by Rod D. Martin
January 22, 2007

Has anyone else noticed that the Roe v. Wade anniversary has been especially quiet this year?

First things first:  3,600 babies continue to die everyday in America by abortion.  With the amazing advances in science we’ve seen over the past few years, showing how very developed a “fetus” (Latin for “baby”) is at an extremely early age, there’s little room for anyone to argue anymore that these deaths are any different from an infanticide involving a one-month old child.  The point of Roe and Roe‘s supporters is that none of that matters:  that the woman’s godlike power of “choice” should trump everything, from the father’s rights and opinions, to civilization’s historic view of the sanctity of human life, even (and especially) the life of the baby itself.

More people realize this than ever.  The polling has been going our way for years.  So why the quiet?

South Dakota is part of the answer.  As you probably know, South Dakota defeated an outright abortion ban (which was intended as a challenge to Roe) last fall.  However, all polls (including ours) showed all along that South Dakotans, despite the five-to-one funding advantage of Tom Dashle and NARAL, would have gladly passed the ban had it contained an adequate exception for victims of rape and incest.  For those who join Ronald Reagan in pointing out that an innocent baby’s life should not be taken as a sort of human sacrifice to atone for the sins of its father, I would suggest that that misses the point.  A state nearly banned all abortions except the tiny minority involving rape and incest — a truly remarkable thing, astonishingly different from the mood of most people a couple decades ago.

Radical feminists realize what this means:  abortion-on-demand’s days are numbered.  And pushing loudly for the same old never-saw-an-abortion-we-didn’t-like agenda is a dangerous thing right now.

But the right is quiet too, and I think that’s another thing altogether.  I think most of us are holding our breath.  The Supreme Court may be just one vote from overturning Roe v. Wade.  But it might be willing now; and depending on the President’s ability to appoint another justice before the end of his term, the entire issue may be thrown back to the states before we know it.

In other words, this may just be the calm before the storm.  It’s time to gear up:  we have a real shot at ending infanticide/abortion, not just in our lifetime but in the next few years.

There is much to be done:  I encourage everyone to re-read a strategy piece of mine on this from several years ago which outlines some immediate needs (I would update it today to include efforts like the one in South Dakota as well). I would also encourage each of you to sign our petition demanding the Supreme Court uphold Congress’ nationwide ban on Partial-Birth Abortion.

But above all else, don’t give up the fight.  Whether through prayer, adoption, political action of whatever you feel called to do, the battle is nigh.  It is time for this holocaust to end.