By Carol Tobias, President
Editor’s note. This appears in the February edition of National Right to Life News, “the pro-life newspaper of record.” Please be sure to share with your family and friends.
Do you remember when President Bill Clinton said abortion should be “safe, legal, and rare”? Pro-lifers knew he didn’t really mean “rare” at all, and he proved us right by his actions. Let me remind you of just some of Clinton’s”legacy.”
Clinton reversed President Ronald Reagan’s Mexico City Policy so that our tax dollars could once again be given to nongovernmental organizations that perform or promote abortion as a method of family planning in other countries.
He tried (in vain) to repeal the Hyde Amendment. If he had succeeded, our tax dollars would be used to pay for abortion in the federal Medicaid program. He vetoed a bill that made the gruesome partial-birth abortion method illegal. Pro-lifers persevered and, thankfully, President George W. Bush signed the bill after Congress passed it again. Clinton ordered his appointees to facilitate the introduction of the chemical abortion pills into the US. And much more. All the while, claiming abortion should be “safe, legal, and rare.” It’s enough to give hypocrisy a bad name.
But there is no such subterfuge with the Biden administration. They are very bold and very clear in proclaiming that abortion should be easily available and accessible no matter the danger that poses to women.
The Biden administration and Democrats in Congress are pushing for a bill like the so called Women’s Health Protection Act. This radical legislation would give us a national law of the land which, essentially, removes all legal protections for unborn children on the federal and state level and prevents future protections for unborn children.
Under the Biden Administration, the Department of Defense announced it will pay the travel and transportation costs for military members and dependents to travel to obtain elective abortions.
Pro-abortion members of Congress have introduced legislation declaring that the pro-abortion Equal Rights Amendment has been ratified and just needs Congress to make it an official part of the US Constitution. This flies in the face of multiple federal court decisions which have held that the ERA expired over 50 years ago. 4
Many abortion advocates are pushing not only to make it possible for women to skip an in-office visit prior to obtaining the abortion pills, but also that the “medication” (chemical) abortion drug becomes available as an over-the-counter medicine, no prescription necessary.
At the state level, we have legislatures passing bills to allow for the killing of unborn children throughout pregnancy. There seems to be no end to the craziness and brazenness of the abortion industry.
Following the birth of Jesus, wise men came to King Herod, asking for directions to find the child who had born king of the Jews as predicted by the prophets. In an attempt to prevent a future king from taking over, Herod ordered his soldiers to kill every boy two years old and younger in the village of Bethlehem.
The idea of such wanton killing is abhorrent and heart-breaking… but that is exactly what we are seeing today.
Abortion zealots are pushing the line that abortion pills are safe and effective, disregarding the fact that an unborn child dies and many mothers are injured.
As Randall K. O’Bannon, Ph.D., our Director of Education & Research, often points out, there will be serious complications when using the pills. Over two dozen women have already died and visits to emergency rooms and urgent care clinics will likely increase. In a recent article for NRL News Today, Randy reported on a study from Canada that found that nearly 10.3% of women taking the abortion pills ended up in an emergency room.
A satanic temple in New Mexico announced it will provide telehealth abortions, saying, “anyone in New Mexico seeking to perform The Satanic Temple’s abortion ritual will be able to receive free online medical services.” What does all this say? That pro-lifers are needed now more than ever, to provide help and hope and light to this dark world. And yes, even sanity
If you believe in the power of prayer, pray. If your heart tells you to help women in need of care during and after a pregnancy, get involved with a local pregnancy center.
If you want to educate and motivate your community, get involved with a local Right to Life chapter. Everyone should be aware of legislative activity going on in their own state.
Every state in the country has a legislative session in process. Is Life being discussed in your state capitol? Make your voice heard. Some states are fighting laws that would weaken existing pro-life laws. Others are working to pass great laws that will protect unborn children or provide support to moms in need.
Your love, your compassion, and especially your voice, is needed now. Tap into our state affiliates if you are not aware of on-the-ground efforts in your state. You can find them at www.nrlc.org/about/stateaffiliates.
There are a lot of pro-life giants in our movement’s history. Some are well-known, most are not. These are the heroes who organized pro-life activity in their local communities.
Fifty-plus years ago, they were making phone calls and mailing letters. The letters were handwritten or typed on a typewriter. The pro-life message was passed along through brochures, and people gathered in groups to watch a pro-life film or documentary on a 16mm film or a VHS/ Beta cassette.
It may be difficult for younger pro-lifers to believe but there was a time when we didn’t have computer or internet. What a difference they make. Messages can now be posted on Facebook or Instagram, possibly going viral in a matter of minutes or hours.
Pro-life heroes were needed then and they’re needed now. Whether you’re a wiz on the computer or prefer handwritten messages; whether you pass along information through social media or make “old-fashioned” phone calls, you are all needed. Now. For a time such as this.
Let’s make 2023 a year to remember for the babies and their mommies.