Abortion

Floor Speech

ABORTION -- (House of Representatives - January 21, 2009)

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Mr. JORDAN of Ohio. I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I thank him for his many years of work on behalf of the pro-life cause and his work with the Pro-Life Caucus, in the bipartisan Pro-Life Caucus, here in Congress.

I just want to say quickly three thank you's to the thousands of people who will be here tomorrow and to the millions of pro-life people across this country: Thank you for getting involved in this most important issue about the sanctity of human life.

I spoke Sunday night back in our district to a banquet for a women's center in the town of Bell Fountain, Ohio, and I told them the same thing, thanking them for their effort in this cause for so many years, but also specifically I thanked them for two other things.

First, I thanked them for taking the risk. There is always risk associated with stepping into public life and advocating for something so important. There is risk associated with getting off the sidelines and getting in the game to try to make a difference. We know that many times those in the press don't always give us a fair shake on this issue.

I am always reminded of Cal Thomas, a guy who was pro-life and a syndicated columnist, Cal Thomas, and what he said when he was talking about how sometimes the press doesn't always give us a fair shake. And he had a great line. He said, ``I get up every morning; I read my Bible and the New York Times so I can see what each side is up to.'' And there is certainly some truth to that. We understand the risk that people take when they step forward and advocate for this, but the risk is worth taking, because this issue is so important.

And the last thing I would say to, again, the thousands who are going to be here tomorrow and the millions of pro-life people across this country, for the work you have done for years to help protect human life and protect the unborn, stay positive. I see the difference you make when you get a chance to talk with the folks who have helped these women's centers across the country, these crisis pregnancy centers across the country. They are so positive, when they can help a young lady who is in this position, help her with her unborn child and help her through the whole pregnancy. Stay positive. Positive people get things done; negative people are negative. Positive people accomplish things of meaning and significance; negative people are negative. Positive people accomplish real things, and they help a lot of other people accomplish them as well. So stay positive.

I will finish with this, Congressman. I am reminded of the story from Scripture we are all familiar with where the Israelites were camped against the Philistines, and every day the Philistine giant would walk out and issue the challenge: Who would fight Goliath? The Israelites' response was: He is so big, we can never defeat him. But David's response was: He is so big, I can't miss. And that is the attitude that pro-life people have had for over 30 years and that is the attitude that is ultimately going to allow us to win in this country and some day protect every single human being and make sure that unalienable right that our Founders talked about really applies to every single American.

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