Encouraging Words for Pro-Life Missourians

"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord.  "They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." -- Jeremiah 29:11

Pro-Life Missourians fought the good fight and turned out in record numbers yesterday. We were successful in winning the victory for John McCain in Missouri, yet the country chose Barack Obama, the most anti-life candidate to ever run for President.  

President-elect Obama has promised to advocate for taxpayer funding of abortions, make detrimental Supreme Court appointments and promote "The Freedom of Choice Act," which would overturn pro-life laws nationwide. It is likely that President Obama will also quickly overturn the Mexico City Policy,  which prevents taxpayer funding of groups that engage in performing or promoting abortions in other nations. 

The bad news continues with the defeat of pro-life efforts across the country.  South Dakota failed in efforts to ban most abortions; Colorado defeated the "personhood" amendment; Washington voters approved assisted suicide; Michigan approved an embryonic stem cell measure; and California rejected parental notification.

While this is all grim news for the pro-life movement, and most tragically for unborn babies and their mothers, we have been in similar situations before.  As in the past, we will pull together, strengthen our resolve and work to ensure that the Obama administration is not successful in these endeavors.  We call upon everyone who believes in the sanctity of human life to join us in this effort.

While it's extremely difficult to find a silver lining on this dark cloud, we should take some comfort in the failure of anti-life candidates to win a veto-proof majority in the U.S. Senate.  That is our best hope of preventing passage of the devastating legislation supported by President-elect Obama.

We are pleased that over 70% of our endorsed candidates were victorious. We are particularly pleased that Blaine Luetkemeyer won his race to replace Kenny Hulshof in the Ninth Congressional District and will join other pro-life Missourians in the U.S. House of Representatives. 

Many pro-life stalwarts in the Missouri legislature were also victorious.  Their leadership and courage will certainly be tested in the coming years, as they work with Governor Nixon, who supports abortion on demand, human cloning, embryonic stem cell research, and taxpayer funding of abortions through family planning appropriations. We look forward to working with and for all pro-life legislators in any way we can.  

In the midst of all this bad news, we need to remember that the most recent polls show that the majority of Americans oppose abortion on demand.  While there is little evidence of that from yesterday's results, we must remember that there were many factors influencing voters this year. We must persevere and dedicate ourselves to be the voice of the most vulnerable in society. Your continued support of the work of Missouri Right to Life will be even more critical.  

Let's pray for our country and our new President as we remember the words of Mother Teresa who said that we are not called to be victorious;  we are called to be faithful.  God has called on us to push this rock, and in His time and by His power, He alone will move it.  

Faithfully for life,

Pam Fichter