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(LifeSiteNews) — A recent poll conducted by Students for Life of America and the Demetree Institute for Pro-Life Advancement examined abortion beliefs held by registered voters between the ages of 18 and 42. They found that people in these age ranges aren’t as liberal about abortion “rights” as the mainstream media would have us all believe.

According to the article, “only 9% supported the Democratic Party’s radical agenda of abortion through all 9 months without limits, up to and including allowing infanticide.”

However, the poll also found that the young people who are opposed to abortion also accept the idea that abortion should be legal for certain reasons, including “in cases of rape and incest, 81%; if the baby has a life-threatening condition, 76%; if the baby has a medical condition that may be challenging; 74%; [and] if the baby has a medical condition that will be costly, 61%.”

While in some respects the poll results are a little more positive than the image many may have about young people in our culture today, we must understand that exceptions that allow for abortion in some cases still cause the death of some babies. Whether that baby was created from rape or incest or whether he may have a disease, disability, or an illness, his life is no less valuable than a healthy child or a child purposefully created. All babies deserve our protection.

This is why we must educate all young people about the humanity of the preborn baby. When we teach them from the time they are small that a preborn baby is a human being from the first moment of creation, we help build a foundation that they can continually build upon as they grow.

One of the most telling things that the study found was that “31% [of respondents] said that they would be more willing to accept limits on abortion if the federal government offered increased support for mothers and their children.”

To this cohort, more help equals fewer abortions.

Yet what do we see with the Biden administration? His policies push for more abortion and less help for moms and babies. This brand of “help” involves the death of a baby.

Make no mistake, our tax dollars fund organizations that commit abortions — organizations like Planned Parenthood.

The Charlotte Lozier Institute — the research arm of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America — penned an article last year presenting financial facts gained from Planned Parenthood’s latest (2021-2022) annual report, which covered its services from 2020-2021. According to the article, “Taxpayer funding in the form of government grants, contracts, and Medicaid reimbursements hit $670.4 million, or almost $1.9 million per day—an annual increase of $1 million from the previous year to make up 35% of Planned Parenthood’s overall revenue” (emphasis in original).

Planned Parenthood is the country’s number one abortion provider. Its annual report confirmed that it killed 374,155 babies during that time period. It doesn’t help pregnant mothers; it just wants to kill their babies. In fact, for every adoption referral during that time period, PP performed 208 abortions.

That is the complete opposite of help.

Contrast the mentality of those who want to kill with those who want to save lives and who do so much good. There are slightly under 600 Planned Parenthood affiliates across the country. Yet there are over 2,700 pro-life pregnancy centers that help moms and babies with health screenings and concerns, education, material goods, bill paying, and even housing.

These include Let Them Live, a nonprofit that helps moms pay bills so they don’t feel that abortion is their only option; the Pregnancy Resource Center in Tennessee, which offers material and emotional help to moms and babies; Hope Medical in the state of Washington, which offers free ultrasounds and material help; Divine Mercy Care in Virginia, which helps low-income moms and babies; and thousands more!

These pro-life pregnancy centers mostly run off the donations and volunteer efforts of pro-life philanthropists and people within their communities. They struggle every single day, yet they continue their work out of love.

But many people do not even know they exist! They don’t know how much help is out there. That is why we must support these places, spread the word, and teach our children that pro-life people do indeed care about both the mom and the baby.

Imagine how many more people these places could reach if the government took the millions it gives to Planned Parenthood and instead gave this money to organizations that truly help mothers see not only the value of their baby but their own value and that teach them the skills they need to be good and effective parents.

Think about how many lives would be changed. Think about how many lives would be saved.

This is the truth that we must impart to everyone — especially young people — for only by educating will we change mindsets.

We must never feel afraid to teach the truth in love and with charity. Abortion destroys; it is not a quick fix for a “problem.” It kills a baby, emotionally and physically harms the mother, and weakens the society that advocates for and allows it.

As a society, we must stand up and proclaim that all human beings — born and preborn — matter. As parents, we must teach our children to respect all human life. And as voters, we must elect people who protect life.

Only then will we truly effect change in our culture. Only then will people understand that there can be no exceptions when it comes to abortion. And only then will we live in a society where all are respected and cherished.

Susan Ciancio is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and has worked as a writer and editor for over 20 years; 14 of those years have been in the pro-life sector. Currently, she is the editor of American Life League’s Celebrate Life Magazine—the nation’s premier Catholic pro-life magazine. She is also the executive editor of ALL’s Culture of Life Studies Program—a pre-K-12 Catholic pro-life education organization.

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