An unborn baby’s heart begins beating 18 days after conception – a tiny heartbeat, a human heartbeat, and a vulnerable one. In 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court decision of Roe v. Wade made itlegal to kill unborn human beings at any stage of development, at any time before birth, in all 50 states.
Though abortion might be legal, not every American supports this travesty of justice. In January of every year, hundreds of thousands of Americans gather in our nation’s capital to protest the Supreme Court’s decision, denounce legalized abortion, and stand in defense of defenseless unborn human life.
The crowds at the annual March for Life are largely made up of young people who are positively exploding with optimism, energy, and enthusiasm. These kids inspire me. They carry signs: “It’s a child, not a choice.” They wear t-shirts: “Social justice begins in the womb.” They challenge us all: “Mother and child. Love them both.”
Some say we should allow for abortion, especially in the hard cases, when a pregnancy is unplanned and unwanted. At the March for Life, however, young Americans boldly reject the idea that the value of any human life is diminished because it is unplanned or unwanted.
Some say we should allow for abortion, even if we would not choose it ourselves, because not everyone shares our religious beliefs and we “can’t legislate morality.” Young pro-lifers are quick to point out, however, that we do just that all the time. We outlaw murder, rape, slavery, and theft because all of us, in our humanity, recognize that they are wrong. Abortion is a moral issue, not a religious one. Our faith might affirm our belief in the dignity and value of all human life, but it is not the source of it. Our humanity is.
Thousands gathered on the mall to listen to speeches before heading to the Supreme Court in the annual March for Life. This contingent came from Long Island, New York. (Katherine Frey – TWP) Some say we should allow for abortion because feminism demands that women have access to reproductive “choices.” But the young voices at the March for Life reject abortion precisely because they embrace a new kind of feminism. One that recognizes the inherent dignity and value of every woman and rejects the “right” to sex without consequences and easy access to abortion which leave women in a strikingly vulnerable position, to be used by men as sexual objects.
The young people at the annual March for Life assert the unpopular truth that women deserve better than abortion, and instead offer women real choices: genuine alternatives to the harm that abortions cause.
When a woman decides that her best “choice” is the destruction of innocent human life growing within her, we have failed her. The government, the community, the church, and we – her friends, neighbors, co-workers, brothers, and sisters – have failed her.
Young pro-lifers are determined not to fail women. Continue reading…
“Today I feel great sadness and compassion for all of the women who have bought into this at some point in their lives and aborted their children, and who have suffered — often for decades, often in deep loneliness — for their babies. The lie that abortion provides, at it’s core, some ultimate “good” is a lie that has stood too long.”The Anchoress
I am reminded that today is a day of prayer for the legal protection of unborn children:
“In all the Dioceses of the United States of America, January 22 (or January 23, when January 22 falls on a Sunday) shall be observed as a particular day of prayer for the full restoration of the legal guarantee of the right to life and of penance for violations to the dignity of the human person committed through acts of abortion.” – United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
A Deacon's Wife 
Women deserve the best our society has to offer. They deserve a right to good healthcare, plenty of birth control options, and societal support. Unfortunately, not all girls and women have those luxuries. If the pro-life marchers spent all that time on supporting young women and girls, there would be no need for abortions.
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And just how do you know what else those “pro-life marchers” are doing (or not doing) to help women?!? I’d wager most of them are more involved than you think.
“If the pro-life marchers spent all that time on supporting young women and girls, there would be no need for abortions.” – Sorry, I disagree. There would still be women who couldn’t be burdened giving up 9 months of their life to allow their child to be born & live, or bear the “Stigma” of an unwanted pregnancy. Self seeking women would still exist and not be selfless enough to give their children up for adoption (or parent them) rather than take the “easy way out” and kill their baby “in secret.” But they still know they did it, and most importantly, God knows.
What most women (& men) need is self control outside of marriage, since the majority of women getting abortions are unmarried. Sex outside marriage is against God’s commandments and design, and there are consequences that go along with it. But people have become lovers of self and lovers of pleasure, rather than lovers of God and what is right.
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It’s unfortunate that women judge other women’s character and intentions. You assume (mostly incorrectly) that women who have abortions are just selfish people who don’t think about their actions. It’s usually due to an unintended birth control failure or a lack of affordable birth control, education or all of the above. Poverty also plays into it. And the whole “no sex before marriage” diatribe is getting old. Most women don’t get married until their mid-20s. Unrealistic. We should be teaching our daughters self respect, but also how to protect themselves from unplanned pregnancy.
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Sheri,
I have talked to far far too many woman who have been damaged by abortion. There is no way that I judge them. I weep for them, and I rejoice that God is a God of infinite love and mercy. Most woman who have abortions do not believe that they have a choice. Their boy friends refuse to man up and take responsibility, and their families offer zero support. Every woman–without exception–that has talked to me about their abortion has said that it took at least a decade out of their lives. It is tragic.
I agree that we should be teaching our daughters self respect. We should be teaching them that sex within marriage is beautiful and an incredible gift. We should be teaching our sons to not objectify woman and use them, and woman not to use men.
We should be teaching our children that chastity (http://www.kofc.org/un/catechism/getsection.action?part=3&sec=2&chap=2&art=6¶sec=0&subsec=2&hdr=1&par=2339¶type=a ) is possible despite what the world teaches. Being able, with God’s grace, to control our passions leads to real self respect. Not buying into the hookup culture where people are used and discarded.
Every human life is sacred, unique, unrepeatable, and beautiful, because each and every one of us is made in the image and likeness of God.
May God bless you Sheri,
Susan
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