By Maria V. Gallagher, Legislative Director, Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation
As I stood before the crowd, a soft breeze cut through the sweltering humidity, giving me a second breath.
I had come to share a few words of insight with hearty pro-life advocates in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania two days after the 52nd annual National Right to Life Convention.
The day before, I had racked my brain, trying to figure out what I would say to these dedicated individuals who had devoted so much of their time and talent to the pro-life cause.
And then, it hit me: The Power of One.
I spoke of the Power of One to change the world for the better. Where would we have been as a nation without the one and only Abraham Lincoln? How could the Civil Rights Movement have progressed without Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.? How would the poor and disenfranchised have fared without the dynamic Mother Teresa?
I also invoked a study that was conducted of women who had had abortions, but who regretted their decisions. Eighty-five percent of the women said they would have chosen life for their children—had only one person offered support.
The Power of One.
With all the threats to innocent life in this world, the effort to stem the tide can seem daunting—at times, insurmountable. But it can take just one courageous person to choose life and to change the course of history.
The Power of One is the power to sustain, preserve, and protect innocent human life.
My personal “Gettysburg Address” will not go down in the history books. But I truly believe in the Power of One to make the world a safer, more hospitable place for mothers and their babies.