By Dave Andrusko
So much happened last week at the 45th annual National Right to Life Convention that even though this is my third and final look back at our three days in New Orleans, there is still enough to warrant another post running today and as many as three or four more later this week, written by other authors.
I talked about specifics on Monday [www.nationalrighttolifenews.org/news/2015/07/reflections-on-nrlc-2015-part-one/#.Vaa4EaRViko], and more about the tone of our gathering on Tuesday [www.nationalrighttolifenews.org/news/2015/07/reflections-on-nrlc-2015-part-two/#more-44967].
What other takeaways might pique your interest? Here are three.
First, as you would expect from the compassionate people who make up our Movement, there were many workshops whose message was how to help women in the painful aftermath–physical, emotional, and psychological–of an abortion.
Some speakers spoke from first-hand experience. They explained how they’d navigated the shoals of their own post-abortion experience and how they are now using the lessons learned to help other women.
There were many dimensions to this, including one you might never think of. To name just two, “The Post-Abortion Marriage: Understanding and Overcoming”; and “’I had an abortion!’ What do you say next?”
Second, the life issues at one level are very straightforward. But explaining the myriad threats to life–at the beginning and the end, in particular–and how to overcome them often requires real expertise and a well of information. And did this convention provide that!
“The Pro-Life ObamaCare Alternative”; “Abortion Statistics and Evidence for the Effect of the Pro-Life Movement”; “Webcam & Chemical Abortions”: “Fighting Goliath: How to take Aim at Planned Parenthood”; and “The Myth of the ‘Unwanted Child’” are just five examples of how speakers detailed the challenges we face and provided effective responses.
Third, NRLC 2015 was packed with workshops. Nothing new there; our convention director, Jacki Ragan, specializes in utilizing every moment we are together.
What struck me, as someone who has attended NRLC conventions since 1981, was how much new information, new strategies, and new perspectives there were on topics I’d listened to many times before.
To take just one example, NRLC Director of Latino Outreach Rai Rojas talked about the dos (and the don’ts) of “Organizing a Successful Latino Outreach.” My wife, Lisa, and I almost never miss Rai’s always informative workshop and we can honestly say this was the most detailed, point-by-point plan for reaching out to this naturally pro-life constituency we’d ever heard.
If you missed the convention, we can provide the next best thing. Beginning sometime next week we’ll be running an alert that MP3 audio resources are available to be downloaded at www.nrlconvention.com.
Great convention. I hope to see you at next year’s convention which will be held in Virginia.