Our beliefs, our ideals, and our very way of being are almost entirely rooted in the way we were raised. The values that are instilled in us by our parents as children, are in most cases the values we carry forth with us in our lives as adults. So if someone asks me why I’m Pro-Life, you can look squarely to those lessons I learned early in life.

It was at an early age that I learned about the sanctity of life. From the Sunday School songs that echoed themes like, “we are all precious in his sight,” or “little ones to him belong. They are weak, but he is strong.” Life was the original gift given to all of us by our creator. And it was only God who could take it away.

Let me say that I am not naïve enough to believe that everyone holds my same strong connection between religious belief and the sanctity of life. Yet, no matter what someone believes or doesn’t believe, everyone understands that life is precious and it is a gift.

That’s why it’s hard for me to understand how someone could think that abortion is simply a choice or a matter of privacy. You could argue dozens of points about why abortion should be legal, but they are trumped by one simple, indisputable fact: abortion stops an innocent human heart beat.

It’s estimated that since the Roe vs. Wade decision that approximately 55 million babies have been aborted in the United States. That’s 55,000,000! It’s an astonishing figure that some in our country actually celebrate. How do you celebrate the loss of life, the loss of possibilities, the loss of so much innocence?

Many of us on the Pro-Life side of this issue are painted as backwards, uninformed or sexist for not supporting a woman’s right to choose. But of those 55 million aborted babies, half, 27 million, were girls. Abortion is not an issue that is pro-woman.

Being Pro-Life also comes with responsibilities. It’s not enough to say that you are Pro-Life and then walk away. Women who find themselves with an unplanned pregnancy need support. They need assistance. And sometimes a loving shoulder to cry on.

This is why I’m a great supporter of centers that are there to help women find alternatives to abortion. An example in my district is First Source for Women in Cullman, Alabama. They provide prenatal care, counseling, baby supplies and even a father mentoring program for those dads who want to be involved in their child’s life. There are many other similar centers across the 4th District.

For those women who don’t feel they can keep their child, there is always adoption. I have been and continue to be a supporter of foster care programs and programs that seek to find forever families for children. Last year, I nominated the Kids to Love foundation in Huntsville, Alabama for the national Angels in Adoption award. They have provided care for thousands of foster children in my district and helped them find loving, caring families.

We are a country that has won two world wars. We have put 12 men on the surface of the moon. We have advanced and improved life for others unlike any other country in the world. How can such a civilized, advanced society support policies that kill the innocent?

I have said a lot to sum up something that is actually very simply. Why am I Pro-Life? I am Pro-Life because it is the right thing to do.