OPINION:
“Today you remind all of us that abortion is not a harmless medical procedure but the taking of the life of a living human being,” declared President Ronald Reagan as he spoke to the National March for Life on Jan. 22, 1987. He went on to say, “America will never be whole as long as the right to life, granted by our Creator, is denied to the unborn. Together we can overturn Roe v. Wade, and end this national tragedy.”
A blizzard hit Washington, D.C. just as other students from around the nation and I converged on our capital city. At the time, it had been just over a decade and a half since the Supreme Court ruling legalized abortion. Sadly, more than 63 million unborn babies have been lost since that decision 48 years ago.
While Americans are more open to pro-life ideas than they were in the 1980s, Democrats have become more extreme on the issue. Two years ago, Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat from Virginia, explained legislation being debated:
“If a mother is in labor, I can tell you exactly what would happen. The infant would be delivered. The infant would be kept comfortable. The infant would be resuscitated if that’s what the mother and the family desired, and then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and the mother.”
I reminded Gov. Northam that if the family took their baby home and then decided to “terminate their pregnancy” there, the state would consider that murder. Why is the same not true if they do it before they leave the hospital? Mr. Northam’s explanation is just one example of how radical many of today’s politicians have become on this issue.
The party whose nominee once proclaimed that abortion should be “safe, legal, and rare” has sadly become fully aligned with the abortion industry. Joe Biden once opposed taxpayer-funded abortion. Now, that sliver of decency is gone. The price of admission to the Democrats’ nomination process is unqualified support for abortion-on-demand at any time.
There are some who try to explain away the horrors of abortion by saying the “fetus” is just tissue. Ironically, many are the same people who tell us we must trust science. Well, science clearly shows that an unborn child is a human being.
Common sense also shows us that abortion is wrong. Imagine a drunk driver hitting a vehicle with a family in it. One of the passengers is pregnant. The impact of the crash injures her and kills her unborn baby.
If you knew this mother, would you send her a get well card or a sympathy card? A decent friend would send the mother who lost her unborn baby a card with condolences.
If you would send a card to express your mourning for the loss of her child, how can abortion not be killing an innocent baby? We must end this national tragedy.
Last week, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris released a statement supporting Roe v. Wade and equating abortion with health care. Abortion is not health care. It’s murder.
Sadly, the Biden/Harris administration is already pushing for removing the Mexico City Rule, which prevents U.S. tax dollars from being used to fund or promote abortion in other nations around the world. The new administration is funneling $60 million of taxpayer money to Planned Parenthood through Title X funding. They’re even pursuing a repeal of the Hyde Amendment, which prevents taxpayer money from directly paying for abortion-on-demand.
Over the past four years, we were blessed to have President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence in office. They led the most pro-life administration in history. Under their leadership, they pushed back against public money for Planned Parenthood, fought taxpayer-funded abortions, and nominated judicial picks — like Justice Amy Coney Barrett — who uphold the U.S. Constitution. We are grateful for their boldness and willingness to speak out for innocent life.
In addition, the majority of state governments have pro-life governors and legislative majorities. And with Sen. Joe Manchin, West Virginia Democrat, continuing to oppose efforts to remove the filibuster, pro-life senators can block radical pro-abortion efforts as well as attempts to add seats and pack the U.S. Supreme Court.
Most importantly, those of us who are pro-life must continue to work to change the hearts and minds of our fellow Americans. We must talk about our support for the unborn child and her mother.
In December, I met a wonderful woman who was facing incredible pressure to abort her unborn child. The volunteers at a local crisis pregnancy center were there for her — both when she decided to save her baby and after she gave birth by caring for her baby and helping with housing and employment.
The most powerful tool we have in the pro-life movement is love. We love babies, and we love their mothers. That is why we march; for life — with love.
• Scott Walker was the 45th governor of Wisconsin. You can contact him at swalker@washingtontimes.com or follow him @ScottWalker.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.