When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going!
52% of polled Missourians say they are pro-life.
We’ve all heard the adage “when the going gets tough, the tough get going.” No one involved in life issues today can deny that the going is definitely tough!
President Obama is proving what we knew during the 2008 election – that he is the most anti-life president to ever hold office. He promotes taxpayer funding of abortion and research on human embryos, supports rescinding conscience rights protection, appoints the most virulently anti-life people to his administration, and is expected to nominate a strong pro-abortion advocate to fill the upcoming vacancy on the Supreme Court.
Times are definitely tough in Missouri as well. In spite of having a self-identified pro-life majority in both houses of the Missouri legislature, the Senate has failed for the second year in a row to pass the legislation supported by all of the major pro-life groups in Missouri. They have also continued to open the door to potential taxpayer funding of research opposed by most Missourians through various appropriations bills. All of this is explained in greater detail in the Economic Development
article.
Missouri Right to Life is very blessed to have terrific representation in the Capitol during these tough times. Susan Klein, our lobbyist, and Jerry Nieters, our State Legislative Director, have worked tirelessly to be a voice for life in Jefferson City. Often standing alone, MRL has taken positions on many pieces of legislation, testified at often hostile committee hearings, circulated position memos, and worked closely with legislators throughout this last session. In spite of this tough environment, the session produced a House Resolution opposing the federal Freedom of Choice Act, and restored full funding to the Alternatives to Abortion program. On behalf of all of you, I thank Susan and Jerry for their great work.
As if these challenges aren’t tough enough, government documents at both the state and federal level have targeted pro-life groups as potential terrorists and threats to homeland security.
The world is truly turned upside down when those who seek to defend human life peacefully and legally are labeled as threats. The same government founded on the principle of our “unalienable right to life,” now targets those who seek to peacefully restore that right.
We’ve been in tough situations before, and just as the old adage says, that’s when the “tough get going.” The radical anti-life agenda of the Obama administration and the failure of the Missouri Senate to enact additional protections for women and their unborn babies have been a call to action throughout Missouri. People from across the state have called our offices to see how they can get involved in our efforts, and we are chartering many new chapters. Our membership is growing, and donations are increasing in spite of a very tough economy. One donor sent a very nice check with a note that he would have ordinarily sent this check to Notre Dame who has chosen to honor President Obama.
We can be strengthened in our efforts by recent polling by McLaughlin & Associates which shows that a majority of Missourians consider themselves pro-life. On the issue of abortion, 52% of respondents say they are pro-life, while 41% say pro-choice. This is solid evidence of what we’ve known since 1973.
We can also be strengthened by scientific advances which have made embryonic stem cell research unnecessary. By reprogramming ordinary skin cells, scientists have created embryonic-like stem cells without destroying human embryos. These Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs) have recently been programmed to treat Lou Gehrig’s Disease and diabetes. Dr. Mehmet Oz shocked Oprah and Michael J. Fox on her March 31 show when he said that the “stem cell debate is dead.” He predicted that the research using iPSCs will be the ones ultimately used to cure Parkinson’s. What he didn’t mention is that adult stem cells continue to be responsible for increasing numbers of successful treatments.
In this tough fight, we are strengthened by many others who join this battle, including religious leaders from many denominations. One striking recent example is Bishop Robert Finn, Bishop of Kansas City-St. Joseph, whose inspiring keynote address at the recent Gospel of Life convention reminds us that “The fight for life is a constant warfare. Those who vied for the leadership of our country last November offered Americans a clear choice in this regard. The President is keeping his promises – one by one. We are getting what we chose. Is the war over? Never. Is the battle over? We must not give up. Remember: we already know the final outcome. The battle now is about our readiness to remain faithful – our readiness to suffer while we peacefully, legally, and prayerfully seek the victory of life.” That’s how the tough get going!
The following is text of Missouri State Representative 
A memo from 