The other day as I was driving through our neighborhood I noticed a new sign on the front porch of a home I drive by every day. The big banner furled across the railing of the house read “Vote Pro-life.”

I’m not sure exactly why the banner caught my eye or why I even thought about it, as ubiquitous as political signs are these days. But by the time I had gotten home, I had vowed that I would join my neighbor. So, I’m on a crusade. I say, “Yes. Vote Pro-life.”

Vote for the candidates who will support policies that determine to lift up the poor from a concern for mere survival and help give them the tools to a life of dignity and respect. Vote for candidates who will pledge to give them a helping hand rather than a dismissive “why don’t you go get a job?”

Vote for the candidates who will support policies that protect the environment and foster life not only for the human species but for all of creation. Vote for candidates who will pledge to help us move away from energy policy that far too quickly depletes our natural resources and uses energy sources that are clean and readily available, sources like solar and wind.

Vote for the candidates who will support an end to US aggression and police action. There is nothing more anti-life than war.

Vote for the candidates who will support policies that limit access to guns. Support candidates who will support legislation to make it difficult for anyone to own a handgun or semi-automatic rifle or assault rifle. Why can we legislate the necessity to wear a seatbelt when you get into a car, but we can’t legislate access to guns that have no other purpose than to kill people? I say, “Vote Pro-life.”

Vote for the candidates who will support policies that will make health-care affordable and accessible for all people. And vote for candidates who will have the courage to admit that our present health care system is neither just nor sustainable.

Vote for the candidates who will take on the challenge of reforming our penal system. It’s so counter-productive and barbaric for a society to warehouse criminals and pay only lip service to rehabilitation. Give people who have made a youthful mistake — albeit a serious mistake — a second chance to be the people they were meant to be.

I say, “Vote Pro-life.”

See, while I agree that the life of the unborn is precious, that they should be honored and protected, and that abortion as birth control is wrong, it’s more complicated that black and white answers and policies. And I bristle at the notion that one can be pro-life with regard to only one narrow slice of the broad range of life and life issues. How can we be so adamant about protecting unborn children, but leave significant numbers of the already born children hungry and in poverty and attending substandard schools? How can we decry the violence of abortion and have no moral qualms about unleashing drones that have killed an unconscionable numbers of innocent people, including children. Is it pro-life to consider them as nothing more than collateral damage?

So, when it comes time to cast my vote in less than two weeks, you can be sure that I will be considering every candidate and every issue, and I will voting, proudly and unabashedly, pro-life.