Tasiyagnunpa Livermont

You can’t tell who is pro-life or pro-abortion just by what they look like or the way they talk about other issues.

People of all ages think I am pro-abortion because of my liberal take on most issues and will confide in me how evil Christian pro-lifers are.

Sorry folks. Just so you know, I am rabidly pro-life and a complete Jesus Freak.

Even my hardcore Republican older brother of mine is a bit uncomfortable with my pro-life stance. As he says, “You’d make a good Republican.”

Yeah, right. With my Greenpeace blog and organic t-shirts that I have to buy on the Internet because I live in South Dakota, I’ll fit right in to the next meeting of the College Republicans. Can we say, “Or-gan-ic farm-ing?”

Maybe my junker car would endear me to the Self-righteous Right. Perhaps my diatribes against the racism against American Indians and my belief that at the very least we should get back the land our leaders settled on in the Fort Laramie Treaty may soften their collective frozen heart.

I bet my feminist rants about equality between the sexes and affirmative action will make the good ol’ elephants wag their ears at me.

My horror at the death penalty will surely make them swoon.

Ah, but sadly, it may be that I will be more welcome in the Republican circles than with the Democrats. After all, I am pro-life and currently, in South Dakota, that issue overshadows all else.

The only hope I have is my strong conviction that most Republicans aren’t actually pro-life. I believe the Republican party jumped on the pro-life bandwagon to steal some bleeding-hearts from the Democrats. And shouldn’t the trashing of life make your heart bleed?

I believe that many good-hearted Christians, the ones getting blamed for pushing pro-life legislation, as they should I might add, are only Republicans because it is the party which officially pushes the pro-life cause.

Many pro-life Christians are Republican because they think God wants them to support the party that tries to protect the rights of the unborn. Either that or it’s a very conveniant excuse.

Actually, I do know wonderful, sincere followers of Jesus that truly believe that the Republican party is the way to go. I won’t fault them on trying to please God. Our country relies on a two-party system, and I would rather see Christians on both sides of the aisle than on just one.

I do, however, believe liberals need to rethink their stance on abortion. And indeed, if the group “Feminists for Life” is any example, we may be on our way.

People are right that abortion is a women’s issue. Women should not feel they have to purge themselves of the fruit of their reproductive gift, just to survive in today’s society. Democrats should be the first to protect scared women who feel abortion is their only answer.

My hope and prayer is that people would stop stereotyping pro-lifers as meek, submissive Christian housewives or misogynistic Christian men. Pro-lifers come in different shapes, sizes, genders, races, religions and yes, even political affiliations.

#1.883948:1914931114.jpg:Livermont Dubray, Tasiyagnupa.jpg:Tasiyagnunpa Livermont, On a Lark: