March For Life, Pence Praises Pro-Life Movement, Pro-Life America

VP Mike Pence
2017 March to Life

by Gary Bauer, Contributing Author:  March For Life -  Today hundreds of thousands of people came to Washington, D.C., to stand for the sanctity of life. No cars were burned. No windows were smashed. No garbage was burned in the streets. No innocent bystanders were assaulted by the marchers. No police officers were sent to the hospital.

This was a peaceful demonstration led by men and women of faith who are here to defend innocent human life. The annual March for Life is always one of the highlights of the year.

This march has faithfully taken place every year since the Supreme Court's tragic Roe v. Wade decision was announced in 1973.

Some people might think the issue would fade and go away. After all, the Supreme Court "settled" it 44 years ago. But this issue won't go away. It is fundamental to defining the values of our country.

Our Founding Fathers boldly stated in the Declaration of Independence that we were endowed with the inalienable right to life. That right comes from God, not from any government or court.

We fought a brutal civil war to end the scourge of slavery and uphold the dignity of life. But Roe v. Wade is based upon the same flawed premise as Dred Scott and slavery -- that some humans are not "people" with rights we are obligated to respect. The Supreme Court was wrong in Dred Scott and it was wrong in Roe too.

And because men and women, young and old, still march year after year, I know the day will come when Roe v. Wade will be seen for the travesty it is. I know the day is coming when every innocent child will be welcomed into the world and protected by the law.

This Year Is Different - I am pleased to say that this year's march is very different, especially from more recent marches. Even in previous Republican administrations, pro-life advocates had to lobby to get White House leadership involved in the March for Life.

I don't think that any lobbying was required this time. Early on it was announced that senior advisor Kellyanne Conway would speak. Vice President Mike Pence attended today's march -- a historic first.

I know Mike Pence. He has been unambiguously pro-life his entire career. It would be unimaginable in his own mind to avoid the pro-life movement now that he is vice president of the United States.

Last night, Vice President Pence held a reception for pro-life leaders. (I was invited to attend, but regrettably was traveling back to Washington from Texas.) In addition, President Trump called out the media for not covering the march.

At a press conference Monday, Press Secretary Sean Spicer said that President Trump is "going to stand up and value life -- born or unborn. . . he's going to stand up and protect life, promote it, and instill policies that promote life [and] promote adoption."

My point is this: The pro-life movement has real friends and true champions in this administration.

I understand that the life issue doesn't necessarily move every conservative. But conservatives should be excited about what we have seen in the past week. When this White House takes a position, whatever the issue, it goes all in. It wants to move public opinion.

That "fight" is what has been missing for so long! Governing is not about sticking your finger in the wind. It is about changing the direction of our country.

Pence Praises Pro-life Movement - Vice President Mike Pence became the first vice president of the United States to address the March for Life in person. He expressed what an honor it was for him to be there, and he told the crowd, "President Trump actually asked me to be here with you today. He asked me to thank you for your support, your stand for life and your compassion for the women and children of America."

The vice president praised the marchers, telling them that because of their compassion and commitment, "life is winning again in America." (See next item.) He also reassured the marchers that President Trump would continue keeping his promises to the pro-life community. Here is an excerpt of his remarks:
"From his first day in office, [President Trump] has been keeping his promises to the American people. That's why on Monday President Trump reinstated the Mexico City Policy. That's why this administration will work with the Congress to end taxpayer funding of abortion and abortion providers. . . And that's why next week, President Donald Trump will announce a Supreme Court nominee who will uphold the God-given rights enshrined in our Constitution in the tradition of the late, great Antonin Scalia. . .

"Be assured, along with you, we will not grow weary. We will not rest until we restore a culture of life in America, for ourselves and for our posterity."Pro-Life America - A Marist poll released this week found strong support for significant pro-life initiatives. For example:

• Only 16% of Americans support abortion on demand at any time in all nine months of pregnancy, which is essentially the current law of the land under Roe v. Wade.
  
• 59% of Americans support banning late-term abortions, those performed after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
  
• 60% of Americans do not believe that medical professionals should be forced to perform abortions if they have moral objections to the procedure.
• 61% of Americans oppose using taxpayer money to pay for abortions in the United States.
  
• 74% of Americans support serious limits on abortion, including 54% of those who identify as "pro-choice."
  
• 83% of Americans oppose using taxpayer money to pay for abortions overseas.

You can read more about the poll here.

Personal Note - These poll results are certainly encouraging. But as Vice President Pence said today, it didn't just happen. From parents and pastors to volunteers at pregnancy centers and campaigns, it takes tremendous effort by many dedicated people working in a variety of ways. And this work must continue!

I can't tell you how excited I am about the opportunities we have going forward. But we know the battle is far from over. The challenges are enormous. The stakes couldn't be greater, and the left has never been more desperate.

On this symbolic day, I pray you will rededicate yourself to the cause of life. There is no better way to make America great again than fulfilling the promise of our Declaration of Independence and restoring the right to life.
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Gary Bauer is a conservative family values advocate and serves as president of American Values and chairman of the Campaign for Working Families
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