In the last few years, pro-life organizations have convinced numerous state legislatures to offer specialized license plates that say “Choose Life.”   Any resident of the state can request the plate as long as they pay an extra fee.   The money that is raised goes to local crisis pregnancy centers, i.e., centers which try to convince women to not have abortions. 

Pro-choice groups have cried foul.   This is not fair, they say, the state should not be promoting crisis pregnancy centers because they mislead women, they give them inaccurate information, blah, blah, blah.

Whenever I hear these protestations, my first reaction has always been “quit your whining.”   I mean, all the pro-life organizations did was lobby their state legislatures and convinced their elected officials to make these license plates available.  They used the process to their advantage.  That’s democracy, right?

Sure, it’s kinda sucky that they convinced their legislators to send that money to pro-life centers that do, at times, mislead women.  But, if the legislature bought it, then more power to those pro-lifers for being so persuasive.  After all, the bottom line is that, no matter what the issue, it always comes down to who has the votes.  

Finally, however, the pro-choice folks have struck back.   Instead of whining about pro-life license plates, Planned Parenthood clinics throughout the state of Virginia have convinced their generally anti-choice legislature and anti-choice Governor that there should be pro-choice license plates as well.  The new plates, which will be available soon, read “Trust Women/Respect Choice.”   And any money raised through the purchase of these plates will go to Planned Parenthood.  The Governor did insist that that money not be used for abortions, but we can live with that.

I do wish that some of that money was directed to clinics other than Planned Parenthood.  Indeed, it is the independent abortion clinics that perform most of the abortions in the state of Virginia.  Still, kudos to Planned Parenthood and its lobbyists.

It will be interesting to see how many people buy these plates.  I am totally pro-choice, but I won’t buy one.  I think that’s because I do not wake up in the morning thinking about preserving legal abortion.  I am not that manic.  I’m thinking about the weather for the weekend, whether or not the Yankees won last night, how much mulch I need for my garden. 

I’ll bet you anything that they won’t sell 100 of these plates.   Still, it’s refreshing to see that someone stopped whining, took the bull by the horns and did something positive for a change.