By Matthew C. Schigur
Martin Luther King Jr. once said “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” This is my story on why I am pro-life and how I am a voice for the voiceless.
I am a junior at Wauwatosa East High School and am someone who is dedicated to the promotion of the universal right to life and individual freedom. I stand in opposition to any kind of violence against the innocent. My personal experiences in life undoubtedly formed my pro-life stance. Being born at five months premature and expected not to survive, I could've easily been a perfect candidate for a second trimester abortion, but my parents chose to give me life. They raised me as a Roman Catholic and always told me that God had my path drawn and loved me before I was even born. I guess this rhetoric has always stuck with me.
I was born into a Mexican Italian family and am a proud conservative. Being a Mexican conservative has proven challenging in some aspects because democrats label you as “confused” and the alt right labels you as a “counterfeit-conservative”, but I don't let these labels get to me. Living in the hood for a portion of my life influenced my views. At one point in my life I was angry, saddened, wanted to inflict my pain on others so I had interest in joining a gang. Luckily I had a good support system to prevent me from making such a decision and becoming a victim to the streets.
Growing up I have always had an interest in history and politics. For awhile I felt I could never pursue a career in politics given that I don't come from an affluent family or much money and just my background in general. I took a class in school that centralized in government and how it works and found out that this is something I'm really good at and now determined to pursue. I can use the multiple struggles I have faced in life to make a difference, change the world for those I grew up around, and be someone who can appeal to and understand the common man. Most importantly I want to be a role model for those who are in unfortunate circumstances. I want people to know that they can make something of themselves and be successful.
Being pro-life to me is so much more than protecting an unborn child, it’s about protecting mothers, fathers, family and humanity because once one person’s life is disposable, all life becomes disposable. So yes, the pro-life movement does encompass more than simply the problem of abortion. Yet, abortion is a problem of grave importance that my religion and ethical values demand action against it. My family has always helped out women who are in need, like my grandmother being a foster mother and my step mom donating diapers and other baby care necessities to women’s help centers in Milwaukee.
The right to life is an inalienable right, that should be protected for every individual, as established within the article three of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights "Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person" and within the article six of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights "Every human being has the inherent right to life. This right shall be protected by law. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his life." With this being said, we should uphold the personhood of every individual. We should welcome the stranger. We must stand with the vulnerable. We cannot degrade women. We cannot ignore the poor and forgotten members of our society, the immigrants, refugees, victims of war and terrorism, the addicted and abused, and also the most vulnerable of all being those within the womb.
Being pro-life isn't a political side or a movement but a way of life. It's not simply a personal sentiment but a decision that demands we acknowledge the goodness of God in each individual and seek to safeguard life at all costs.