25/06/2022
Community,
there is not victory for life unless the whole life is being considered and advocated for. I know it’s not fun to think about, but it is necessary to recognize there were reasons abortions were being sought out. Unless we are addressing those reasons, our nation has advocated for children to be born into less than ideal situations, and then we’re leaving them and their families hanging. We need to take responsibility for the whole situation if we are going to make a decision. We made a decision as a country, so now as a country we need to step up. In the comments are just a few of MANY ways to do so if you haven’t already started.
For *life* to be on your radar, so must these things be.
PREVENTATIVE CARE
-universal, comprehensive s*x education so that individuals of all ages, backgrounds and situations can make informed decisions about their futures. YOUR CHILDREN ARE ALREADY LEARNING ABOUT S*X FROM VARIOUS SOURCES, and they’re human so they are also feeling compelled to experiment. Advocating for comprehensive s*x education helps learning be accurate and helpful. https://www.advocatesforyouth.org/issue/honest-s*x-education/
-easy and affordable access to contraception. Again. We are human, your children are human. Other adults are human. Do not be naive around abstinence, statistically, that’s not reality. https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/committee-opinion/articles/2015/01/access-to-contraception
-easy and affordable access to health care. We need to be able to understand our bodies so we can make decisions about it. Children and people of all ages need an educated and available resource for asking questions and making plans. https://www.ama-assn.org/health-care-advocacy/access-care
-easy access to affordable education and training. Why are we making it so difficult for people to create lives for themselves and their families in this country? We have many neighbor nations we can look to for examples on how to make professional development after high school a realistic and affordable thing, and we need to start seriously considering the changes needed in order to support that for our country. This can help prevent and/or alleviate so many lifestyle factors that contribute to family hardships. https://www.freecollegenow.org/who-we-are
-a rejection of stigmatizing those who needs services and support around domestic violence, and other forms of community support. If we are going to claim community around unborn children we MUST claim community around those bearing these children and contributing to the lives of these children. https://www.bwjp.org/our-work/topics/advocacy.html
RESPONSIVE CARE
-again, easy and affordable access to health care. If you want lives to thrive, this is a fundamental piece of it. https://www.acog.org/advocacy/get-involved
-parental leave. Caring about a baby’s life means caring about the critical attachment period. Babies need their parents with them, and parents need not face a financial and resource deficits as a result. Yes, it is incumbent on families to plan as much as possible, but the parameters for doing so in our society need to be realistic. AND not all pregnancies were planned (please reference access to contraception and health care, AND remember that abuse, medical conditions, and other factors out of the parents’ control also play a role). https://paidleave.us/
-affordable childcare. For obvious reasons. https://www.childcareaware.org/our-issues/advocacy/
-affordable adoption. Some people were choosing abortion due to abuse, others for finances, others for a million other reasons that centered around recognition that they and/or their baby cannot thrive in the current situation. We need adoptive parents to step in where these biological parents and their babies need someone’s help. https://www.childwelfare.gov/organizations/?CWIGFunctionsaction=rols:main.dspList&rolType=Custom&RS_ID=48&rList=ROL
-revamp the foster care system. The foster care system is overloaded. Caseworkers and foster families get burnt out. Babies that didn’t have thriving opportunities with their parents will be entering the system in greater numbers. We need legislators to be realistic when making policies, we need compensation for those working their butts off to advocate and care for the children, and we need attention on this subject and on these children ASAP. https://www.childwelfare.gov/organizations/?CWIGFunctionsaction=rols:main.dspList&rolType=Custom&RS_ID=48&rList=ROL
*Emerging Strengths is not affiliated with any of the resources, but simply offers them as options for taking next steps in advocacy. Please research ways of advocating that align with your values, and find ways to educate yourself about the needs of your community.*
PLEASE SHARE ADDITIONAL ADVOCACY RESOURCES IN THE COMMENTS if you’re aware of any, as this is only just a small snapshot of potential next steps.
PLEASE ALSO SHARE OTHER IDEAS for preventative and responsive care.
