Some of the worthiest causes of humanity are the protection of the most marginalized in society and equality among all. These were the initial tenets of the powerful women’s movement in the 1960s until it was overtaken by abortion advocates, who saw their opportunity to hijack an emerging crusade and claim it as their own. The rest is history, as feminism came to be known as supporting abortion above anything else, elevating it to a litmus test amongst anyone who dare attempt to claim themselves as “pro-woman.”
This weekend, the Women’s March on Washington will illustrate this belief. They have turned a worthy cause into a demonstration for on-demand, taxpayer-funded abortion, with a hard-and-fast rule of excluding anyone, including fellow women, who find abortion to be a grave social injustice and believes that feminism is the protection of both women and their babies, not the right to end innocent life.
Where did the Women’s March go wrong?
Initially, they rightly demanded on their website that, “We stand together, recognizing that defending the most marginalized among us is defending all of us. … [Women should be] free and able to care for and nurture their families, however they are formed, in safe and healthy environments free from structural impediments.” Their Facebook event also stated, “We stand together, recognizing that defending the most marginalized among us is defending all of us.”
But then, the abortion industry got involved.
Just like they did with the women’s movement, Planned Parenthood and their buddies took over the Women’s March, becoming outspoken sponsors, promoting “pussyhats” (because supposedly that is what feminism is all about), and ultimately changed the direction of the march as the website now lists out “reproductive rights” (a.k.a. abortion) as their new motto.
When the Women’s March came together after the election, it wasn’t hard to see that the founders weren’t exactly conservative, though they weren’t outwardly hostile in their rhetoric either. In fact, they said nothing about abortion at all and advocated nonviolence in all aspects, which is an agreeable principle to most people.
Students for Life of America, the organization that I represent, asked to become a partner multiple times because it is our belief that abortion is the epitome of violence. Yet, we were never given a response to our request, even though the organizers touted inclusivity.
The Women’s March could have been an opportunity for all women to come together and speak for equality, for the end of all violence, and for the protection of the marginalized. But we’ve been excluded because apparently pro-life women aren’t the right type of feminists to march together with.
Where feminism once meant the advocacy of women’s rights, not abortion rights, it has been dissolved into a cry for supporting access to the dismemberment and destruction of innocent and defenseless human life.
Women are betrayed by the abortion industry, not supported by it. Motherhood and pregnancy aren’t diseases to be eradicated by abortion. Why not be encouragements for each other and support women who are facing unintended or stressful pregnancies, instead of sending them to the nearest Planned Parenthood?
The abortion industry tells women they can’t do it: can’t have a career and a child, can’t have an education and raise a baby, can’t have the life they want and continue their pregnancy. The pro-life movement tells women they can do all those things and gives them resources, friendships, and support to do it. That’s true empowerment.
Even though we originally wanted to be a sponsor of the Women’s March, once the abortion industry got its hooks into the event it would be unethical to formally support it. However, Students for Life will be there as a voice for women hurt by abortion, for their children unwittingly torn apart, and for all those marginalized and suffering because of the damage done by Planned Parenthood.
We’re going there as a witness to fill in the gap of a huge population of women being misrepresented. Abortion is violence, abortion betrays women, and this generation rejects the abortion industry and their scheme to buy off the women’s rights movement.
Kristan Hawkins is president of Students for Life of America. Thinking of submitting an op-ed to the Washington Examiner? Be sure to read our guidelines on submissions.
