By Hallie Barteau
Living out one’s pro-life ideology can manifest in various facets of a person’s life. One area in the lives of many individuals is involvement in political affairs. Whether this includes running for office, voting in a local election, or simply forming opinions concerning what he or she saw on the news, maintaining one’s pro-life values should be a priority in shaping the actions that a person takes in his or her political life. There are several ways that one can ensure he or she is staying true to a life-affirming belief system while being active politically.
The first step to being pro-life in your politics is to make yourself aware of who and what is pro-life as well as who and what is actively against life. This includes those running for office, persons working as elected officials, and pieces of legislation at all levels of government. Planning on voting in an upcoming election? If so, this presents a good opportunity to research each candidate’s views on abortion and other life issues. Hear about a new bill that has a direct impact on abortion access in your state? Look into the legislation and read about all that the bill entails! These are just a few suggestions as to how you can stay up to date and educated on the effects that politicians and policy have on life matters.
Once you have become aware of the positive or negative effects that a political candidate or piece of legislation is having on life, spread the word to others. Your efforts could be focused in speaking about the matter with those whom you know are also pro-life, or you could branch out and explain your concerns to those whose views are not aligned with the pro-life movement. Whichever you decide, it is crucial that you make your discoveries known as those most impacted by the passing of legislation or the outcome of an election often do not have the ability to do so themselves.
No matter the outcome of an election or the passing of a bill, it is key that you remain diligent in your efforts as a pro-life individual. Resilience is a very powerful strength in producing positive change. If you give up after experiencing one loss, you may miss out on an abundance of victories. Continue to spread the pro-life message even if your efforts to elect a certain official or enact a particular policy did not result in the desired outcome. As stated before, those most affected by the enactment of pro-life policy are depending on you to be their voice.