By Carol Tobias, President
Editor’s note. This appears on page three of the current digital edition of National Right to Life News.
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We had a GREAT convention in Charleston, SC, July 5-6. If you weren’t able to come, you missed an educational, motivational weekend with dedicated pro-lifers from around the country and, indeed, the world.
We were joined by leaders of pro-life organizations from Canada, Mexico, and Australia. We also welcomed TV crews from CBS News, as well as news outlets from Germany, Japan, and New Zealand. An Australian reporter couldn’t make it to the convention so came to our office the following week.
Why the interest from news outlets around the world? Because something is happening in America that cannot be missed: the passage of so many pro-life bills. As a female reporter from Japan said, “Abortion is legal in Japan and no one thinks anything about it. Why is it still such an important issue here (in the U.S.)?”
I happily explained that President Trump has appointed many new judges to the federal bench, including two to the Supreme Court. Pro-lifers are optimistic we will see a change in judicial rulings when it comes to abortion.
The reporter from New Zealand asked, “What is your vision for America?” I replied that I wanted the world to look at the United States and see a country that respects life. I want America to be a shining city on a hill where human life is valued and respected; a place that other countries look to and say, “We want to be like that.”
America’s vibrant pro-life movement is a model to the rest of the world but something foreign journalists have a hard time grasping. The reporter just kind of smiled and nodded. Maybe she thought I was fooling myself– that there was no way my vision could ever become a reality.
I disagree. I firmly believe, as president of the largest and most effective single-issue pro-life organization, this vision can and will come to pass, but it won’t be easy and we have a long way to go.
The U.S. has been a beacon of light for the world for hundreds of years but we’ve veered from that path. We are a country that allows unborn children to be killed for any reason, or no reason, for all nine months of pregnancy. We are a country that has to fight to protect babies who survive abortion. We are a country that allows Alzheimer’s patients to be starved to death because they no longer “contribute to society” and we allow assisted suicide because we think some people are a “burden” and we’re better off without them.
Unlike many other countries, we haven’t given up the fight. We’ve grown larger and smarter. The battle for Life still rages as we advance– we are passing legislation and winning elections– and according to polls, we are successfully changing hearts and minds.
For those who have been involved in the movement for a while, you know that success ebbs and flows; we take two or three steps forward only to experience some setback. That is the history of all great social reform movements. We have to make sure that the 2020 election is not a step backwards.
Our opponents have made their position very clear. Abortion should be legal for any reason, or no reason, with no protections for unborn children up to, and even after, birth. They won’t stop with the “right” to kill. They want our tax dollars to pay for abortion and they want to force health care providers to perform, assist with, or refer for abortion.
When it comes to compelling pro-lifers to do their bidding, they have no use for the First Amendment. Fortunately, last year the Supreme Court ruled that states can’t force pregnancy centers to give information to their clients about abortion which goes against the center’s philosophy, so our opponents look for ways to just shut them down. They don’t want LIFE to be one of the choices.
Our opponents think we must use our tax dollars to promote the killing of unborn children in other countries. NRLC representatives at international conferences assure me that families in developing countries want clean water, schools, jobs, and a safe place to raise their families. They don’t want us “helping” them to kill their children.
And yet, what I just outlined could come to pass if we lose the elections next year. Every one of the Democratic candidates for president will push the abortion agenda I just laid out. The contrast to pro-life President Trump could not be more stark.
If one of these candidates is elected, and Nancy Pelosi remains Speaker of the House, and Chuck Schumer becomes Majority Leader in the Senate, the Hyde Amendment will be eliminated. Our tax dollars, for the first time since the early 1970s, will be used to pay for abortion. All conscience protections for health care providers will be removed, and a national law on abortion, wiping out every pro-life state law, will be enacted.
My vision of America as a symbol to the world will, instead, become a nightmare.
So, what is your response? Are you ready?? The first filing deadline for candidates in some states begins this November– just four months from now. Look ahead to the coming year, lighten your schedule if you can, and make plans to be involved in the superbowl of all superbowls– the 2020 elections.
Work even harder to educate your community about the wretchedness of abortion. Circulate the NRLC flyer on where presidential candidates stand on life, and ask family and friends which candidate’s position most closely reflects theirs. Follow National Right to Life PAC as we disperse information about where congressional candidates stand on life, as it becomes available.
We have a job to do, and we have 16 months in which to do it. Let’s take another HUGE step forward!