By Carol Tobias, President
Two phrases have been going around in my head recently– “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing” and “standing on the shoulders of giants.”
The first quote, usually attributed to Edmund Burke, may not have actually come from him. The second has been around for centuries and is maybe attributable to 12th century philosopher John of Salisbury.
What the words have in common is that both describe the incredible actions and foresight of early workers in the pro-life movement. They were determined not to let evil triumph. And they are the giants on whose shoulders we now stand.
As we come upon the 49th anniversary of Roe v Wade, I have been thinking about the thousands of men and women around the country who, back in the late 1960’s and early 1970s, knew what would happen if abortion became “mainstream” as a routine medical procedure.
They knew it would mean death for countless innocent, vulnerable human beings, and it would create an overall lack of respect for human life that would manifest in a variety of ways.
Before 1973, these early heroes (giants) fought against efforts in their state legislatures to legalize abortion. After the 1973 Supreme Court rulings in Roe and Doe, they set up chapters to educate their fellow citizens, they motivated churches to take a stand on behalf of God’s little ones, and they encouraged elected officials to defend the babies to whatever extent possible.
These giants awakened the conscience of the nation, determined that Roe and Doe would never be “settled” law.
The kitchen table often served as the desk, pen and paper was the computer, and a landline telephone constituted social media of the day. Fellow pro-lifers were recruited, NRLC state affiliates and chapters grew, and the foundation of the movement was begun.
There is no doubt the pro-life movement is, today, a powerful force for human rights– educating as to the humanity of the unborn child, caring for mother and child, identifying fellow pro-lifers, electing candidates, passing legislation, challenging court precedence, and so much more.
We owe thanks and gratitude to these giants who were not going to let evil triumph. While many have passed on to glory, others are still working hard, wondering if the Supreme Court, this year, just might reward their years of effort with good rulings for the babies.
Whatever the Court does, our work will not end because the purveyors of death will not give up easily. They will use any and every avenue available to make sure the killing continues.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has relaxed standards for the chemical abortion method, including no longer requiring that the woman receive the pills from the doctor. They may be mailed into her home, making the entire procedure much easier. Hence, we will likely see an increase in the number of chemical abortions.
The Biden administration is using every avenue available to fund abortion with our tax dollars, both here and in other countries.
States with pro-abortion majorities will move to pass legislation protecting abortion and abortion providers. In states where legislatures are strongly pro-life, and if ballot measures are allowed, the abortion industry will put ballot measures before the voters in an effort to enshrine abortion within state law.
There is no doubt that NRLC’s structure at the national, state, local level has us well positioned to take advantage of every situation and prepared to fight every battle.
You can be sure NRLC is watching events closely and is prepared no matter what the Court does. We can do no less as we remember the early pioneers of the movement who persevered and laid the groundwork so that we might continue on to victory.