( IF I HAD FUNDING... ? )
With reluctance, I am beginning to believe that many who profess to be pro-life and anti-abortion are also just plain stingy. I just cannot put my finger on it, but the anecdotal evidence is heaping up in that direction. If you have not yet looked it up, parsimonious is an adjective that means: "Excessively unwilling to spend; (parsimonious thrift relieved by few generous impulses)."
Here are two current example of why this is becoming evident. Please contrast this with the fact that the two wealthiest men in the world, Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, have contributed a sizable portion of their vast wealth to support Planned Parenthood here in the United States, and to support "Family Planning" a.k.a. abortion services in the third world.
((( continue reading please )))
Example 1:
Sam Brownback was arguably one of the most avid pro-life, anti-abortion candidates running for the Republican nomination for President. In fact, abortion was exceedingly high on his list of reasons for people to consider him.
I had trouble with Senator Brownback because of his stand against the war in Iraq, or any other engagement that might be necessary as we are proactive in fighting terrorism and foreign threats. I hated that, because I so wanted to support him for his pro-life stance. I even contributed to his campaign, hoping that his anti-abortion messages would at least get a good airing during his candidacy.
But despite his abortion-killing message, he has recently folded up his campaign due to a lack of contributions. The pro-life crowd just did not step up to his plate and give him much of anything.
Example 2:
More than a year ago, I wrote the book "Cry for the Shadows." I created it as a tool for pro-lifers to use; to aid in changing attitudes about abortion; to help women considering abortion understand the consequences; and to help those who have already had abortions find healing and the desire to stop others from making the same mistake. I really thought that anti-abortion folks would purchase a book or a few, and then pass them around to be used where needed.
I envisioned a scenario where it would be difficult for me to have the funds necessary to print enough copies of the book, at least fast enough to keep up with demand. I needed to sell a lot of copies, to help fund this effort. Other attitude-changing plans were in the works, with book revenues being instrumental in getting them off the ground.
Reality has settled firmly upon my shoulders. I have sold some books, and I have given away as many, but nowhere near enough to: 1. Pay for the printing costs; 2. Pay for the marketing costs; 3. Consider other projects. I have made appeals to the pro-life community to buy the book, and I have even asked for straight out contributions.
To date, the silence has been utterly deafening. I never have had delusions that my book would rise to best seller status, nor do I consider myself a rival to threaten popular writers of the day. Nevertheless, it is a good story that is engaging, and I did do a reasonably good job in telling it. It was written in a simple form and was never intended to be entertainment for literary enthusiasts.
In the end I am tired. I have devoted thousands of hours to this project and many thousands of dollars of our family income. If you don't believe the time investment... there are approximately 2000 hours in a work-year at 40 hours per week. Ask my wife and my sons how much they have seen of me over the past year and a half between my day job, and the time I spend writing and trying to market and support the Cry for the Shadows project.
Let me say it again. Bill Gates and Warren Buffett have devoted hundreds of millions of dollars in direct support of abortion in the United States and around the world. Yet millions of pro-life, anti-abortion advocates sit on their wallets or assume that "the other guy" is taking care of it. I can assure you at least from my perspective, "the other guy" does not exist. My efforts have been, at best, given a wink and a pat on the back. If I were writing to achieve notoriety, or to have my ego stroked, then perhaps I would be happy. That has never been my goal, is not now my goal, and I can assure you that I am anything but happy.
Perhaps this rant will strike you as little more than a sanctimonious hissy fit, and if so... then from my vantage point, the pro-abortion advocates have won again and we may as well just start hanging it up. I cannot say it more plainly than I am saying it here. The pro-life community is not doing enough financially.
You may stand on the streets at every opportunity and hold signs up to passing cars, but if you are not participating financially by purchasing pro-life materials, and you are not making financial contributions in direct support of anti-abortion efforts, then I hope you will consider where you stand. My book will not end abortion. It may stop some women from having one. It might cause some people to reconsider who they vote for. It may inspire other, more effective voices to speak up, but if the pro-life community sits by while this project dries up... it will do none of those things.
Sometimes I wonder if people fear that I might become wealthy from selling a book. Do you wonder why I should make a living from my efforts? Can you imagine that there are benefits for the anti-abortion movement, when people like me can devote more time to writing, and more time to reaching people who don't know what to believe? As it stands, I am in no danger of having that luxury.
There are tens of millions of pro-life, abortion hating people in this country. It always seemed reasonable that it should not be too hard to fund this tiny, yet in my opinion, effective project. Perhaps I have fallen victim to the perils of being a dreamer, once again.
If this diatribe has opened your eyes to a fact, which you have not considered (that the "other guy" is really not taking care of the needs here and elsewhere), then please take the opportunity to set it right. Go to my sales page and order books, and since I am a very long distance from breaking even, please make a direct contribution if you have been so blessed in life that you are financially able to do so.
Yes, I am angry, frustrated, and as I said before... very tired. If what I have written makes you angry; frankly... I really don't care. You are not going to get it anyway. In any case, thanks for hearing me out!
Direct Contributions: Credit Cards, PayPal, Mail
U.S. Postal Address:
Phil Harris
P.O. Box 67099
Lincoln, NE 68506-7099
P.S. - I am going to disable comments on this post, because I am tired of vile attacks from pro-abortion activists. You can take your baby-slaughtering rhetoric somewhere else. If you want to comment to me, please do so via email, which is available on the side-bar of this website.
P.P.S. - If you understand this, and wish to help me reach a wider audience, please copy this and send it to everyone you think should read it. If you have a weblog, please post it on your website. If you participate in discussion groups or forums, please mention it and post a link back to this. You can right click on the "Permalink" at the bottom of this post, and select copy. That will be the direct link to this post.
Comments