Right to Life

A week ago today I branched out and did something new. I took a bus to Milwaukee to attend a Wisconsin Right to Life event and hear Sarah Palin speak. I have not been actively (meaning in-person, outside my home) involved in politics or pro life. I've been a behind the scenes supporter but being there in person was different.

I'm not sure why I did it. I got an email, was interested, ran it by my husband, and the next thing I knew I was on a coach bus making friends with fellow-lone-rally-attenders Arlene and Ida.

Our bus showed up almost three hours before the main event and we were among the first 200 people in the door out of a crowd that would number almost 3500. The distance from my seat to the podium wasn't more than the distance from home plate to second base.

The Wisconsin Right to Life executive director, Barbara Lyons, gave factual information about the number of abortions done annually in Wisconsin and compared those numbers to the work being done by the WRTL. I love facts--especially when they don't gloss over the less attractive ones.

Sarah Palin stuck to the topic of the evening and encouraged the crowd to speak out for the unborn and not back down in the fight for life. I appreciated her openness, honesty, and ability to share the difficult path she's walked in regards to her own family situations. Knowing, prenatally, that her child had Down syndrome and then choosing not to abort puts her in a 10% minority. I don't know what minority her daughter is in as an unmarried teen carrying her child to term, but I don't think our privacy acts even make those numbers public. In any case, Mrs. Palin was open about the affects of these events and lives on her family and gave her stand on this issue a personal credibility that empowers the messages.

Most of all, I appreciated the personal faith and Godward orientation that she expressed throughout her speech. I don't know her heart, but the way she communicated was genuine and personal and I was emboldened to stand unashamedly for my faith in Christ and how it affects what I do and what I believe.

So, does this lead me to get more politically active? No. I was interested and I'm glad I attended the event. But, national politics was not my goal. State politics is not even my goal. Locally, I resolve to remain connected in whatever way that I can to the "politics" of my community. But my main goal and focus is still to raise my family, train my children, and do what I can to support those who are able to take a more public stand.

One of those people is Carla. Visit her blog at Operation Outcry Wisconsin to see the details of her devotion to supporting women who have had abortions and educating the public to the truth of this atrocity.