In the three years following the government collapse, pro-life organizations associated with Roe vs. Wade have been looking to establish new national objectives. They appear to have settled on a controversial strategy: aiming for the permanent defunding of family planning systems.
This shift is a far cry from their original intent. Any conservative can recall that Republicans have made promises to defund these systems for decades.
One echoed sentiment in the movement is, “We must end the abortion holocaust without exception or compromise.”
This year marked a significant, albeit temporary, action as national Republicans managed to defund family planning. However, it only lasted a year. Given that Republicans have control over both Congress and the White House, it feels underwhelming.
A coalition of pro-life organizations, including Live Action, Students for Life, and National Right to Life, is now focusing on ending “taxpayer funding for all organizations that provide abortions” as a new priority.
Live Action has set a goal to “permanently defund” Planned Parenthood by next July 4th.
While cutting taxpayer funding to organizations like Planned Parenthood seems promising and we genuinely hope for its success, making this the central focus of the anti-abortion movement could be overwhelming. It might divert attention from the more pressing goal of enacting laws to eliminate abortion entirely.
Defunding is Not Enough
We’re in the midst of what some term a holocaust. Beyond the tragic loss of over 65 million infants, abortions are consistently rising. In the past three years since the overturning of the law, this figure has escalated to over a million annually.
This increase also impacts states with restrictions, with reports indicating ongoing abortion activities.
While it’s certainly appropriate to cut taxpayer funding from these organizations, it’s important to recognize that such actions alone won’t eradicate the violence. Simply targeting funding narratives may downplay the gravity of the situation.
The core issue surrounding abortion isn’t merely financial support; it’s about the loss of life.
We can’t settle for just defunding abortion supporters. The objective should be to combat the abortion crisis decisively. Criminalizing abortion as murder may very well be the most effective way to achieve that.
Each year that passes, we risk allowing other issues to overshadow this primary goal, leading to more lives lost in a tragedy that feels relentlessly ongoing.
False Victory
Numerous significant pro-life organizations continue to exhibit a tendency to inflate their achievements. There’s a chance that some might declare victory if funding for certain family planning programs gets revoked. Such rhetoric can mislead anti-abortion advocates about the depth of victories, dampening their motivation to pursue real progress.
Take, for example, when Planned Parenthood in Michigan closed four locations earlier this year. Students for Life proclaimed that “the death industry is collapsing under its own weight.” Fewer locations, they suggested, equate to fewer lives lost.
However, just a couple of months later, Planned Parenthood announced plans to expand virtual services to include weekend and evening hours, citing a surge in demand.
Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America touted this year’s defunding of the family planning system as the “biggest national pro-life victory” since the overturning of Roe vs. Wade. They emphasized that closing abortion clinics means lives are being saved, conveniently omitting the troubling reality that abortion rates are still climbing.
This indicates that merely shutting down physical clinics doesn’t equate to fewer lives lost. Yet, when pro-life groups herald these as major triumphs, they inadvertently foster a misperception among anti-abortion advocates.
Exaggerated Impact
Family planning services account for roughly a third of all abortions in the U.S. Even if taxpayer funding ceased, it’s likely that the number of abortions wouldn’t plummet.
If the government were to cut off all resources to Planned Parenthood, it could still acquire funding from state legislatures, wealthy donors, and those paying for services. Essentially, taxpayer money isn’t the root of the abortion crisis; it’s merely supporting an existing demand.
As long as the demand for abortions persists, a supply will inevitably follow. Our approach needs to tackle both sides of this issue.
Real Priorities
By focusing predominantly on the less ambitious goal of defunding family planning, pro-life organizations might achieve that. However, this alone won’t effect significant change in the near future. To truly make an impact on reducing abortions, the goals must be loftier.
This is why anti-abortion leaders advocate for measures that would extend equal legal protection to unborn children. Such legislation would dismantle the power of abortion services and fundamentally abolish the practice.
Many in the conservative camp believe that infants are created in God’s image and deserve safeguarding from conception. Pursuing equal protection at various legislative levels could foster a climate where laws against murder apply equally to unborn lives.
Continuing to push for equal protection remains paramount. This approach would frame abortion as murder, aligning with divine principles while significantly reducing the number of infants lost.
If those involved focus on this expectation, legislators could still consider defunding family planning programs – perhaps even sooner than they might otherwise. Lowering the bar to just defunding may hinder the advancement of stronger anti-abortion measures.
Pro-life groups must explore new strategies in the wake of policy shifts, but they should avoid setting overly modest targets and highlighting victories that aren’t as substantial as claimed.
Ultimately, if they wish to protect unborn lives and push toward an end to abortion, merely defunding family planning isn’t sufficient. We are in the midst of an ongoing holocaust that requires an urgent and prioritized response.
