Chapter Profile: HUMAN LIFE of Seattle Being "Counter-Cultural" to Promote a Culture of Life Part 1: Meeting the Challenge of a Challenging Public.(Brief Article)

As a native of the Great Pacific Northwest, I am often asked how I grew up to be prolife when I hail from "such a liberal place." Pro-abortion politics are as synonymous with my hometown of Seattle as coffee, rain, and my Mariners. In fact, political races in the city of Seattle almost never feature pro-life candidates and regularly boil down to deciding between a pro-abortion Democrat and a pro-abortion Socialist. No kidding.

I half-jokingly reply to those queries by explaining that Seattle embraces "counter-culture" and what can be more counter-cultural than being pro-life in Seattle?

Thankfully, I wasn't alone in my respect for life. In fact, and many would be surprised to know, there is a thriving pro-life chapter in Seattle. Its success results from a blend of pragmatism, creativity, and providing a medium for pro-lifers to meet and work together for life.

Whereas many pro-lifers in Seattle may feel isolated in their views, HUMAN LIFE of Seattle (HL) has brought them together to speak up for the voiceless. In so doing, HL has created a needed pro-life presence in the city of Seattle.

In order to accomplish their mission of promoting awareness of the value of all human life in the Seattle area, HL members "simply try to do many things that generate maximal exposure for the pro-life point of view," according to President Ed Hopfner.

By gaining exposure for the group, they are able to make the point that the life issues are still an issue for the Seattle community, that not everyone accepts the notion or the label proscribed by a city councilwoman that Seattle is "proudly pro-choice."

And in a place where political activism reached its worst during the World Trade Organization riots, and the media and pro-abortion activists portray pro-lifers as a shade worse, it is very helpful for the image of pro-lifers everywhere that HUMANLIFE of Seattle seeks visibility in order to show that this is a peaceful, legal movement rooted in love for the mother and her child.