GUEST COLUMN.(pro life movement)(Column)

Author's note. When Dave Andrusko first asked me if I would be willing to write the President's Column for this issue, two thoughts came to mind. First and foremost, "I am so not the President!" and secondly, "Wow, I am not worthy!" However, since this special issue of NRL News is dedicated to youth, and working with pro-life youth is my driving passion, it was my honor this one time to write in the column space of the wise, gracious, and much-loved Dr. Franz.

As I ponder the importance of young people and their involvement in the cause of life, I can't help but reflect on my own pro-life journey. I like to believe in many ways it is pretty typical. Twenty-two years ago, at the age of 14, I realized that this was the cause of my lifetime. It really was as simple as that. It was obvious to me, even at that tender age, that abortion was no mere "problem" and would never go away if we just ignored it.

After 34 years of legalized abortion and the loss of over 48 million precious unborn lives, it is more crucial than ever that we employ the absolute best strategies at our disposal to bring an end, once and for all, to the killing that has claimed a full third of two American generations. It is also critical that we thwart the growing trend toward euthanasia that is threatening to sweep across our nation.

Neither of these things will happen unless we replenish the troops who daily fight this evil. From the grassroots level to the offices of NRLC, from chapters in Pennsylvania to the halls of Congress, with hospitals, classrooms, media outlets, courthouses, and all points in between, we need reinforcements. We need strong, educated, talented, and passionate advocates for life willing to stand up and speak out in defense of the smallest and most vulnerable among us. It is painfully apparent after all these years that if we don't stand for them, no one will.

It is also obvious that none of us is getting any younger, a fact I realized anew several months ago when I suddenly became closer to 40 than I was to 30. We must train the next generation of pro-lifers to work alongside us and eventually take over for us. Training these young people is not an issue to which we can afford only to pay lip service. It is a vitally important direction the pro-life movement must take if we are to thrive and to ensure the survival of those we seek to protect.

I have been saying this for 22 years. It was true in 1985, but it is truer still in 2007. It is our moral obligation to invest in, actively recruit, and properly train the next generation. One has only to look at the growing ...