Bachmann Stands By Marriage Pledge That Links Slavery to Black Family Values
Republican presidential candidate Michelle Bachmann is standing firm behind a pledge she signed Thursday that promotes marriage and social conservative values, but includes a passage in the opening statement of a two-page document that suggests black families were in better shape during slavery.
The Family Leader, an Iowa-based conservative group led by Bob Vander Plaats, issued the document formally called, “The Marriage Vow – A Declaration of Dependence Upon Marriage and Family.”
The “candidate vow” portion of the pledge on the second page condemns gay marriage, abortion, pornography and infidelity. But perhaps the most controversial part can be found in the preamble on the first page comparing the state of the black family in the slave era to today.
“Slavery had a disastrous impact on African-American families, yet sadly a child born into slavery in 1860 was more likely to be raised by his mother and father in a two-parent household than was an African-American baby born after the election of the USA’s first African-American President,” the opening statement reads.
It’s not clear whether Bachmann was aware of the slavery passage on the first page. Alice Stewart, a spokeswoman for the Bachmann campaign, told FoxNews.com that the Minnesota congresswoman has no second thoughts about signing the “candidate vow” portion that doesn’t mention slavery.
“She stands by the points that are outlined in the pledge,” she said. “Particularly the ones for strong marriage. She’s been happily married for 32 years. That’s the focus of the pledge.”
But some commentators have focused their criticism on the slavery passage.