It is an incredible privilege for all who get to live and work in Washington, DC, our nation’s capital and a place of so much history. We are a destination for Americans from across the country who wish to make their voices heard. Since 1971, untold millions of Americans of all ages, backgrounds, and beliefs have come to participate in a protest of love against the violence of Roe v. Wade and for the recovery of the human right to life in its fullness.
It’s a beautiful thing to see Americans motivated by love come together to call on our political elite to do better. All in positions of power benefit from the humility that the March for Life and other good causes call for.
Unfortunately, not all demonstrations are created equal. A so-called Women’s March has taken place for the past four years in Washington that claims to speak on behalf of American women on the issue of reproductive rights, even while it marginalizes the tens of millions of American women who reject abortion as a part of authentic reproductive rights. When the so-called Women’s March speaks of “reproductive rights,” they really mean one thing: abortion. But there is no reproductive right to the violence and harm inherent in abortion.
American women want and deserve a full spectrum of life-affirming healthcare and reproductive choices, and I sincerely hope that the Women’s March can one day become an authentic voice for all American women rather than a de facto marketing campaign for Planned Parenthood and abortion businesses.
Texas recently took bold steps to uphold the human right to life. As a result, Texas is under attack from abortion activists and partisans. I stand with Texas in its desire to protect human life at the moment that a human heartbeat is detectible. When we know that a woman has truly become a mother and that she is carrying a little girl or boy in her womb, our focus should be first on congratulating her and immediately ensuring that both mother and child have everything they need to thrive.
I spoke recently with Katie Glenn, AUL Government Affairs Counsel, on the state of Texas’s heartbeat law. “While I’m unsure of its long-term ability to withstand court challenges as long as Roe v. Wade remains precedent, it’s incredible to realize that every day since Texas’s heartbeat law went into effect on September 1st, roughly 150 daily abortions that otherwise would be happening in Texas simply aren’t taking place.”
“While some of those women may still be led to believe that abortion is their only choice and may pursue abortion in another state,” Katie told me, “it’s clear that thousands of human lives are being saved thanks to Texas’s law.”
The so-called Women’s March also claims to speak on behalf of the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) community, too. Yet we know from the communities targeted by Planned Parenthood and abortion activists that many of these Texas children who are presently being saved are themselves members of the BIPOC community. There is great reason to celebrate every life saved, and particular reason to celebrate the saving of those historically targeted by abortion activists.
Authentic reproductive rights through life-affirming pregnancy resource centers outnumber abortion businesses in Texas by a ten-to-one margin. Since Texas’s heartbeat law took effect, Texas pregnancy resource centers have reported a fivefold increase in service requests, and many more women are coming through welcoming doors seeking the holistic support that these community centers provide.
Every state should follow Texas’s lead in providing comprehensive alternatives and material, financial, housing, and career assistance to mothers seeking options other than abortion.
It is a tragedy that the human right to life is marginalized by some, like the leaders of the so-called Women’s March, while corporate killings are marketed as rights to Americans who deserve better.
