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NRL News
“We Did
Not Turn Back Nor Did We Falter”
“There
are so many people here!” Coincidence? The very day I sat down to write this editorial the New York Times ran a story whose title was “Ex-Journalists’ New Jobs Fuel Debate on Favoritism.” There are plenty of excuses offered but the bottom line doesn’t change: “An unusual number of journalists from prominent, mainstream organizations started new government jobs in January, providing new kindling to the debate over whether Mr. Obama is receiving unusually favorable treatment in the news media.” Complaining about media bias makes about as much sense as grumbling about sun spots. It just is and forever will be. I mention it only because at the same time the Media Establishment was gushing over our pro-abortion 44th President, were you to count on newspaper and television accounts for accurate information you would never know that a gigantic number of pro-lifers had just assembled on the Mall. How large? Most news accounts took the safe route: the descriptions were of “thousands” or “tens of thousands” of pro-life marchers. But writing on USA Today’s “Faith and Reason” blog, Cathy Lynn Grossman casually mentioned, “Still, anyone can see hundreds of thousands of marchers pulling into town.” That seems about right to me. Breaking with my own tradition (I’ve covered 27), after grabbing my final photos in front of the Supreme Court, instead of hightailing it back to the office, I backtracked all the way to the tail end of the March. It stretched a long, long way. This tremendous outpouring reminded me of something very important. No matter how much I read or skim, I only see a tiny, tiny portion of all the news coverage that relates to abortion. Ditto for what pro-abortionists are saying on their web pages and in their always well-received comments to reporters. But my strong sense is that with few exceptions, everyone who covers the Movement—or opposes it—grasps what pro-life rallies all across the country proved beyond cavil. Whatever the results last November, it is not in the DNA of pro-lifers to quit. That is a major reason that pro-abortionists and the mainstream media haven’t written the usual “good, they are dead, and good riddance” stories by the bushel full (the other is to keep up the illusion of “moderation”). They know we are already coming back stronger than ever. The entire January issue of NRL News was devoted to “Stopping Obama’s Abortion Agenda.” [For resources, see page 10.] Still and all it was odd not to hear the President’s voice congratulating us for assembling from all over the country in the nation’s capital. Only silence from the White House and pro-abortion President Barack Obama. When he did speak, less than 24 hours later, it was to end the pro-life Mexico City Policy—the first volley in what will doubtless be a cascade of anti-life initiatives. The story on page one gives you an excellent explanation and history. The long and the short of the policy is that it denies U.S. population-control funding to organizations that “perform or actively promote abortion” in foreign countries. There are plenty of agencies willing to abide by that restriction. Now that Obama has nullified the policy the result will be to re-direct a substantial amount of the pool of U.S. “population assistance” funds away from overseas groups that avoid involvement in abortion, and into the hands of groups that are ideologically committed to expanding access to abortion. So much for “reducing” the number of abortions. Each year, whether the weather is frigid, wet, or (as was the case this time) sunny and mild, I come away from the rally with renewed vigor and pep. It’s almost impossible not to, so enthusiastic are the tens of thousands of young people and so inspired are the speeches from elected officials. Several congressmen alluded to various sections of President Obama’s inaugural address. While he had not intended to include the unborn within their sweep, Obama’s remarks inadvertently spoke eloquently to the reason why the little ones should be included. Let me mention three. First, the newly inaugurated President said, “The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free and all deserve a chance to purse their full measure of happiness.” Indeed, all are equal, Mr. President, including the most vulnerable among us, the unborn child. Second, Obama spoke of rejecting “false” choices and of how the “ideals” of the Founding Father’s “charter” [the Constitution] “still light the world.” Pro-lifers agree. We categorically reject the false choice between looking out for the mother and protecting her child. We don’t choose up sides between mother and child. We say, as we always have, love them both. Obama is also correct that those ideals do still light the world. And what ideal is more central to our national understanding than that everyone—not just the planned, the perfect, and the post-natal—deserves to be shielded from injustice and discrimination? Finally, in his conclusion, Obama spoke of “storms” that “may come.” While he was obviously not speaking about our great Movement, the sentiments apply perfectly: “Let it be said by our children’s children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God’s grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.” |