The Pro-Life Woman

These first three weeks as a Missionary for Life I have had the great pleasure of getting to know the organization The Susan B. Anthony List and some of the wonderful people who work there. Founded in the spirit of Susan B. Anthony, a suffragist who herself spoke of abortion as "child murder", the organization has inspired me the most in this short time but its mission statement that describes itself as "dedicated to election candidates and pursuing policies that will reduce and ultimately end abortion".

on the job!

 The mission statement does not just stop there, though, but goes on to say "the SBA List will emphasize the election, education, promotion, and mobilization of pro-life women" (sba-list.org).  As a pro-life woman, this is something that really got me thinking. I investigated further and found out that this extensive support of pro-life women stems from the idea that the pro-life woman is the ideal candidate to engage in the fight for the unborn. In a media environment where it oftentimes feels as if women are portrayed as the victims of pregnancy, the unfortunate group of people who must deal with the child growing inside of them and a class of people that can only be portrayed as strong if they are avid supporters of their right to kill this child.

The SBA List, however, gives women a chance to speak out for themselves, to cease letting politicians and analysts and media reporters speak for us in ways that simply evade the truth. In my first few days of research I came across in many different fact sheets and newsletters the breakdown between men and women's opinions on different pro-life issues. While the media and the opposition might like to have us think we as pro-life women are all alone in this fight, they are wrong. So many times women felt more strongly towards pro-life measures and against an aggressive right to abortion. The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which would limit abortions to before 20-weeks (5 months!) has been used by our opponents as an example of the "war on women", however last week I found out that this supposed act of the "war on women" was supported even more by women than by men!  By supporting these pro-life women politicians who understand this, SBA List is allowing the real voice of women to be heard- the voices of women who don't think their fellow sisters should be cornered into having an abortion, who think that these children deserve a chance, many of whom understand just how the miracle of a preborn child growing within transforms a life.

After spending this time with the wonderful staff and interns at SBA List, I hope that I, too can gain courage from their bold support of pro-life women in Congress and learn from those they support so I can bolster my own strength as a pro-life woman fighting for the rights of the preborn.