This past week I was in Washington D.C. with tens of thousands of people to march for life. We braved the winter storm to show the world that life has value. In the middle of the bulls-eye of the storm, we marched in the Nation’s Capital…the bulls-eye of the political storm. The irony of this is not lost on me.
I was delighted to march alongside so many for a cause so just. The pro-life/abortion debate is the debate that will define my generation. It is this debate, more so than many, which deserves time and effort. We, the pro-life supporters, must engage and be active in our communities; we must step out and boldly step into the fray and we must seek to change the mindset on life. This has to occur at a cultural level before it can occur at a legislative level.
What do I mean here? Our goal is not simply for abortion to be illegal in this country…our goal is for abortion to be unthinkable in a civilized society. It should not be lost on us that abortion is legal and accepted as a legitimate birth control option for many. This isn’t just true at the main street level with citizens, but it is also true of many political leaders of our day. This is a disturbing reality. We are the greatest country this world has ever seen, yet we sit by idly while one million babies are aborted every single year.
Our country was founded on a certain set of values; values not given by man, but by a Creator; values that should hold a certain level of value in our own lives. The United States of America is the greatest idea this world has ever seen; an idea that has been tested and tried and continues to set the standard for the entire globe. “We hold these truths to be self–evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” These words are a gift to us. These words are a blessing to the men and women of this country. I love these words. I love the hearts of the Founders; Founders that believed in a Creator; Founders that believed everyone had value and worth.
This is a great idea and ideal, but it is one that needs defining. Do these truths and unalienable rights pertain to the unborn? Are they strong enough to penetrate the womb? Do they reach the side streets of America? Would Planned Parenthood dare to hang the Declaration of Independence in their lobby? These are questions we should be thinking about. These are questions that must be answered if we want to see a trajectory change in our society.
I hold a great deal of respect for this document and our founding, but I am afraid we have drifted off course. I am afraid that the Founders are turning over in their graves while we make a mockery of their idea; a mockery that has the greatest country in the world falling in line with places like North Korea, China, Canada, Netherlands, Singapore, and Vietnam as we allow elective abortions past 20 weeks. Read that sentence again. Look at the company we are keeping. We like to tout the freedom and liberty of this country, yet we refuse that freedom and liberty to one million people every single year. One million little boys and girls.
Is this where we want to be? A world with siblings that have no siblings, mothers that have no kids, grandmothers that have no grandchildren, and uncles that have no nephews. That sounds harsh but this is where we find ourselves. A country and society that sees very little value in life.
This is where you come in. We, the collective, must seek to change the narrative. Pregnancy is not a punishment or a disease that can be eradicated. Pregnancy is a blessing that produces a life; a life that deserves the unalienable rights mentioned earlier; a life that deserves a chance to make a difference and an impact on society. After-all, pregnancy is why you are here. The way you were conceived doesn’t define you. You were given an opportunity to live and impact the world around you. You were given the opportunity to form your own opinions and chart your own course. Does not every baby deserve this opportunity?
While marching on January 22nd I heard a chant that went something like this, “Hey Obama! Your mama chose life!” I realize that on the surface this chant may be crass or a bit strange, but this chant has some truth. President Obama’s mother did choose life and gave him the opportunity to chart his own course and ultimately become president of the greatest country in the world.
Life has value. This should be an understood truth similar to that of gravity. This must be the case if we are to truly ever see a change in policy and thought. When the thinkable becomes unthinkable in a civilized society the legislative process tends to mirror that. This happened with slavery, women’s suffrage, and civil rights. This will happen with life as well if we, the pro-life movement, stand together in one voice calling for change. Will you join us?
posted by Andrew Wood, Executive Director of Hope Resource Center
