Pro-life people are the best people ever! I can say that because I’ve known and worked among you for many years. Pro-life people are loving and kind and generous and joyful.
They are honest, hard-working, salt-of-the-earth people who give of their time and talent to help others; and they are motivated hard-workers with an indefatigable spirit. They know there are obstacles, but they face them with determination and perseverance, day in and day out.
So often, we look at the difficult challenges before us— whether it be legislative battles, unfavorable judicial decisions, or the overwhelming sources of funds that our opponents seem to find out of thin air.
It’s easy to focus on the bad things that happen. But In this column, I want to share some very good news. We should rejoice when things turn out well.
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As has been discussed for several weeks now, Congress passed, and President Trump signed, legislation to remove funding from Planned Parenthood for one year. Our government has taken the honorable position of saying “NO!” to using our tax dollars to end innocent human life.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has proposed a rule that would overturn a Biden-era rule that established VA hospitals as abortion facilities. The new rule would reinstate the long-standing exclusion of abortion and abortion counseling from the VA medical benefits package.
The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced sweeping reforms to the organ transplant system. Horrifying reports have surfaced with stories of patients who were still alive even as their organs were in the initial stages of being removed!
These horrors would normally be considered plot lines for some dystopian movie but were happening in real life. We are grateful that HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., has determined that, “The entire system must be fixed to ensure that every potential donor’s life is treated with the sanctity it deserves.”
Last year, we found out that a US Army training program on antiterrorism included NRLC and other pro-life groups as examples of terrorist organizations! The presentation was deeply offensive to pro-life Americans across the nation. The program accused us of “terrorist activities” for opposing Roe v. Wade, supporting pregnancy centers, or even displaying a pro-life license plate.
The US Secretary to the Army, on behalf of himself and US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, has issued an apology. He wrote that they are “firmly committed to rigorous oversight of all Army training materials to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.”
We’ve had good news in state matters as well.
Two years ago, Colorado enacted a law declaring that medical personnel who assist a pregnant woman with abortion pill reversal be charged with medical misconduct. A federal court judge has permanently blocked that law.
GenBioPro, a company that manufactures the abortion pill, mifepristone, challenged a West Virginia law. They argued that mifepristone’s approval by the Food and Drug Administration decades ago, preempts West Virginia’s ban on the pill.
However, a three-judge panel of the US Fourth Circuit court disagreed, ruling that states have the authority to regulate abortion so as to protect preborn children.
In 1985, Nevada passed a parental-notification law, requiring that parents or guardians be notified before a minor daughter gets an abortion. The law was challenged in federal court and has been enjoined for forty years. The lawsuit has finally been settled—parents and babies won.
We have a serious challenge in that promoters of abortion are mailing abortion pills from pro-abortion states into states with pro-life laws protective of mothers and babies. Several state attorneys general have stepped forward to challenge those actions.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has led the charge. He is suing an abortionist in New York for sending abortion pills into the state, in violation of Texas law. Louisiana is after the same abortionist.
Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin has sent cease-and-desist letters to multiple entities and tech companies that are either directly shipping abortion drugs into Arkansas or facilitating their promotion and distribution in violation of state law.
And 16 state attorneys general are asking Congress to consider federal legislation that would preempt “shield laws” in pro-abortion states which are designed to protect abortionists who undermine pro-life state laws.
And one more “bright light” to share with you—we have awesome young people working with us in the movement. Over the past year, the NRLC office has been blessed with incredibly talented students who intern with us so they can learn more about the pro-life movement, what needs to be done, and how to best accomplish our goals.
The last week of July was dedicated to our annual Academy, with young adults learning the nuance of pro-life language, learning the “big picture” issues along with intricate details.
They learned how to do interviews and how to lobby elected officials. They learned to conquer their fear of public speaking, and how to reach others in their community. Dr. Randall K. O’Bannon, NRL Director of Education & Research, has a page one story that explains all that they took away from this exciting week.
I am incredibly grateful to the younger generations who care about innocent human life, who want to help women with difficult pregnancies, and who are willing to use their time and talent to make a difference in this world.
The pro-life movement has its challenges. But much good is happening as well.
While we sometimes get discouraged, we must not let that override all the wonderful things we are accomplishing on behalf of the babies and their mothers.
LifeNews Note: Carol Tobias is the president of the National Right to Life Committee.
