January 22, 2020 is the 47th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade which legalized abortion in all 50 states around the country. Since the decision, more that 60 million preborn babies have been killed.
The court’s decision has resulted in a tragic amount of loss of life. Intriguingly, despite the popular pro-choice slogan “no uterus no opinion,” the decision was made by nine unelected, unaccountable men.
To mark the somber occasion and push forward in the fight for life, President Trump proclaimed January 22nd as “National Sanctity of Human Life Day.” Presidents Reagan, H.W. Bush, W. Bush and Trump have issued annual declarations on or around the anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Presidents Clinton and Obama refused to issue the proclamations during their administrations.
President Trump’s proclamation began by affirming the dignity of human life. “Every person — the born and unborn, the poor, the downcast, the disabled, the infirm, and the elderly — has inherent value,” it began. The declaration went on to praise the recent decreases in annual abortions in the United States. It notes that the rate of abortions decreased by 24 percent between 2007 and 2016.
The statement then touted the many pro-life actions that the Trump Administration has taken including allowing states to defund Planned Parenthood under Title X, defunding Planned Parenthood of $60 million and providing an expanded religious exemption from Obamacare’s contraception mandate. The President has also reinstated the Mexico City Policy and asked Congress to pass a law prohibiting late-term abortions.
Continuing, the proclamation thanked the hard work that pro-life leaders dedicate to changing the culture in favor of life. “We are grateful for those who support women experiencing unexpected pregnancies, those who provide healing to women who have had abortions and those who welcome children into their homes through foster care and adoption.”
The proclamation ended with a heartfelt plea. “I ask every citizen of this great Nation to listen to the sound of silence caused by a generation lost to us, and then to raise their voices for all affected by abortion, both seen and unseen.”
Let’s continue to pray for just laws that would protect all life, from conception to natural death. And let’s hope that this year is the last year we must urge the government to protect the sanctity of life.
On this National Sanctity of Human Life Day, you can choose to get more involved in defending life by joining Focus on the Family at the March for Life on January 24th. In addition, you can also register for ALIVE 2020, the largest pro-life event to-date in Focus on the Family history. We hope you’ll join us!
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