Yesterday pro-lifers from across Montana gathered to mourn the loss of nearly 60 million babies since Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973. And although they were there to mourn, they were also there to celebrate—to celebrate life in all its glory; to celebrate life and our God who created it; to celebrate life and the value that each and every life brings to us here on this earth. They were also there to celebrate a light at the end of this very dark tunnel.
Three days into his first term, President Obama turned to Republican House Whip Eric Cantor and uttered a phrase I’m sure he now regrets. He said, “Elections have consequences, and at the end of the day, I won.” That may have been true, but what a difference an election makes. Rather than a president that believes in abortion, we now have one that believes in life. Rather than a president that forces the pro-life community to pay for abortions through his Obamacare mandates, we now have a president who has promised to dismantle Obamacare and the abortion mandate that it contains. Rather than a president who will appoint pro-abortion Supreme Court justices, we now have one who has promised to appoint pro-life justices, starting with a pro-life replacement to uphold the pro-life legacy of Justice Antonin Scalia. And thanks be to God, we also have a super-majority in the Senate committed to making that happen.
Yes, Mr. Obama, elections DO have consequences, and three pro-life appointments to the U.S. Supreme Court will set us on a course to undoing one of the greatest scourges ever to afflict this nation. As I said, there just may be a light at the end of this dark tunnel. We’ve waited for decades for this nation to open its eyes and acknowledge its sin. And now the reversal of Roe v. Wade is at least a realistic possibility. And if Roe v. Wade WERE reversed, what would that mean for us in Montana? Unfortunately, nothing. If Roe v. Wade is reversed, it simply sends the issue back to the states to be decided on a state-by-state basis. Unfortunately, all the case law surrounding Roe is predicated on a non-existent right to privacy in the Federal constitution. However, we have an explicit right to privacy in our State constitution, so the case law still fits. Even if Roe v. Wade WERE struck down, we would still have our work cut out for us.
So where does that leave us? What can we do in the short term? First, we can hold Congress to their promise to defund Planned Parenthood. It’s time to stop forcing taxpayers to subsidize the activities of America’s largest abortion provider. Second, it’s time to kick Planned Parenthood out of our public schools. It’s time to stop treating them like they’re experts on sex education. They’re not. They’re experts on abortion, nothing more. Third, let’s pass pain-capable abortion bans at both the state and federal levels. This can be done in the next four months. And finally, let’s clarify that physician-assisted suicide is illegal in Montana. That can also happen in the next four months.
Together, over the years, we’ve made a difference. I’m more optimistic now than I have been in a long time. Yes, elections DO have consequences, and the best long-term consequence of THIS election may be the celebration and protection of life, from conception until natural death.
