The nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court has brought renewed attention to the urgent need to overturn Roe v. Wade. Over 61 million babies have lost their lives to abortion since the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade ruling, with the U.S. committing an estimated 98 abortions per hour. This is an evil that must be stopped, which means that ending legalized abortion is absolutely necessary. As Abby Johnson pointed out when she spoke at Minnesota Family Council’s annual dinner in September, in order to make abortion unthinkable, we must make it illegal. The appointment of a justice who recognizes the humanity of the unborn is an important step in that direction.
Tragically, our society often fails to grasp the true horror of abortion. The pro-life movement is frequently met with the glib response, “Don’t like abortion? Don’t get one!” as if abortion was merely a matter of personal preference, like a tattoo or a haircut, rather than the destruction of a human life. Because abortion is legal, people often assume that it is morally acceptable, or if nothing else, morally neutral. By legalizing abortion, the Supreme Court rendered a moral opinion on abortion, creating an uphill battle in the fight to build a culture of life. As long as abortion is legal, it will be treated as if it morally acceptable.
The Supreme Court precedent set by Roe v. Wade and its companion case Doe v. Bolton prevents states from making abortion illegal, which means that in order to ban abortion in the United States, Roe v. Wade must be overturned, but that will not be the end of the fight for life. As Breakpoint pointed out last year, “Even if Roe is completely overturned, most Americans will still live within driving distance of a state where abortion will be legal.” When Roe is overturned, the fight against legalized abortion will move to the state level, where several states, including Minnesota, have court rulings claiming that abortion is protected under their state constitution, as well. Those rulings will also have to be overturned and laws banning abortion will need to be passed.
Making abortion illegal is a vital step in protecting the unborn, but the pro-life movement must also work to make abortion unthinkable. We must replace a culture of death with a culture of life, where human life is cherished at all stages. We must build a culture that offers compassionate support to women and families in difficult circumstances, that sees children as a blessing, and that rejects the terrible lie that women need abortion. The work of the pro-life movement will not be finished when abortion becomes illegal, but making abortion illegal is a necessary step as we move toward making abortion unthinkable, and in order for that to happen, Roe must go.
