On November 8 Mississippians will vote on Amendment 26. If the pro-life initiative passes, unborn children will finally be afforded the right to life they deserve starting at the moment of conception. Innocent life will be protected, not killed. The measure would also stop cloning.
Mississippi is the focus of attention as other states move to place similar amendments on the ballot that would also reverse abortion. As Rebecca Kiessling, a pro-life attorney defending personhood, points out: “If a majority of states legally recognize the unborn ‘as persons in the whole sense,’ then the whole Roe v Wade opinion collapses.”
To help the initiative, a team of twelve TFP Student Action volunteers jumped in a van and drove down to Mississippi, a 1,100 mile trip. Pro-Life Mississippi, Personhood USA and dozens of pro-life leaders from fourteen states have pulled together in a tremendous effort, working and praying for victory.
“Vote Yes on 26” yard signs are everywhere – at businesses, street corners, churches, and homes. Momentum to stop abortion is growing every day.
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| TFP volunteers rally support for the unborn in Mississippi. |
On the Front Lines
In the Deep South, Mississippians are especially polite, hospitable and respectful. They firmly and overwhelmingly oppose abortion as well. “I don’t care what Starbucks thinks. I want to congratulate y’all for being here,” said a young lady who pulled off the road to greet us and take photos of the TFP campaign. Although the Starbucks establishment did not appreciate our message, and attempted to shut us down, many of their patrons at the drive through window honked and waved in support.
Countless others driving past the intersection, said, “I’m all behind you. I’m voting YES.” Were we preaching to the choir? Sometimes it felt like it, that is, until a pro-abortionist yelled something foul or nasty. One motorist, for example, blurted: “I know it’s killing. So what!”
1,500 Honks against Abortion per Hour
With big signs soliciting drivers to “Honk against abortion” and “Honk for life,” the average honks per minute hovered around 25. At every campaign site, approximately 1,500 loud honks rippled across the intersection. What a good stir it created. Many cars and trucks stopped to pick up pro-life literature. Others clapped, waved, or gave us a double thumbs up.
In Jackson, a woman gave the TFP members a thumb down. This motivated the car right beside hers to honk for the campaign and then gave thumbs down to the pro-abortion woman. A car-to-car exchange ensued until a green light ended the discussion.
In addition to the sign and wave campaigns at busy intersections, other creative methods were employed to get the message out. Pro-life literature was placed on the windshields of thousands of parked cars at numerous shopping centers. TFP volunteers canvassed neighborhoods, going door to door. The bagpipes helped. “I don’t agree with the issue,” said a lady surprised to hear bagpipes. “I ran into my living room to see where the music was coming from. The way you present your ideas trumps everything. It’s the best I’ve ever seen.”
Pro-Abortion Misinformation and Fear-Mongering
“Are you the people spreading this nonsense? I recently had a miscarriage and if this law were passed I would be prosecuted!” said a woman who found a flier on her car. When TFP member Elias Bartel calmly explained how her assertion was unfounded, she kept interrupting him. Every attempt to reason proved futile. Yet the woman only had to glance at the flyer to read, “I26 Will NOT cause women with miscarriages to be prosecuted. This rumor is both silly and cruel and is simply fear-mongering. Women were not prosecuted for any miscarriages before Roe vs. Wade, and Personhood does not make having a miscarriage a crime.”
Pro-abortion forces are desperately trying to derail the pro-life Amendment 26. In fact, Mississippi residents are receiving long distance phone calls from a center in far away Maine, pressuring them not to vote for the amendment that would protect innocent life. When we visited Jackson State University, we found a fair amount of confusion among college students. Although abortion is not popular, some students would rather keep abortion legal as an option for “unwanted pregnancies” rather than modify their licentious behavior.
Let us continue to work and pray so that the sin of abortion is completely eradicated from America. And may God bless Mississippi with a resounding victory on November 8.
Campaign Summary
Days on the road: 8
Miles traveled: 2,747
Cities visited: 10
Fliers distributed: thousands
Estimated honks for life: 21,000
Estimated number of people reached: 175,000
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