Act Daily News
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Anti-abortion advocates from throughout the nation gathered in Washington, DC, on Friday for the annual March for Life – the primary because the Supreme Court’s conservative majority ended the federal constitutional proper to an abortion.
This yr’s march marks a flip within the struggle towards abortion rights, with opponents’ main purpose of overturning Roe v. Wade met and half of all states having banned or restricted entry to abortion normally. But anti-abortion advocates contend that their work isn’t completed as they goal to advance laws that restricts abortion on the state and federal ranges, together with setting a minimal federal commonplace on the process.
“The pro-life movement has just experienced a major victory in the fall of Roe v. Wade, but our work to build a culture of life is far from complete,” Jeanne Mancini, the top of March for Life’s Education and Defense Fund, advised Act Daily News through e mail earlier than the march, the theme of which was “Next Steps: Marching Forward into a Post-Roe America.”
Mancini mentioned the march represented a time to “reflect upon the Dobbs decision as a critical milestone” – a reference to the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case that led to Roe’s reversal – in addition to “a time to look forward to the next steps.”
Attendees at Friday’s rally who spoke with Act Daily News expressed pleasure however famous that extra work wanted to be executed to cease abortions, assist moms and alter the tradition across the difficulty.
“What we’re here to do is say, ‘We’re not done. We have more progress that needs to be made on this issue,’” mentioned William Herb, 24, a Catholic faculty instructor from New York.
“That’s still a fight that we need to continue with, that’s something that we still need to persuade large portions of America that that’s not something that’s acceptable. This isn’t something that’s OK,” he mentioned.
Justin Rino and Hallie Gift, 18-year-olds who had been among the many college students from Liberty University main off the march, advised Act Daily News that it was “necessary” as Christians to make their voices heard.
“There are still states that legalize abortion. This is only the first part. Overturning Roe v. Wade wasn’t the last victory,” Rino mentioned. “So, yes, we can celebrate that Roe v. Wade was overturned, but there’s still a lot more work that needs to be done before we can celebrate.”
Attendees traveled from all around the US for the march, like Julz Savard, a first-time rallygoer from California who was representing the Colorado-based group Save the Storks, which companions with being pregnant facilities.
“I’m so elated. I’m on the edge of tears because, you know, sometimes you feel like you’re fighting this fight alone,” Savard mentioned.
Friday’s rally started at midday and featured audio system together with Republican House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, former NFL coach Tony Dungy and Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch, who received the case that resulted within the overturning of Roe.
Scalise – with Republican Reps. Jim Banks of Indiana, Brad Wenstrup of Ohio, Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania, Andy Harris of Maryland, Michelle Fischbach of Minnesota, Mary Miller of Illinois and Chris Smith of New Jersey standing behind him – known as the Supreme Court’s choice overturning Roe v. Wade a “huge victory.”
“That’s only the end of the first phase of this battle. The next phase now begins, and that’s what this year’s march is all about, the next steps in a post-Roe era,” the Louisiana Republican mentioned, telling rallygoers to induce their senators to assist laws often called the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act.
Smith, a co-chair of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, mentioned that the House “in the coming weeks” could be voting on one other anti-abortion invoice, entitled the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act, that he sponsored and launched within the chamber earlier this month.
Ahead of Friday’s march, National Right to Life Committee President Carol Tobias mentioned that whereas she anticipated “a celebration” amongst these gathered, activists had been “realistic.”
“We will protect unborn children and their moms through the law where we can and, where we can’t, we will work through educational efforts and resources to make abortion unthinkable,” she mentioned.
Leading anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America mentioned this week it was targeted on pushing “strong pro-life protections” in Florida, Nebraska, Virginia and North Carolina this legislative session.
“How we figure out what our goal is, our legislative goal in each state, is to ask the question: What is the most ambitious we can be, truly ambitious, for life and for moms, and when?” the group’s president, Marjorie Dannenfelser, advised reporters in a press name.
She acknowledged that there’s “very little that can be done at this particular moment” on the federal degree on condition that Democrats maintain the White House and the Senate and famous that Congress is unlikely to set a federal minimal commonplace on abortion this session.
Still, she mentioned the motion is “building momentum.”
“This year, we march with fresh resolve as a brand-new pro-life movement,” Dannenfelser mentioned, including, “This is week one and the very beginning of a new life for a new movement – a moment of innovation, a moment of excitement, and a moment where we are building momentum.”
The first March for Life in January 1974 was organized to foyer Congress in hopes of a legislative resolution to the courtroom’s landmark Roe choice handed down a yr earlier. Realizing that such an answer would take time, founder Nellie Gray vowed to carry the march every year till the courtroom’s choice was overturned, with its route got here to sometimes ending on the steps of the Supreme Court.
This yr, the route will finish on the US Capitol “to symbolize that the battle post-Roe has shifted to the legislature,” Mancini advised Act Daily News earlier than the march.
Outside the legislative push, Students for Life of America President Kristan Hawkins mentioned the march offered an opportunity for activists to community and strategize about how they’ll additional increase abortion restrictions.
March for Life plans to proceed its annual march in DC and increase its state program in order that they’re marching in as many as 10 states this yr, in response to Mancini.
The group can also be encouraging marchers to “support the pregnancy resource centers and maternity homes which are the hands and feet of the pro-life movement, providing support and resources to women in need who want to choose life, and we advocate for public policy that would aid them in their mission to offer women authentic choice,” Mancini mentioned.
This story has been up to date with extra response.