The Power of Advocacy and The Power of Women “Who Do”
By Dr. Randi Lampert
Merriam-Webster defines advocacy as “the act or process of supporting a cause or proposal.” Whether they realize it or not, everyone is an advocate at some point in their life. People advocate for themselves, their friends, and their children every day without thinking about what they are doing. But for many of us, political advocacy is a different ball game and the thought of participating in the political process can seem frightening. I have come to realize over my lifetime, however, that advocacy is not something to be scared about. Even when the result is not victorious, the act of fighting for a cause is one of the most empowering things a person can do in their lifetime.
As a teenager and young adult, I participated in pro-choice rallies, but I was not active in any organized political actions. That changed when I was in medical school. It was 1992 and the Republican National Convention was in Houston where I was attending the Baylor College of Medicine. The pro-life community planned a week-long organized attack on Planned Parenthood and other clinics that offered abortions. My synagogue was helping to organize a clinic defense movement. As soon as I got permission to take some time off from my medical school rotation, I signed up to help defend these clinics!
