If you have explained why you vote pro-life, you have probably been called a “one is- sue” voter and told you aren’t looking at the big picture, the whole range of issues.

What can be more “big picture” than life? What an in- dividual believes about human life impacts everything. Life is the foundation upon which all other issues are built. At the genesis of this movement, the focus was abortion and this is still the daily tragedy we seek to end. Over time, other issues have become part of our efforts — euthanasia, physician-assisted suicide, human cloning and embryo-destroying research, rationing health care, post-abortion trauma, and health care for the disabled. It is heart-rending that humans are so creative at finding ways to demean and destroy life.

Father Pavone, national director of Priests for Life, says, “Deny that a person has the right to life and you undercut the importance of every oth- er issue. It is impossible to coherently speak up about any issue impacting human life if you are allowing the life itself to become a disposable item.”

Though government spending, jobs, the debt, and the economy occupy the limelight right now, none of these issues matter if you are dead! Every one of us has a set of priorities when voting. How else can we choose between candidates? When we vote pro-life, we are making human life our priority.

In 2010, it is arguably more urgent than ever before to elect and re- elect pro-life people. We must be vigilant in reminding our family, friends and neighbors to elect pro-lifers who will stand up and take action during this time of political upheaval. We have seen, through the actions of the Obama administration, how quickly our gains can be unraveled.

Gallup published a survey in May and commented, “While the two-percentage-point gap in current abortion view is not significant, it represents the third consecutive time Gallup has found more Americans taking the pro-life than the pro-choice position on this measure since May 2009, suggesting a real change in public opinion. By contrast, in nearly all readings on this question since 1995, and each survey from 2003 to 2008, more Americans called themselves pro-choice than pro-life.” While it is true that we live in Oregon and it is “different here,” we will not remain immune from the national trend, especially if we continue our commit- ment to vote pro-life!

One message is being sent loud and clear — people have put their trust in institutions that have failed them and they are angry about it. Oregon Right to Life PAC is committed to earning your trust by gathering the best information, making the most thoughtful decisions, and commu- nicating that to you in a timely manner. I hope that you will be encour- aged with the long list of pro-life candidates in our Pro-Life Voter’s Guide! For extra copies, call 503-463-8563, and encourage folks to visit www. ortl.org.

Americans are blessed with privileges many others don’t have. We not only have the vote, we have a robust political system where even one person can make a difference. One pundit described what is happening in 2010 as “true grassroots rebellious politics.” There is real change in the air. Let’s make sure we are a part of it!