OPINION:
Citizens in 10 states are voting this year on abortion initiatives and state constitutional amendments designed to codify a right to kill a preborn baby.
The states include Florida, Colorado, Missouri, South Dakota, Arizona, Nebraska, Montana, Maryland, New York and Nevada.
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Buoyed by a string of electoral successes in the aftermath of Roe v. Wade’s reversal, political strategists seized on the prospect of firing up the base. In just a few short weeks, we’ll learn if the high-stakes strategy was electorally wise.
These initiatives go far beyond what Roe authorized, blocking any reasonable limits — like prohibiting abortions in the ninth month of pregnancy on healthy mothers and healthy babies. In fact, any abortion restrictions would be illegal — resulting in more third-trimester abortions even after a baby can feel pain and survive outside of the womb.
If these measures become law, they’ll ban parental notification before a minor gets an abortion. If a boyfriend or school counselor is pressuring a 15-year-old girl to have an abortion, that 15-year-old’s parents have a right to know. However, these initiatives will outlaw parental notice.
These measures would also force taxpayers to pay for abortions.
But let’s face it: even if you don’t live in one of those 10 states, the issue of abortion is really on every ballot. That’s because elected officials on nearly every level hold significant influence and sway on the subject matter.
When it comes to the health of a nation, abortion is one of those bellwether issues. Despite short-term electoral gains, no nation that deliberately and even enthusiastically champions the killing of the innocent will ever fully thrive.
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The battle to protect innocent lives has been going on for so long that the left’s talking points are downright predictable and consistently wrong. Abortion-rights advocates regularly use soft words to describe the dark deeds associated with the murder of preborn children. We regularly hear Leftists talk about women’s “reproductive health” or their support of a “pro-choice” agenda. But in the end, they’re supporting the unfettered killing of innocent lives in the womb, precious children who will never see a sunrise or the Earth’s blue sky.
SEE ALSO: Abortion-rights ballot measures seek to mow down limits in red and blue states alike
Those of us within the pro-life community are committed to championing the sanctity of life and working tirelessly to serve mothers who often find themselves in what seems like an almost impossible situation. We know from our research that many women pursue abortion because they feel alone and helpless. In reality, there is an army of people eager to help them during and after their pregnancy.
As a nation, we must promote a culture of life, even if it may not seem politically expedient to do so. This is not a matter of politics. It’s a matter of principle. To compromise in this arena cheapens the value and dignity of every person — and threatens to make humanity expendable and disposable.
When it comes to abortion and the protection of innocent life during this campaign, political calculation is inevitable, even expected. But if we want to make America a less hostile and more civil society for everyone, we must start by respecting human life at all stages of development. Abortion is erasing the future and eliminating boys and girls who would grow up to become men and women who would cure cancer, invent life-saving technologies, solve impossible problems, compose symphonies, and help create a more beautiful culture and society.
Debates about abortion have been raging for more than half a century in America. Politics is intrinsically contentious, and bitter partisan battles have become the norm. The very same people who vote to protect seals and the eggs of bald eagles have no problem with a doctor letting fully formed and breathing babies die on a cold table.
Pro-life advocates are regularly labeled as extremists. Yet it’s radical zealots in the abortion industry who represent the most extreme positions on any of the hot-button issues in America today. In fact, the NRA supports more restrictions on guns than leftists do on abortion. Abortion enthusiasts are absolute in their defense of a so-called right to terminate the life of children in the womb. They’re supporting infanticide and don’t even apologize for doing so.
The fate and future of America is on the ballot, specifically the issue of life. How will we treat the most vulnerable? Will they be seen as dispensable or as unique and wonderful creations of the Creator?
From the beginning, our mission remains the preservation and promotion of the innocent and the unwavering belief that life is always the better choice.
As you vote, I urge you to prioritize the issue of life thoughtfully and prayerfully.
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Jim Daly is president of Focus on the Family and host of its daily radio broadcast, heard by more than 6 million listeners a week on nearly 2,000 radio stations across the U.S. He also hosts the podcast ReFocus with Jim Daly.
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