Its hopeful future
Yesterday, I gave a short overview of the pro-life movement’s current situation. While there’s plenty to get discouraged about, this hasn’t stopped pro-lifers from pushing forward, and in many ways, fighting even harder. More drives for state personhood amendments have surfaced, showing that they weren’t just a temporary idea last November. I’ll discuss this promising development—particularly the one in Colorado—plus briefly highlight a couple strong pro-life voices who could be presidential candidates in 2012.
In short: The pro-life movement is focused on the future. It is healthy, active, and full of real hope.
Before I get into specifics, though, I want to point out a promising new Gallup poll that asked Americans a simple question: “With respect to the abortion issue, would you consider yourself to be pro-choice or pro-life?” 47% of those polled identified themselves as ‘pro-life,’ and 46% identified themselves as ‘pro-choice.’ Statistically, this puts the issue at a dead heat, but I prefer to see it as a positive—especially since America used to poll fairly ‘pro-choice’ in the 90s. See more of the Gallup poll for details: U.S. Abortion Attitudes Closely Divided. It does appear that hearts and minds continue to change.
Speaking of hearts and minds, pro-lifers are ready to put theirs into action. As I stated above, personhood amendments are on the move, most notably in Colorado. This time around, pro-life organization Personhood Colorado has teamed up with Colorado Right to Life and Personhood USA for an even stronger effort.
And, just last week, a milestone was reached in the process: “The offices of the Colorado Attorney General, The Secretary of State, and Legislative Legal Services voted 3-0 that the proposed 2010 Personhood Amendment meets the required single subject rule and also voted 3-0 that the language is not misleading,” read the press release sent out by the amendment’s supporters. Now the time-consuming task of gathering enough signatures to get the amendment on the ballot begins. Hopefully, since they had success doing so in 2008, they will this time, too.
This year, there’s even a technical difference in the amendment’s language. Instead of saying that it will protect persons “from the moment of fertilization,” it now reads that it will protect persons “from the beginning of biological development as a human being.” This change, explained Colorado Right to Life V.P., Leslie Hanks, “allows us to protect all human beings, even those originating from asexual forms of reproduction.” You can read the full press release by clicking here.
But of course, there exists a difference of opinion within the pro-life movement about personhood amendments. In an essay called Rethinking Pro-Life Strategy—The Human Life Amendment, Robert J. Muise, an attorney with the Thomas More Law Center, addresses the controversy surrounding amendments like the one in Colorado: “Protecting innocent human life from its very beginning is a pro-life imperative—there are no exceptions. Critics of this approach appear to argue that regulating abortion and seeking to end abortion are ‘either or’ propositions—this is a false dichotomy. There is no conflict between the two positions, so long as principle is not compromised in the process. Both strategies can and must coexist. However, it would be a tragic mistake to be content with a strategy that makes ending abortion secondary to other regulatory efforts, or worse yet, a strategy that avoids it altogether. Accordingly, passing a human life amendment should be the pro-life movements’ main effort.”
So, it seems like many within the pro-life movement are tired of playing it safe and not seeing enough significant change.
However, with the momentum of the pro-life movement finding its ‘voice’ again, will any national leaders rise up to carry the torch? There are at least two possible candidates for president in 2012 who could really bring the movement forward—Mike Huckabee and Sarah Palin. Both are eloquent, intelligent, and passionate, and both are staunchly pro-life.
How about you? Who do you think should take up the pro-life cause on a national level? Let me know.
From the Personhood Movement, to Americans’ hearts and minds continuing to change, to rising pro-life stars, I’d say that the pro-life movement is strong. It is adapting quickly to the political landscape, honing its message, and stepping out in courage on behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves—the unborn. This all just goes to show that some movements thrive even more under adversity.
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