January 22, 2022 | Press Release
ST. PAUL — Thousands of Minnesotans braved cold weather today to commemorate the tens of millions of lives lost to abortion and to call for protection and support for unborn children and their mothers. The MCCL March for Life marked the 49th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton decisions, which excluded unborn children from legal protection nationwide and have led to an estimated 63 million abortions.
“I stand with all of you in defense of life,” Congresswoman Michelle Fischbach (MN-07), a co-chair of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, told the crowd gathered from across the state. “The pro-life movement includes moms and dads, nurses and doctors, students and teachers, and people from all walks of life. We are all here to be a voice for the voiceless.”
State Sen. Julia Coleman (R-Chanhassen) shared her story of running for office during her first pregnancy and then facing pressure to abort during her second. “Every morning I wake up and see the faces of children who defy the abortion industry’s narrative staring back at me,” she said. “As the pro-life community, we are called to advocate for not only the child, but the mother as well. We must urge our leaders to create an environment for women that makes keeping their child an easy choice. … I hope you will join me in fighting for women, fighting for children, fighting for life.”
Because of Roe's extremism, the U.S. is one of just seven countries that allow elective abortions even after 20 weeks. Close to 700,000 abortions have taken place in Minnesota since the Court’s 1973 decision. Despite a long-term downward trend, the Minnesota Department of Health reported 9,108 abortions in 2020.
“We are here to say that unborn children deserve protection. We are here to say that women deserve support and love,” said MCCL’s Jan Ochsner during today’s program. “We are here to say that all human beings have human rights, no matter their age or their size.”
The Supreme Court will rule later this year in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a challenge to the Court’s Roe decision. If Roe is overturned, states will once again be able to determine their own abortion laws. In Minnesota, however, a 1995 state Supreme Court ruling (Doe v. Gomez) will still require a policy of abortion-on-demand.
“After 49 years, it’s time for the Supreme Court to right its wrong. And it’s time for us to work harder than ever to defend the defenseless,” Ochsner said.
The MCCL March for Life has taken place every year since 1974, the first anniversary of Roe. Last year it was held virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Photos from today's March are posted online. You may also listen to today's program.