Boldly working to protect human life

The length and breadth of 31 years of abortion on demand

Thirty-one years is a long time. Thirty-one years is longer than many of our lives, longer than many of our marriages, longer than a generation.

Lots of things change in 31 years. In January of 1973, the United States signed a peace treaty in Vietnam, Elvis Presley's television special, Aloha from Hawaii, was seen by more than 1 billion people around the world, Carly Simon's single "You're So Vain" was at the top of the music charts. These are all events that have been partially remembered or forgotten, kept in the back of one's mind for some and completely lost to others.

Another event that occurred in January of 1973 cannot be forgotten, only partially remembered, or just thought about for a quick week each year. An event that occurred on January 22, 1973, forever changed the path of history in our country. On that fateful day, the highest court in our nation usurped the power of the American people to decide for themselves if a variety of heinous procedures known collectively as abortion should be legal.

On January 22, 1973, Roe v. Wade, the infamous decision by the United States Supreme Court, was handed down. The Supreme Court created a woman's right to privacy and decided that this "right" meant that a woman could decide whether or not her own unborn child could be killed. Instead of providing real solutions to women in unplanned pregnancies, making abortion on demand legal throughout the United States has only led to an unfortunate society where many pregnant women see abortion as a last resort, their only "choice." In our upside down society, many affirmatively nod their heads when a woman says that she would rather have an abortion than let someone else care for her child. A loving option like adoption is stigmatized while abortionists, who profit from the destruction of life and the pain of women, are celebrated and praised by some.

Right to Life of Michigan President Barbara Listing said, "Science has proven that the life of a distinct human being begins at conception. There is no denying this fact. Every abortion intentionally ends the life of a developing human being; yet our country has turned its back as more than 43 million innocent human beings have been forever lost in the last 31 years."

The fact that many in our nation have let their hearts grow cold to this incomprehensible loss of human life should definitely sadden us, but it should also encourage us to pick up the slack of others, call us to reach out and warm the hearts that have grown cold, and lead us to do whatever we can to defend the defenseless and help women who are pregnant and scared.

As we go out into our communities to remember and mourn the lives of the children who have been forever lost since January 1973, let us also remember we must hope and work for the future, hope and work for the cold hearts to turn warm, and hope and work for those women and children who desperately need our help.

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