Catching up/ Petitioning

A friend of mine recently posted under the title, "blog or live." I can relate to that! We have been busy around the Duley house lately!

Last week we got to go roller skating with a lot of area homeschoolers. Everyone (including me) had a blast... until Hannah broke her arm! She was skating and fell while trying to avoid a collision. It was not discolored or deformed, so I gave her some ice and we headed on to Sam's as planned. When she was still whimpering after an hour of grocery shopping, I knew there was trouble. We took her in to the doctor the next morning... sure enough, it was broken! Fortunately, it is not a bad break, and they did not even put a hard cast on it. She has a splint and a sling for two more weeks, and then we will go back for a re-check.

A few days after the roller rink, I headed down to south Mississippi to spend a few days petitioning for the personhood amendment. The girls went to my parents' house, and the boys went with Katie Strevel and I to Scott's mom's house. The boys had fun with Nana and Papa John while Katie and I petitioned around the coast area....

After getting kicked out of one parking lot, denied permission to petition in many others, going on a wild goose chase to be allowed to petition in the "free speech area" of one college, and turned down by countless people, we decided to move north just a bit and join two other ladies from our church.

Columbia was much more friendly and open to our efforts! Regardless of location, there is nothing that will bring you out of your comfort zone like standing in front of a grocery store asking complete strangers to sign a petition! Please read Katie's post about our experience there... I am not feeling super creative, but she honestly and candidly described our experience... and yes, the bird sure did poop in my hair while I was talking to someone!

If I have learned anything at all, it is that you really can't judge a book by its cover.... and that we should all be nice to people petitioning!

I can't tell you how many well dressed ladies with several children walked past me with a hand in the air, not willing to give me the time of day. I think that this frustrated me more than anything, because they were too selfish to even listen, and they had no clue about what they were missing. Coming in a close second were all of the people who said things like, "um, not today," or, "I don't know anything about all that..." Finally, although I completely disagree, I can understand an unwillingness to sign based on a difference of opinion or ideology. Many people were kind about a refusal, stating their beliefs on the subject. I only had a few unkind, ungracious bigots who made awful comments.

On the other hand, I can't tell you how many people signed the petition with enthusiasm... that I never would have guessed would say yes... much less be registered to vote! That fact alone taught me a LOT about myself and how much of a loveless snob I am. I have really spent a good deal of time thinking about appearances- and making more of an effort to see people as God sees us. Good grief, some of the kindest, most gentle people... most concerned about the unborn and the effects of abortion on women... were missing teeth and covered in tattoos.

I also have seen what a bubble I live in... there are a lot of adults who can't vote due to felonies. There are adults in Mississippi who have no idea what it means to be "pro-life," who do not know that abortion is legal in our state, and there are many adults in Mississippi who can't write! (I do not mean they can't write neatly... I mean, really, they never learned how to write. That makes me so very sad.)

Well, it was a busy, tiring week. I am thrilled to know that we are really close in numbers, and so we are going back next week for the final push.

If you are a pro-life voter in Mississippi, and you have not signed the Personhood Amendment Petition... WAKE UP!! Snap out of it!! Only a few days left! "Not today," or "I don't have time" do not apply and are not valid excuses at this point!

This amendment would simply define a person in our state constitution as any human being from the moment of fertilization.

In order to allow the people to vote on whether or not to amend the constitution in this way, 89,000 signatures (of registered voters with correct addresses) must be gathered. We have one week left, and the last count was somewhere around 87,000. Signing this petition does not commit you to anything- It costs nothing more than a signature. We are not looking for money, recruits for some political party... nothing... but an opportunity to save lives of unborn babies.