One reason the Pro-Life Acton League tries not to become too much engrossed in politics is that we might get distracted, and slack up on the really important actions — direct action such as going to the abortion mills to talk women out of having abortions, going out on the streets with literature and photographs that incite conversations about abortion, that often bring converts to the pro-life cause.
Politics Isn’t Really the Answer
Even though we agree that it is better to have the Republican party in the White House and both houses of Congress, and even though the Republicans picked up several more votes in the Senate, we still hear from pro-lifers who contend that not much will come form those sources to really help the pro-life cause in any major way.
They point out that Republican leaders worked for pro-abortion Republican such as Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania, who ran against a strong pro-life opponent in the primary, and that Specter won only by a 51 to 49 percent in that primary, probably, these pro-life leader say, because of the help from Bush and Santorum.
On the other hand, equally dedicated pro-lifers say that the Republican Party needed that vote and although Specter was most likely to win, now he has made some strong promises to cooperate with all nominees to the Federal Benches.
Others will only vote for candidates who have a pure record on pro-life but don’t have a chance of winning, while still others will insist on voting for the candidate who can win over a militant pro-abortionist, even though his candidate has some serious exceptions.
In a less than perfect world we will always have contention, compromise and political chaos. And that is why we believe that the most important thing we can do is go out on the streets and sidewalks and highways and into the schools and assemblies and preach a pure no-exceptions message, make the baby in the womb a reality to those who doubt, and try to convert our nation one person at a time.
While we are not blind to the political scene, and will comment on it from time to time, we see the real victory coming from a tough and time-consming conversion process.
Aborted Babies’ Pain
Recently we have been reading about and concentrating on the pain of the babies aborted. The horrible pain a baby must feels as it is ripped apart should give even the most hardened pro-abort cause for reflection.
One pro-life writer pointed out that during a late abortion the baby actually bit its own tongue off, even with only gums and tooth buds to do it with, the pain must have been so terrible. That got to us. You have to be in pretty terrible pain to bite your tongue off.
But what do the abortionists care, they’re getting paid to kill and what if the killing is painful. The mother isn’t told about the baby’s pain and generally is thinking only of her own pain, and even if she can guess at her baby’s suffering, her own convenience is more important to her. We have told women that the baby feels pain and they walk right in.
Something is wrong, and it will not be solved easily by electing this or that politician, or even getting the right President or the right Judge. Such victories are heartening and encouraging and give us a sense of hope, but as John Cavanaugh O’Keefe said so well in his book, No Cheap Solutions, it won’t be solved without a lot of personal sacrifice and hard work. We may be at this for a long time.
Prayer and Work
I have just read a book by Tom Burnside of Indianapolis entitled At the Foot of the Cross. Tom is an activists and has spent many days on the streets in front of the mills.
It’s a long, hard and personal battle to win for God and society, and many of us will never see the end of the war, because it may take generations to bring this country back to God and respect for “the least of these.” But we have to try.
The solution to the moral crisis in America is the same old motto of St. Benedict, ora et labora — “prayer and work.” That’ll do it.
New Film, Action Speaks
We have just produced a new film on activism and have just seen the final copy of the film. It will blow your mind! It is the best thing we have seen on activism, ever. You’ll be hearing about it soon.
