Written by: Lindsay Bruggeman

“I would never tell someone to have an abortion, but I can’t tell them they shouldn’t either,” goes the phrase anyone active in the pro-life movement has heard a million times.

 

Besides acknowledging that abortion is not, in fact, a good thing, this statement goes on to suggest that there are times when it is acceptable to remain apathetic about injustices pertaining to human rights. Let’s break it down. If someone openly admits that they would not encourage it, there is obviously something that they find immoral about the act of abortion. 

 

Perhaps they have been exposed to the undeniable science that a fetus is, in fact, a human being and as such, they believe it has some sort of intrinsic value. But at the same time they wish to avoid the controversy and politics that comes along with advocating for the life of the unborn. Perhaps it’s that they don’t want to see young women that they care about face nine months of pregnancy to have a baby that they didn’t plan for and may or may not decide to keep. While that is a compassionate viewpoint, I am forced to question the compassion they have for the baby. And lastly, perhaps they just haven’t thought much into this issue at all.

 

While it is undoubtedly the harsh political divide that has silenced so many Americans and contributed to the ever-increasing population of millennials that identify as “apolitical,” I am forced to ask just why this fear of controversy exists. Why is the stigma of being “political” enough to stop so many from advocating for what is right? Why are citizens of the free world actively choosing to not voice opinions or work to promote change in the world around them?

 

Regardless of an individual’s stance on an issue, they should be standing up and speaking out to exercise their right to free speech and create the world we deserve to live in, not this staunch, divisive climate that we’ve settled for.

 

So maybe we disagree? That’s okay, especially if you have a well-thought out basis for your opinion. Maybe I haven’t considered every viewpoint and I need to hear yours to gain a more complete understanding. Maybe it’s the other way around, or maybe, we can have a logical, rational discussion about it and remain in discordance. Either way, at least we’re speaking out and advocating for change.

 

Perhaps you feel we need universal healthcare or gun control, I’d love to know why. Maybe you have a different stance on immigration that I haven’t really processed yet. Democracy and morality die in darkness and refraining from speaking out isn’t helping anyone or accomplishing anything.

 

“Injustice exists because men either abuse the weak or fail to defend the weak.”

-Tony Merida

 

Our culture is shifting us toward the catch-22 of accepting complaints about “first world problems” while simultaneously avoiding the responsibility of advocating for real change. How does that make you feel? As a citizen of the greatest nation on earth, I’ll say that it makes me feel uncomfortable.

 

This discomfort motivates me daily to stand up, speak out, and “be the change I wish to see in the world.” I’m uncomfortable that over 2,300 (abort73.com) babies were aborted in America just in the last day. I’m uncomfortable that my federal tax dollars are funding organizations that perform this horrifying procedure. I’m uncomfortable that so many who know this is wrong, sit by idly and do not speak out.

 

“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.”

-Neal Donald Walsh

 

In a society where everyone only wants to be offended, I encourage you to seek discomfort and allow it to grow you. What will it take to make you uncomfortable enough to do something?

If you’re ready to do something about the injustice of abortion, reach out to your local Development Officer, or explore volunteer opportunities with ENLC. You can also donate to our mission at www.Elizabethnewlife.org.