Pro-life Americans have long focused a great deal of attention on Roe vs. Wade. And rightly so. It is among the most unjust decisions ever handed down by the United States Supreme Court. I long for the day when it is overturned.
Conservatives are rightly thrilled with the appointment of Amy Coney Barrett. If Scalia’s judicial philosophy is hers, then her judicial philosophy is mine. The United States Constitution should be interpreted as it was written. If Americans don’t like what was written, there’s a process for amending the Constitution. But that responsibility does not belong to Supreme Court justices. Their job is to interpret and apply the Constitution.
However, even with the new 6-3 conservative majority on the Supreme Court, I am not optimistic that Roe vs. Wade will be overturned anytime soon. None of Trump’s appointees were willing to go on record regarding Roe during their confirmation hearings. Susan Collins said that Kavanaugh assured her that he would not vote to overturn Roe, and the President recently declined to answer a question about whether it should be overturned. In addition, there remains a lack of public support for overturning Roe vs. Wade.
For these reasons, what I believe pro-lifers need more than the right justices is leaders in every sphere of public life who understand the value of human life and are able to articulate it in a compelling way. We need a president who understands the issue and can articulate the case for life in a compelling way. We need more senators and people in Congress who can do the same. Give us governors and state legislators who understand that the baby in the womb is not a political football but a human being created in the image of God.
Abortion will not end in this country by simply overturning Roe, as necessary as that is. Abortion will only end when a strong majority comes to see abortion as unconscionable because they understand that the baby in the womb is a real live human being.
It’s long past time for abortion in America to end. We do need justices who will vote to protect the unalienable right to life of unborn babies. But that will likely only come when we’ve first won the battle for the hearts and minds of our fellow citizens. Let’s devote our effort to that cause.
