There will always be some quiet symmetry to the March for Life falling so closely to the day we honor Martin Luther King, Jr. In so many ways, their cause is the same — the struggle against a deep and painful injustice. It’s a fight that’s been passed down through the generations, an heirloom of tragedy that Americans are desperate to end.
Dr. King never lived to see his dream fulfilled. Some wonder if it ever was. But today, in the sea of young faces, there is hope. Hope for the unborn, to be sure, but also hope for the dignity of every person. White or black, young or old, we are all members of the same human family. And together, we are determined to wash clean the stains of a nation that stopped remembering who it is.
So many things have changed since that first march so many years ago. Politicians have come and gone, laws have been written and unwritten — but the bond that brings masses of Americans to Washington every January is the same. We will march until the day — hopefully soon — when we no longer have any reason to. When every child is welcomed in life and protected in law.
And we have never been closer than now. Thanks to President Trump, this administration is on a mission to restore the culture of life in America. Not even a Democratic House will stop this White House from doing what it knows is right: protecting women and children from the greatest human rights crisis of our time. This is a movement, the president told the tens of thousands of pro-lifers on the National Mall in his video message, “founded on love… Every child is a sacred gift from God.” Together, he promised, we’ll work to prove it. “Today,” he announced to the roar of the crowd, “I have signed a letter to Congress to make clear that if they send any legislation to my desk that weakens the protection of human life, I will issue a veto — and we have the support to uphold these vetoes.”
Like every other president, Donald Trump will stand on the longstanding principle that taxpayers should not be forced to finance abortion. At the prompting of 169 House members and 49 senators, he fired a shot across the bow, warning Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) that he won’t allow Democrats to succeed with their radical plans to overturn the Hyde amendment.
“I am concerned that this year, Congress may consider legislation that could substantially change federal policies and laws on abortion, and allow taxpayer dollars to be used for the destruction of human life. Like several of my predecessors who served as president of the United States, I am writing to make sure that there is no misunderstanding of my views on these important issues… Every child should be welcomed into life and protected in law.”
It’s “alarming,” he went on, “that the House of Representatives, in its short time under Democrat control this year, has already sought to reverse important pro-life protections. These issues are deeply emotional and made even more complicated when Congress compels American taxpayers to fund efforts that end human life.” It is the most basic duty of government, he insisted, “to guard the innocent.” And to the relief of tens of thousands of Americans making today’s mile-long walk to the Supreme Court, that’s exactly what he has spent his presidency doing.
