A Summit We Can All Climb
BY Joleigh Little

Quick! What's the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word "summit"?

For most people it's "peak" or "pinnacle" maybe even "top" or "highest point." While all of those things are completely correct, summit also means "the highest level or degree that can be attained" and "a conference or meeting of high-level leaders, usually called to shape a program of action."

Wow--who knew that dictionary.com could offer so much insight into an event that National Right to Life is planning?

Over the weekend of January 20–22, 2006, NRLC will be hosting its first ever National Youth Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C. The purpose of this program is to take already amazing teen and college-aged youth and turn them into leaders for the pro-life cause.

They may not yet be considered "high-level leaders" but give them a few years and a little education, and they will amaze you! (And just watch what can happen when that many young pro-life minds gather to shape the future of the youth pro-life movement in our nation.)

The young people who will participate in this summit are the doctors, lawyers, teachers, accountants, social workers, and reporters of tomorrow. They will, over the course of the next few decades, determine the direction of our nation for generations to come.

We already know that they are overwhelmingly pro-life. According to a 2003 Gallup poll, a full 72% of them say abortion is morally wrong. What we're also learning is that with the proper education, topped off with a little motivation, they are an absolutely overwhelming force for life.

Just picture for a moment, a group of young people, already passionately pro-life, gathered in a meeting room for two full days hearing from some of the leading minds the pro-life movement has to offer. Think about the information they will absorb, the friendships they will make, and the insights they will gain into how they can make a concrete difference for the cause of life.

As exciting as all of that is, now imagine them going back to their home states, towns, schools, and churches and igniting a passion for life there. Before we know it, the movement among young people will spread like wildfire!

If this abstract approach doesn't do it for you, imagine a few of the specifics in an America where these kids are in charge. With pro-life doctors and other health care professionals making up 72% of hospital staffs, it will be very difficult to find people willing to kill unborn children or starve the medically vulnerable.

With pro-life judges dominating the bench in Florida and the other 49 states, it will become almost impossible to sentence innocent people with disabilities to death by dehydration. With pro-life teachers in high schools and colleges the truth will be reaching America's youth on a regular basis.

And if your heart can take it, imagine a mainstream media that reports the actual facts of cases like Terri Schiavo's, instead of twisting them to fit a pro-death agenda.

The bottom line is this: A pro-life America is not just the fantasy in which we've indulged for the last few paragraphs. It is a reality on the horizon, but it will only be realized if we invest the time and effort that is necessary TODAY to train these leaders of tomorrow.

For those of you who are asking "How can I help? I want to see this become a reality," there is good news. We need your assistance to help this summit reach "the highest level or degree that can be attained." We need to attract truly the best, the brightest, and the most dedicated pro-life youth out there.

You probably know some young people in your own community or church who fit that description. Pass this article along to them or e-mail their names to us at jlittle@wrtl.org or djones@nrlc.org. Better yet, offer to help them raise funds to attend the summit! Registration packets along with fundraising ideas are available for students who are interested in this event.

It is said that there are few guarantees in life, but we're utterly confident that if you help a pro-life young person become a part of NRLC's National Youth Leadership Summit 2006, you won't regret it. In fact, every penny you spend, every minute you give of your time, and every ounce of energy you exert toward this effort will pay off one hundred fold in terms of lives saved and a society transformed. We can do it, but we will need to work together to make it happen!  For more information, or to receive a registration packet, contact us at 9356 E. Ash Ave., Solon Springs, WI; call Derrick Jones at (202) 626-8800, ext. 153; or send an e-mail the above addresses.