Roe v. Wade was overturned and allows for the freedom of states to enact pro-life laws. Does that mean that the pro-life movement is over? No!
The March for Life will celebrate its 50th annual march in January 2023. This March will be the first, historical march in a post-roe world. The March for Life draws thousands of people and shuts down the streets of Washington, D.C. Traditionally, the March proceeds to the U.S. Supreme Court. But in 2023, it will march to the U.S. Capitol. The March for Life is the annual human rights march.
When the U.S. Supreme Court handed down the Roe v. Wade decision to the state level, the pro-life movement become hyperfocused at the state levels. The March for Life decided to march to the U.S. Capitol in 2023 instead of the U.S. Supreme Court because the legislators that sit in the U.S. Capitol are elected by their state’s constituents. The March for Life is drawing attention to the work that still needs to be done at the state level.
On Thursday morning, March For Life President Jeanne Mancini announced that the theme for this year’s march will be, “Next Steps: Marching in a Post-Roe America.” During the announcement event at the Heritage Foundation, she declared that the work of the pro-life movement has “just begun”. “There’s a lot of confusion about the inherent dignity of the unborn child,” said Mancini. This year’s march will be a celebratory one, recognizing the hearts that have been changed on the nation’’s highest court and also honoring the event’s 50th anniversary.
Another symbolic reason why Mancini has chosen to march to the U.S. Capitol building is because this is where the fight now lies. With the court sending abortion back to the states, the capitol represents a place where respresentaives from every state will gather to form the consensus of the nation, much like states will now do with abortion. Mancini also stated how important it was for pro-lifers to walk to their own state capitals on the day of the march.
California Family Council President, Jonathan Keller, spoke during the event to emphasize how pro-life work at the state level needs to be strongly connected with the national effort. Keller stated that the movement can’t be content with working only in red states, but must also spread to deep blue states like California. If the culture of death is to be defeated then we need to stand up to leaders like Gavin Newsom, who seeks to make California a haven for abortion.
The host of the event, The Heritage Foundation, was represented by their President, Kevin Roberts, who provided his own thoughts on the state of the pro-life movemnt. Roberts said that America is currently in a second revolution, one where public institutions need to be built on love. Not a single major public institution is pro-life and Roberts wants to change that.
Do we still need to march? Yes! Do we still need to persuade elected leaders to abolish abortions in their states? Yes! Do we still need to have the courage to stand up to the darkness of the culture of death? Yes!
With the Next Steps, the pro-life movement still has a lot of work to do to continue to change America into a truly post-Roe world!
The March for Life will take place on January 20, 2023 in Washington, D.C.
