Molly White is a newly-elected Republican for the Texas House of Representatives. She is a principled Pro-Lifer whose convictions are rooted deeply in her own experience, and she grasps the nature of the culture war in Texas and what is needed to keep Texas a thoroughly Pro-Life state.
Molly regrets her abortions even 32 years after those choices. After 13 years of secrecy, she attended an abortion recovery Bible study, and there she found healing and her heart softened to the Pro-Life view of Life. She has been active in the Pro-Life movement since then, sharing her story on local, state, national, and international levels.
Molly recently recounted her journey with Texas Right to Life, emphasizing how the Justice Foundation played a significant role in building her active participation in Pro-Life outreach:
In 2001, I learned about Operation Outcry/Silent No More, a project of the Justice Foundation, whose purpose is to collect affidavits of women who had been hurt physically, emotionally and/or psychologically by legal abortion. I became their first spokesperson and Texas Leader. I got involved because I wanted people to know how abortion hurts women and to help bring an end to this grave injustice against pregnant women and babies.
After Molly's Pro-Life conversion, she found healing through discussing the negative impact of her abortion. She was undaunted by those who criticized her outspokenness, recognizing that such reactions stem from personal wounds:
I have shared my story hundreds of times. Each time I shared it God would reveal a hidden hurt and heal me more and more. When we share our stories it changes hearts and saves lives even if we don't see the “fruit” right away. When we get attacked it is because we are threatening someone's hidden wound. The angrier a response we get the more hurt they are. That includes men as well.
We asked Molly how her Pro-Life convictions impacted her decision to run for the Texas State House, and Molly confirmed that her commitment to Life was one of the major factors in that decision:
After the intense battle to pass HB2 during the 83rd Legislative Session, I was deeply compelled to run to make a difference for life. Abortion is the greatest form of exploitation of pregnant women, leading to the most destructive consequences on families and society. Thus, I am bound to do whatever I can help to end the violence against women and babies and to help women and men to heal and recover from past abortion experiences.
This dedication, Molly says, includes meeting the needs of pregnant mothers so that they will have the freedom to choose Life.
Molly has been happily surprised by how deeply Pro-Life her future constituents are – something she learned while knocking on doors in her House District 55 in central Texas.
I knocked on thousands of doors, and the majority of voters chose Pro-Life as one of their top platform issues. I even shared my story on many doorsteps. During my campaign, several women confided their past abortions, giving me the opportunity to minister to them. Being an outspoken, pro-life activist definitely helped my campaign because I am seen as the voice of those women are not ready to speak for themselves.
Molly didn't stop at finding compatriots in the Pro-Life movement while campaigning – she even nudged a few!
During my door-to-door campaign, I was able to educate voters on the abortion issue and changed the minds of several. This was a very rewarding experience.
For Molly, being labeled “Pro-Life” is not good enough. She has a specific vision for the future of Pro-Life Texas, and her plan is to remove barricades to that endeavor. When we asked Molly what changes she hopes to see Pro-Life legislators make in Texas, she was quick to list more than a few – a testimony to her sincere dedication to Life.
During this next session starting in January of 2015, we need to work on closing loopholes through which minors get permission from judges to undergo abortions. Since 64 percent of women are pressured, forced, or coerced into abortion, we need to address how to protect them. We also need to hold clinics accountable for withholding information and options from abortion-vulnerable women. We need to look at the root reasons that women choose abortion as well and work on ways we can better meet their needs. For example, high school and college age girls likely choose abortion to continue their education. We need to find solutions so they can have their babies, continue their education and, work to help raise their baby.
Beyond these goals, Molly sees a need in the Pro-Life movement for effective language that focuses on the positives:
We, as pro-lifers, might focus on positive language regarding pregnancy and motherhood and how beautifully these two blessings empower women. At the same time, we need to challenge the feminist definition of empowerment which is abortion. Killing our children does not make us more equal or powerful, but the contrary, reduces us to the lowest form of humanity. Having and raising children is what empowers women, and stressing this is an important piece of pro-life outreach.
At the end of our conversation, we asked Molly what was most important for her voters to know about her Pro-Life values. Without missing a beat, she encapsulated her convictions, noting that the Pro-Life stance is the truly American outlook:
The right to life is an inalienable right given to us by our Creator and enshrined in our Constitution. This right is guaranteed to us and our posterity. When that most basic right is usurped, then what other rights really matter? If the right to life is not valued in the womb, then no life is valuable. We must never end our struggle, our commitment, our resolve to protect life, from protecting its beginning in the womb to extending hope to those nearing life's natural end.