In 2023, there were numerous defeats for the pro-life movement and a growing sense that an adamant pro-life position could mean an end to a politician’s career. Ohio voters enshrined a right to abortion in the state’s constitution; Virginians elected a Democratic majority to the state legislature, effectively killing Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s proposed ban on abortions after 15 weeks; and voters in Kentucky reelected Gov. Andy Beshear over pro-life Attorney General Daniel Cameron.
But the pro-life movement is undeterred, and it is not backing down. On Friday, tens of thousands of pro-lifers from across the country flooded onto the National Mall to demand an end to abortion. Their commitment to the cause was shown in their defiance of the winter storm that blanketed Washington, D.C., with more than three inches of snow on Friday. Many marchers traveled hundreds of miles on snowy roads to make it to the capital.
A protester holds a megaphone during Jan. 19’s March for Life (The American Spectator)
Pro-lifers chanted and waved signs, even when they got caught in bottlenecks because of the large size of the crowd and snow blew in their faces. Parish groups, religious orders, and Catholic student groups prayed the rosary and sang hymns while evangelicals prayed aloud and played worship music. A group beat a drum while chanting: “Everyone you know was once an embryo.”
Pro-lifers built a pro-life snowman at the 2024 March for Life (The American Spectator)
The annual March for Life stands as a testament to the persistence and devotion of pro-lifers to their pursuit of ending abortion. The tens of thousands of marchers serve as a reminder that the all-encompassing political priority of a major contingent in the country is ending the slaughter of unborn children in America.
Pro-lifers march toward the Capitol during the 2024 March for Life in Washington, D.C. (The American Spectator)
Even the New York Times recognized pro-lifers’ persistence in its coverage of this year’s march. “If the annual march has revealed anything over the years,” it said, “it is that the anti-abortion movement is persistent and built for longevity.” The Times noted that crowds at the March for Life have not diminished following major setbacks for the movement, such as the election of Barack Obama in 2008 and cases at the Supreme Court that have been decided in favor of pro-abortion activists.
Marchers head toward the Capitol during snowy conditions at the March for Life (The American Spectator)
The March for Life’s rally showed that the movement has managed to win the attention and robust support of numerous politicians. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson delivered a speech strongly supportive of the anti-abortion cause. “Let’s be encouraged, let’s press on and hope that we can join together and make this great difference,” he said. “We can stand with every woman for every child, and we can truly build a culture that cherishes and protects life.” He noted that he himself is “the product of an unplanned pregnancy” and said that he is “very profoundly grateful” his parents chose life. However, Johnson did not discuss legislation to limit or ban abortion at the federal level, which currently seems politically impossible.
Johnson was joined by numerous GOP senators who proclaimed their adherence to the pro-life cause via a video. These included: Mississippi Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst, Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Indiana Sen. Todd Young, South Dakota Sen. John Thune, North Dakota Sen. John Hoeven, Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall, Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, North Carolina Sen. Ted Budd, Alabama Sen. Katie Britt, Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds, North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy, Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville, Nebraska Sen. Pete Ricketts, Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin, and Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford. The firmness with which many of these senators delivered their message suggests that at least some of this large number of senators are genuinely committed to ending abortion because of their moral opposition to it.
Even University of Michigan head football coach Jim Harbaugh, recently victorious in the College Football Playoff National Championship, spoke at the march — and he certainly will receive no accolades at his university for doing so.
People display pro-life signs they made for the 2024 March for Life (The American Spectator)
The pro-life movement has faced obstacles following the reversal of Roe v. Wade, but the movement is strong, and, if it exercises unwavering moral tenacity for the cause of life, it can wage an effective war on the abortion regime.
READ MORE:
Eleven States to Vote on Abortion in 2024
GOP Candidates Clash on Abortion: See How Their Views Compare
