45th March for Life: The Progress We’ve Made
Today is the 45th annual March for Life, the world’s largest pro-life event that takes place every year around the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision – which legalized abortion in the United States. The purpose of the March is to rally those who believe in protecting and promoting the sanctity of human life.
Throughout Scripture, we see the importance of reflecting on the past, so that we don’t forget who we are, where we’ve been, and where we are going. In a world where fighting for life, truth, and justice can seem overwhelming and sometimes futile, it is important to take a moment and reflect on the progress that’s been made.
Just this week, a poll was released that shows that “[m]ore than three in four Americans, including six in ten who identify as pro-choice, want significant restrictions on abortion.”
Early in 2017, the U.S. House passed H.R. 7, a bipartisan bill that codified the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits taxpayer dollars from being used to directly fund abortions. In addition to H.R. 7, the House passed H.R. 36, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which will prohibit abortions after 20 weeks, and introduced H.R. 490, which would ban abortions performed after a baby’s heartbeat has been detected (usually around eight weeks gestation).
Planned Parenthood, the largest abortion provider in the U.S., is currently under investigation by the DOJ. And abortion rates are steadily declining.
At last year’s march, Vice-President Pence became the highest-ranking government official to speak at the March for Life, and today, President Trump will become the first sitting president to address March for Life attendees via satellite video.
Here at the ACLJ we’ve had several victories on the pro-life front, and we will continue our fight as we move into this new year.
Notably, last year we filed a petition for certiorari with the Supreme Court on behalf of Troy Newman, a former board member of the Center for Medical Progress (CMP) who has been barred from releasing further videos exposing the sale of baby body parts. Recently, the Supreme Court ordered the National Abortion Federation (NAF) to respond to our petition – a case that could drastically expose the evil of Big Abortion.
Also, this week we filed an amicus brief in the Supreme Court on behalf of our pro-life pregnancy center clients in California who are challenging a law that compels pro-life organizations to “promote the pro-abortion message of the State.” This case could greatly impact the lives of countless unborn babies nationwide.
Yes, progress has been made, but abortion is still claiming the lives of innocent little babies. So, today, let us remember that we are the voice for the most innocent, the most vulnerable, and the voiceless. We live in a country where over 60 million babies have lost their lives because abortion was legalized. We are moving toward a day when all lives are valued and protected, and babies are safe in their mothers’ wombs.