Why I Vote

Another voting season is upon us, with the usual passions and fervor, people thinking that they (and those that vote with them) can change the course of society. I have always voted, not in every election, but more often than not. If I miss an off-year or mid-term election, it's usually because I forgot about it. With my votes, I, too, hope to change the course of society. We'll see if that happens.

I admit to being a normal straight-ticket voter. I offer no apologies. Some die-hards claim that straight-ticket voters are stupid and uninformed, blindly choosing this party or that one. I feel pretty well informed, at least on the issues that matter to me. What issues matter to me? To be honest, there's just one.

Abortion.

Abortion became legal in 1973 with the Roe v. Wade decision of the Supreme Court, if you didn't already know that. For a good portion of the intervening years, people have fought to support or overturn that decision. I could drone on and on about history, decisions, and the ongoing fight on the Pro-Life/Pro-Choice battlefront, but this isn't about abortion, per se. It's about why I'm, for the most part, a single-issue voter.

The way I see it, nothing else matters. When you know what abortion really is, you are either struck cold so you can look away, or you are sickened. That we Americans have allowed it since 1973 can only be explained by the fact that I think most that support abortion just don't understand what it is. I cannot imagine that people support this knowing what it is. That possibility frightens me more than school shootings or terrorism.

I've handled the remains of countless babies throughout all stages of gestation. What I want you to know is this: these babies have hands; they have feet. It's not just a blob of bloody tissue. It's not a metaphorical "mass of cells" or "product of conception". It's a baby. It could be your son, your granddaughter, your nephew or niece. Know that when you make your decisions to support abortion. It's ultimately not about a mother's health or her freedom to choose. It's about killing a baby. Regardless of why a woman wants to do it, in the end, a baby dies.

If you still remain on the fence, or if you just want to be challenged, I want you to read something. It's from Abby Johnson's book, "The Walls Are Talking." Here's the link. Scroll down to Chapter 7: "Frequent Fliers". I warn you in advance: when I read it, it hit me like a punch in the gut. And I'm a pretty cold-hearted guy that has seen a lot of hard things.

So, in choosing to see abortion for what it is, I cannot, in good conscience, support a candidate that is not against it. It doesn't matter what their stand is on immigration, health care or the economy. While those are all important issues, they pale when compared to abortion. It also doesn't matter that most Americans are deaf to the issue and think it's no longer germane to enlightened discussion. Until we do away with abortion in America, nothing else matters.