My home state doesn’t require teenagers to inform their parents if they get an abortion. Connecticut law mandates parental consent for children to go to a tanning salon, get a tattoo or have their ears pierced. Minors also need parental permission to take ibuprofen at school but they don’t have to notify their parents before getting a surgical abortion or taking an abortion pill.
I didn’t think it could get worse than living in a state that pays for abortions through Medicaid with our taxpayer dollars. I was wrong. A few years back, a majority of the Connecticut legislature decided to harass pro-life pregnancy centers by accusing them all of false advertising. “An Act Concerning Deceptive Practices at Limited Services Pregnancy Centers” had been brought forth multiple times as different state Senate and House bills.
While working for the Family Institute of Connecticut, I testified against the bill every time a version of it was raised in a public health hearing. There wasn’t a single client of a Connecticut pregnancy center who testified to being deceived by any of the pro-life organizations. Yet even without proof of deception the anti-pregnancy-center legislation passed during the pandemic. The Capitol building was closed to the public, so we couldn’t testify in person and the legislation passed with little media attention.
When Roe v. Wade was overturned, I wept from the deepest place inside of me.
In 2020, our state lawmakers changed state laws to allow for nurses and midwives to legally perform abortions. They passed legislation providing safe haven for out-of-state abortionists to come to Connecticut in order to avoid legal consequences if they break anti-abortion laws in the states they practice in.
When Roe v. Wade was overturned, I wept from the deepest place inside of me. Forty-one years ago, I was scheduled to be aborted in Hartford, Conn., but my mom walked out of the abortionist's office. After discovering in college that my life was saved because of a janitor’s words, I joined the pro-life movement. I found my calling and life’s work in being an outspoken voice for the voiceless.
Although my heart is heavy over the sins of my state, the national victory gave me immense hope. Seeing the ending of Roe v. Wade was the fulfillment of one of my life’s deepest longings. It was a long-awaited dream come true. I cried tears of joy this past summer knowing I witnessed a miracle.
As an African American woman, I have wondered what it would be like to live through a massive societal change. How did my elders feel seeing Jim Crow laws struck down and segregation starting to diminish in schools and public places? How did they feel when they saw interracial marriage become legal and a nation slowly but surely become more aligned with its ideals?
Our nation is sick with lies that deceive our neighbors into believing children are disposable.
When Roe was overturned, I knew. I knew how it felt to labor for a cause for decades and witness the tangible results of your prayers and work. I collected newspapers with bold headlines declaring that Roe v. Wade was overturned, something I once only dreamed would be a reality.
It was a great victory in court, but it did not provide legal protection to preborn children in every state. This is one of the reasons I am traveling to Washington, D.C., for the March for Life on Jan. 20. It would be wonderful to live in a world where we don’t need to march because every child is protected from violence in the womb. But today there are still thousands of children sacrificed daily on the abortion “altars” of convenience.
What is happening in your state? Do you know the legislators who are advocating for life and the ones pushing pro-abortion policies? Have you visited your local pregnancy center? Do you know if they’ve had their windows broken by pro-abortion terrorist groups like Jane’s Revenge? Can you provide much-needed donations of resources and finances? Do you know where a woman in crisis can find shelter, food, a car seat or support in finding a job? Will you seek solutions to issues like maternal mortality, as well as the pregnancy discrimination and systemic racism that fuel abortion?
Our nation is sick with the sin of shedding innocent blood. Our nation is sick with lies that deceive our neighbors into believing children are disposable. We must heal America’s wounds with the medicinal disinfectant of words spoken in truth and bandage our broken parts with compassionate service. It took 50 years to overturn Roe, and it may take the rest of our lives to see abortion ended in every state of this great nation. I am recommitting myself to loving and laboring for the soul of our nation. I am marching down the streets for justice over and over again until it comes. Will you do the same?
