Social media has made it so easy to quickly post opinions and share articles. We often do it without considering the consequences. We have such powerful tools, but are we putting them to good use?
Keeping up on the issues is important. Many professions have continuing education requirements to maintain a license. Since doing our “business” well translates to saving lives, continuing our education is essential. Here are three ways you can join me:
Reading: Lifenews.com, National Right to Life, and Live Action all have email subscriptions that send you current information. Each of these websites has original content as well as curated items by others on the top pro-life issues and news.
First Things and National Review, in both digital and print form, have wonderful pro-life writers who regularly have both short updates and more in-depth articles that will often lead you to other resources should you desire to dig deeper.
Also, this newspaper, Life in Oregon, and the resources we provide at Oregon Right to Life on our website, social media, and in print are all excellent.
Listening: Active listening is a valuable way to increase our understanding. We need to get outside our bubble and hear from those who are most at risk. Our communications director recently had an excellent conversation at an outreach event with a young African American pro-life advocate. The student helped her understand Planned Parenthood’s minority targeting better. Spending some time in your community with students, young adults, and the elderly will help you see the world from their viewpoints.
Dialogue: Conversation allows us to get immediate feedback and apply what we have learned. Having conversations with people who are pro-choice is necessary if we really want to save lives. This may understandably be outside your comfort zone! Josh Brahm from Equal Rights Institute will be at Together We Advocate to help us all develop this skill.
As we work to be a voice for the voiceless and vulnerable, I hope we will temper power with knowledge to be the most effective advocates we can be.
