Why Would Any Republican NOT Embrace the Pro-Life Agenda?

I think one of the reasons why many Republicans shy away from calling themselves pro-life, or from campaigning as a pro-life Republican is because they are afraid of being branded as some sort of religious zealot. What they seem to be missing is that, in politics, the reason for being pro-life is not a religious argument, it is a Constitutional argument.

Any politician who supports the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution should support the protection of human life from conception to natural death.

From the Declaration: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

From the 5th Amendment: No person shall be...deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.

From the 14th Amendment: All persons born or naturalized in the United States...are citizens of the United States...No State shall deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

After reading these three clauses, the only question that remains is, "When does life begin?" While the answer to that question may have been in doubt when the 14th Amendment was written or in 1973 when the Supreme Court handed down their decision in Roe v. Wade, it is not disputed today in the scientific or medical community. Life begins at conception, period.

That having been decided, why would any candidate or office-holder not support the pro-life position? I believe there are two answers to that question. 1) The politician is part of, or beholding to a constituency group that has a pro-abortion agenda, or 2) The politician is afraid that public opinion is against them.

Well, I am pleased to report that politicians no longer need to fear the public. A new Gallup Poll has just been released that shows for the first time in 14 years, since Gallup first started asking the question, a majority of Americans consider themselves "pro-life."

Now is the time for men and women of courage and conviction to lead on this issue and run for office. We need candidates who are willing to stand for the Constitutional protections of human life and articulate the reasons why. I hope that in 2010, we will see a new breed of leaders step up and run.