Failure to Support Imperfect Pro-Life Candidates Hurts the Cause

Opinion   |   Raimundo Rojas   |   Nov 8, 2012   |   5:56PM   |   Washington, DC

Logic dictates that anyone who believes that life should be defended from the moment of conception would not only jump at the opportunity to promote the value of that life, but would be willing to do whatever it took to defeat the single most pro-abortion president ever elected, and help maintain a pro-life majority in the House of Representatives.

This was the assumption I was working under as I began making phone calls during the planning stages of several pro-life get-out-the-vote efforts in Florida.  I believed then, as I do now that the greatest threat to the sanctity of life was the re-election of Barack Obama.  What pro-lifer could disagree?

I reached out to a Pastor who lives in Congressman Allen West’s district – I explained how close a race Colonel West was facing and that all efforts on his behalf would not only be greatly appreciated but were absolutely crucial.  After several days of silence, this is part of the e-mail I received from this Pastor:

 I agree with Col West on most positions, but I’m not willing to volunteer my time to help anyone who is not 100% pro-life. The right to life is the most fundamental right without which all other rights are non-existent.

Allen West, a vocal advocate for the unborn was defeated last night by the narrowest of margins.  The man who won was endorsed and heavily funded by Planned Parenthood and NARAL. He supports abortion on demand, without apology and for any reason.  I wonder how that Pastor feels today? Knowing that his “purity” driven ideological inactivity may have placed another rabid pro-abort in Congress.  How does he justify that?

One of the ways he and many of his ilk may be justifying their incredibly irresponsible pro-life apathy is with the incessant Monday morning quarterbacking seen on social media today.  From silly memes to outright bigoted comments about Mitt Romney,  these ridiculously churlish individuals continue an ill-advised attempt of maintaining  ”purity” as a defense for their negligence.

Because of  “purity” they would not get involved in these elections, yet they now seem to have all of the answers for why the pro-life candidate lost.  Which is puzzling because all they were capable of doing during the entire election cycle was snipe. They sat back during critical elections and sniped.  They watched as the rest of us worked and they sniped.  They listened to our pleas for help and they stood on the side-lines and sniped.

What binds them is that they are all a part of a small, marginal fringe-segment of the pro-life movement who claim to be the most adamant defenders of life, but in fact do little else but raise funds to try and pass hopelessly impassable amendments to State Constitutions.   They are not just misguided; they have now become a liability to the cause of life who use up much-needed pro-life resources with no visible results.

They’re selling crazy and the vast majority of us are just not buying.   I have no patience for them, I am ashamed and embarrassed for them and pray they may find their way back.

I pray that pro-lifers who gave of their time, their money, and themselves don’t feel brow-beaten by those who stood in our way.  Give no time or credence to those who will continue to stand in the way of any meaningful pro-life defense during these next four years.

LifeNews.com Note: Raimundo Rojas is the director of Hispanic outreach for the National Right to Life Committee. He is a former president of Florida Right to Life and has presented the pro-life message to millions in Spanish-language media outlets. He represents NRLC at the United Nations as an NGO. Rojas was born in Santiago de las Vegas, Havana, Cuba and he and his family escaped to the United States in 1968.