President's Message: Advancing the Culture of Life

There’s that old saying about “beauty being in the eye of the beholder.” Well, that idea can be applied to a newspaper story I read recently. The Detroit Free Press writer began her story with this eye-catching opening line: “A new national study on the status of women tells an unflattering story about Michigan.”

In reading the story I found that this national study by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research reported on women’s progress in 5 areas, one being “reproductive rights.” We all know that “reproductive rights” translates into the availability of abortion for all women, regardless of age and without restrictions.

And so what is so “unflattering” about the progress of Michigan women? According to this 2004 Status of Women in Michigan report, the grade that Michigan has earned in the area of “reproductive rights’ is a D minus.

From the eye of this beholder and the thousands of Michigan prolifers, this grade of D minus is not unflattering progress but good news for Michigan. We celebrate this news. It demonstrates that the people and lawmakers of Michigan realize that abortion, the killing of an unborn child, is not a positive choice. We know that other life-giving options must be made available to women facing an unplanned and at the time an unwanted pregnancy.

This holiday season, when we celebrate in a variety of ways the giving of Life, is a time to reflect on what we can personally do to advance a culture of life — one of optimism and opportunity, not pessimism and gloom over the birth of a child.

The Rev. Edgar Vann in a Detroit News opinion piece wrote, “Faith is personal, but it should never be hidden under the bushel of political rhetoric or pluralistic excuse. It is the portfolio of our belief system and the catalog of our values.”

It is good news that Michigan has earned a failing grade in the promotion of abortion. We should be proud that our belief in the value of each and every life is reflected in the election of prolife lawmakers and community leaders. We must continue to expand and advance our prolife portfolio and catalog to insure that the killing of unborn babies is never seen as an acceptable alternative to the choice of life.

Our goal for the 2005 Status of Women in Michigan: an E in the area of abortion, and an A in a category not included in this report, one of social justice for all including the weakest and most defenseless of our human family.

Blessings as we Celebrate Life at this Holiday Season and throughout the New Year.

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