I used to wonder if it really mattered if I voted pro-life or not. Roe v. Wade is the law of the land, and doesn't appear to be slated for overture anytime soon, so abortions will continue regardless of who is in office. I questioned whether or not legislators could really make much of a dent because abortion is held as an inalienable right for women in this country. But honestly, these were vague questions that I never really took the time to seek serious answers to and until fairly recently, I wasn't persuaded to vote for or against anyone based on their position on abortion. Recently, I finally started compiling a list of pro-life legislation enacted under President Bush, partly because I wasn't paying all that much attention to it while it was happening, and partly because I wanted to prove to myself that it does matter how I vote. This is, after all, the position my church takes and I said I agree with everything she teaches when I became Catholic. I was surprised at how extensive President Bush's record is. It would take me days to wade through, and my list would be pages and pages long were I to include every pro-life appointment, policy position and actual piece of legislation.
I think this list helps to illustrate that it does matter whether you or I vote pro-life. Other opinions aside, you have to hand it to President Bush for repeatedly staking out a strong moral position for the sanctity of life and against abortion throughout his presidency. Perhaps this type of legislation is under rated because often the people who benefit the most are too small to be interviewed, but I am grateful for the impacts of actively respecting the sanctity of all human life because I believe this has to be a good thing for all of society.
Since taking office in January 2001, President George W. Bush:
January 2001, Reinstated Mexico City Policy, limiting funding to international NGO's that support or perform abortions
April 2001, Applied Hyde funding restriction to RU-486 (abortion pill), limiting federal funding of medical abortions
May 2001, Appointed pro-life diplomat John Klink to State Department
August 2001, Limited federal funding of stem cell research to existing lines (about 60)
November, 2001 Opposed human cloning
November 2003, Signed Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act, ending gruesome practice of partially delivering fetus, crushing its skull and vacuuming out brain. Ban was upheld by Supreme Court in April 2007
April 2004, Signed Unborn Victims of Violence into law (rules that when a pregnant woman is attacked and her unborn child is injured, perpetrator may be charged as harming 2 victims)
March 2005, Endorsed UN vote to urge the end of human cloning
September 2005, Appointed John G. Roberts (conservative) as Chief Justice US Supreme Court, replacing conservative William Rehnquist
January 2006, Appointed Samuel Alito as US Supreme Court Justice, filling position vacated by leftist Sandra Day O'Connor and tipping the courts' balance to conservative
September 2006, Vetoed embryonic stem cell bill, limiting federal funding on research with stem cells
May 2007, Vowed to veto any legislation that weakens federal policy abortion restrictions
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I haven't read all of your postings, but I had this same conversation (does voting pro-life matter?) with a good friend the other day. I realized that YES, it does matter. As you referenced, Bush has appointed 2 pro-life Justices. IMO, that speaks volumes for the future...hopefully... ;) They are now in a position that has the authority to overturn Roe v. Wade when it eventually will come to their Court. We (Jim and I) support ADF (Alliance Defense Fund), an organization that people can call upon when fighting to preserve their religious rights. It partners with Focus on the Family. They are determined to get Roe v. Wade overturned someday. And when Americans start standing up for their rights (which is what ADF does), rather than accepting ACLU's rules, then I think that there's a good chance that Roe v. Wade will be overturned. :)
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