Voicing concerns, encouraging change for life
One way to become part of the legislative process is to tell your lawmakers how you feel and that’s just what one women did

Shortly after Valentine’s Day last year, Right to Life of Michigan received a copy of a letter written to U.S. Senator Carl Levin. The letter was written by Gail Mankiewecz to demonstrate that all life deserves respect and that people who live in a civilized society ought to love each other.

That’s what the prolife movement is about. Showing love to women facing crisis pregnancies, giving our assistance to families in need and reaching out to make a difference in the lives of others. This is done because that is what a civilized society should do.

There is another reason to read Gail’s letter to Senator Levin; voicing concerns to people who hold leadership positions is important. As elected officials are reminded about the concerns of their constituents, change can be encouraged through our communications.

With a new year, a new president and new members in Congress, we need to keep in touch with those who represent us in Washington, D.C.

Right to Life of Michigan is hopeful that legislation banning partial-birth abortion will be introduced soon in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate.

The Right to Life of Michigan News will keep you updated on new legislation, but information is also available at the RLM web site, www.rtl.org.

February 14, 2000

Dear Senator Levin,

Today is Valentine’s Day. Traditionally it is a day when people celebrate their love and devotion to each other. People who live in a civilized society ought to love each other. I’d like to tell you a story about the devotion of people who save lives every day in service to their fellow citizens. In so doing, they show love and dedication to people they have never known or even met before.

The man had been listening to a love song on the radio only minutes before. He had been day-dreaming of his wife as he listened to the song. Twenty years ago they had met at college, and now they were sending one of their own children off to their alma mater. In a couple of years, both of their children will have left the proverbial nest, and they would once again be alone, just the two of them. As much as he loved his wife, he couldn’t even imagine how different and, in some ways, how empty their lives would be without the kids living under the same roof. Now he was only moments away from life or death. The driver of the car in the oncoming lane had nodded off and caused a head-on accident. The doors were jammed, the electric windows powerless, he was seriously injured and unconscious, and gasoline was leaking from what was left of the mangled car.

Someone with a cellular phone stopped to call 911 and then tried frantically to release the injured man from what might, at any moment, become a fiery tomb. It all seemed hopeless until the fire department arrived on the scene with the “Jaws of Life.” This specialized piece of equipment could slice through the car door which would enable the rescue team to free the man. The rescuers went to work immediately. Their training and expertise made the job seem easy, but this was highly specialized work. One mistake could prove to be fatal. The ground reeked of gasoline by now and even a spark might cause the car, the man and the rescuers to go up in flames. Time was of the essence, there simply wasn’t a moment to lose. The “Jaws” had eaten its way through all but two and a half inches of the metal, when suddenly the machine gave out. The rescuer tried furiously to start the machine several times, but each time was unsuccessful.

“Come on, don’t quit on me now, we’re only 2 1/2 inches between life and death,” he begged silently, but the merciless machine was deaf to his pleas for help.

Only two and a half inches made the difference between life and death in this sad story. Unfortunately, there was nothing anyone could do to make the machine function as it should. The story is just a fictional account, but everyday in the United States there is a real life-or-death struggle going on. Like the story, the difference between life and death is only two and a half inches . . . incredibly, the difference between delivering a healthy, live, baby boy or girl and a grotesquely murdered human being is only two and a half inches! When partial-birth abortions are performed, there are literally only two and a half inches between life and death. Both the unconscious man trapped in the car and the child about to be destroyed by the partial-birth abortion procedure are helpless victims, and both of them are about to lose their lives. You can make the difference between a happy ending and a horror story in the real-life account. Please, I beg you to reconsider your position and vote to end partial-birth abortions. You have the opportunity and the responsibility to make a life-or-death decision for those who cannot help themselves. You can be a real-life hero, showing love and dedication to these infants, your constituents, that you have never known or even met before. But then again, people who live in a civilized society ought to love each other.

Sincerely,
Gail M. Mankiewicz

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