 18, however, his name was of- ficially listed on all 50 state ballots and ru- mors spread that he would declare himself a candidate. On Sept. 22, he said he had made a mistake in July because Democrat Bill Clinton and President Bush had not faced the issues. On Oct. 1, Perot declared himself a candidate, saying his volunteers had urged him to run. The Texan has portrayed him- self as a Washington outsider who would put a halt to government gridlock. Perot favors legalized abortion and would permit federal funding for women who couldn't afford it. In "United We Stand" the candidate writes: "We're thinking, reasoning human beings. Each human life is.a precious gift. We should not create a human life unless we're willing to take responsibility for it. It. is irresponsible for two people to create a human life they don't want." He backs sex education for students "so that they don't make mistakes that dam- age their life," and doesn't oppose condom distribution to students to prevent the s.pread of AIDS, acquired immune deft- clency syndrome. The Texan opposes prayer in public schools, which he feels would violate sepa- ration of church and state. Last spring, Perot complained that wealthy people such as himself should pay higher taxes for Social Security benefits. In "United We Stand," the candidate calls for taxing more of the benefits of retirees whose incomes exceed $25,000 viduals or $32,000 for couples. He would end agricultural for agribusiness and cut what he calls necessary programs, such as the Rural Electrification Administration. But he proposes taking steps toward creating national health insurance, board to control medical costs one proposed by Clinton. His plan to cut the federal deficit in. cludes increasing tobacco taxes to raise $18 billion in five years and gasoline tax by 10 cents a gallon for five years to raise $158 billion. Perot would require Asian and peon nations to pay $100 billion a year ward U.S. costs of defending them. He would put a stop to construction of the 2 bomber and the Seawolf submarine, greatly reduce thesize of the armed : forces. He favors mandatory life sentences without parole for people who have convicted of three violent crimes and iii urges "public-private efforts in diverting gang members from criminal enterprisesi. to legal profit-nraking enterprises." Perot was born June 27, 1930, in Texarkana, a farming community on the eastern edge of Texas. His father, like grandfather, was a cotton trader who earned a modest income. The has not made public his religious affilia tion. Perot graduated in 1953 from the Naval Academy, where he was class dent and battalion commander. He served in the Navy in 1953-57, and later worked as a salesman for IBM 1957-62, when he left to start Data Systems. After selling that corn to General Motors in 1984 for $2.5 Perot started a new computer service pany in 1988 called Perot Systems. By the time he was 38, Perot was a billionaire, dubbed by Fortune ma as"The Fastest Richest Texan Ever." He is married to Margot Birmin The couple have five children and six grandchildren. A champion for Vietnam prisoners war, the Texan's 1969 attempt tc food and medicine to U.S. prisoners in Vietnam and his 1979 plan to rescue twol of his employees from revolution-torn Iran brought him national fame. The raid was the subject of a three-part NBC television miniseries and Ken Follett's book, "On Wings of Eagles." ': He was opposed to U.S. t in the Persian Gulf War. "Don't send 437,000 wonderful American fighting : men and women to die to cover our 10 years of stupid errors," said Peter. Upon announcing his candidacy, Texan also introduced his runnin James B. Stockdale, 68, a retired miral and hero of U.S. prisoners of war Vietnam. " Stockdale, an Episcopalian, was shot down on his second combat tour nam, and was the most senior Naval offi" cer held prisoner of war for eight years. Four of those years were in solitary finement. Born in Galesburg, I11., he is a senior research fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University.