The Culture War: A Life or Death Clash of Values

There was a Right to Life march on Washington, DC Friday, January 24. Hundreds of thousands traveled to the nation’s capital and joined together in the spirit of defending the unborn, and to voice their support for the sanctity and dignity of life, and to protest the legality of abortion. But, with some exceptions, try as you might to find any reporting on this major event, whether in the mainstream media or any news outlet and you would have wasted precious time.

The Right to Life march, or March for Life, began its life on January 22, 1974 following, and in response to, the 1973 landmark Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion in the United States. The march’s ultimate goal is to have the Roe vs. Wade ruling overturned, and have the status of abortion rights delegated to each state. The March for Life, Education and Defense Fund is the organization that puts this all together, and with great success.

Depending on who you might ask, or what’s reported, the crowds that take part since its inception have grown. The first in 1974 was estimated at about 22,000, and over the years to the hundreds of thousands. The makeup of the pro-life movement is diverse and spans all demographic groups: age, race, religion, and political affiliations. This also includes grassroots movements and pro-life activists that have evolved over the years and have had a tremendous impact, and have played a major role in the advancement of the cause for life. The results are promising, for according to the Guttmacher Institute, a pro-choice organization, the number of abortions has been in steady decline over the past decades.

Since the March for Life began there have been presidents, mainly Republicans that have participated. Presidents Reagan in 1987 and George W. Bush in 2003 each spoke to the crowds via remote telephone and expressed their support for the pro-life cause. Many Republican members of congress have attended most of the marches and spoke out on the sanctity of life.

At this year’s march, on January 24, 2020, a major event occurred that, although scarcely reported on, was of tremendous importance and consequence. The first sitting President Donald Trump to ever attend this event appeared in person and spoke to the people, young and old, who gathered on the mall.

The president of the March for Life, Jeanne Mancini, was elated that Mr. Trump would be attending the march. “From the appointment of pro-life judges and federal workers, to cutting taxpayer funding for abortions here and abroad, to calling for an end to late-term abortions, President Trump and his administration have been consistent champions for life and their support for the March for Life has been unwavering,” she said in a statement. “We are grateful for all these pro-life accomplishments and look forward to gaining more victories for life in the future.” Some have remarked, like the NY Times, that Mr. Trump is the only Republican president to have the guts to show up.

In his speech, the President attacked Democrats for their “radical and extreme positions,” and praised the motivation of pro-life Americans for their “pure, unselfish love.” He went on to declare that “Unborn children have never had a stronger defender in the White House.” “Every life, he continued, brings love into this world. Every child brings joy to a family. Every person is worth protecting.” The heads of various pro-life groups applauded Mr. Trump; Ralph Reed of the Faith and Freedom Coalition remarked “I think it’s a brilliant move,” and that the president's appearance would energize and remind pro-life voters what a great friend this president and administration have been.

There is a struggle for the soul of America, a culture war that has manifested itself in a clash of social, political, ideological and traditional values. What we have here are two distinct world views, one that respects the dignity of the unborn and the mother, and the other that is oriented toward secular humanism, concerned only with the rights of the mother. And this can best be seen in the contrast of the March for life vs. the Woman’s march on Washington.

Pro-life marchers were happy, singing, praying, and even jubilant; they knew that goodness, compassion, and virtue was on their side. Their banners had positive messages that went out to all the people, pro-life and pro-choice. The Women’s March, however, was a plethora of angry, hostile, and vulgar participants; there were celebrities among the marchers. They shouted profanities and engaged in obscene gestures. Their banners were crude and insulting toward pro-life people and the president. The culture war and the divide in America could not have been more pronounced.

Whatever your position on the abortion issue, I am sure many of you have wondered how the pro-choice crowd morally justify their acceptance and callous disregard for this brutal life-ending assault on the innocent unborn. I don’t believe there is any justification. There are those among us who are heartless and devoid of compassion, who have turned away from God, and who live a temporal existence and are incapable of concentrating on the infinite. Pray for them, they are sick of mind, body, and soul.