As pro-lifers we have been around this block many times. What seemed to be the final days for Roe v. Wade prove elusive.
But we never before had a draft opinion calling for the overturning of Roe leaked to the public. Nor a blunt conclusion, according to Justice Samuel Alito, that Roe must go:
We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled. The Constitution makes no reference to abortion, and no such right is implicitly protected by any constitutional provision – including the one on which the defenders of Roe and Casey now chiefly rely: the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment. That provision has been held to guarantee some rights that are not mentioned in the Constitution, but any such right must be “deeply rooted in this Nation’s history and tradition” and “implicit in the concept of ordered liberty.” The right to abortion does not fall within this category.
The Washington Post ran an Associated Press story this morning under the headline “Abortion foes, accustomed to small wins, ready for a big one.” Matt Sedensky interviewed veteran sidewalk counselors in a sympathetic and fair manner.
Talk to someone who’s been immersed in opposing abortion long enough and they’ll tell you the disbelief they felt when news of Roe broke in 1973 and the naïve certainty they had that it would be overturned in a couple of years. They’ll tell you about the politicians who collected their votes and never delivered, and the judges seen as allies who went on to disappoint. They’ll tell you how the issue ended friendships or landed them in handcuffs or brought them heartache again and again and again.
And yet, here they are, all these years later, in the fight so long some have grandchildren at their side.
When my then-girlfriend and I got involved in the Movement in mid-1970s, we were two single people with no children. We’ve now been married 41 years, have four kids, and four grandkids.
Our experience is by no means unique, as the story in the Post thoughtfully illustrates. There are people who’ve been in the Movement longer than we have. We celebrate the fresh troops who have invigorated our common cause.
What gives the Pro-Life Movement such incredible staying power?
A love for children and their mothers? Yes, in spades.
An indignation at the injustice of tearing helpless babies apart? Yes! Like you, this is an open wound for me.
A sense that we “hang together or we hang separately,” Benjamin Franklin’s assessment of the American Revolution? Yes. We knew that unborn children would not be the only victims. Unfortunately, as we feared would happen, the pool of victimized people has consistently grown larger.
Who are their champions? The pro-life movement!
If the Supreme Court does overturn Roe, we know that this will be necessary but not sufficient to overcoming the Culture of Death. There will still be plenty of work left to be accomplished.
When the High Court does deposit Roe in the dustbin of history—as it will– it will be because of you.
Chelsea Garcia is a political writer with a special interest in international relations and social issues. Events surrounding the war in Ukraine and the war in Israel are a major focus for political journalists. But as a former local reporter, she is also interested in national politics.
Chelsea Garcia studied media, communication and political science in Texas, USA, and learned the journalistic trade during an internship at a daily newspaper. In addition to her political writing, she is pursuing a master's degree in multimedia and writing at Texas.
