The Declaration of Independence states that all are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights: the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Of these three, life is a precondition to the last two, and thus the most esteemed and vital.
This most fundamental gift from God is constantly being misconstrued, threatened and all too often ignored. Every year, more than 1 million innocent lives are lost to abortion.
Two years ago, seven babies and a mother lost their lives in a Philadelphia clinic at the hands of a doctor — an individual sworn to do no harm. The babies, born alive as a result of botched abortions, had their spinal cords cut to ensure their death. These crimes took place at a clinic hiding behind the guise of family planning and women’s health.
The murderous actions committed by Dr. Kermit Gosnell brought to light the brutality of abortion. His murder trial has become one of the most notorious cases of patient abuse of mothers and children in our nation’s history.
These barbaric acts will continue to occur as long as the news media refuse to call attention to them. The media’s silence during the Gosnell trial was deafening. Can you imagine the media frenzy had Dr. Gosnell used an AK-47 instead of a scalpel to commit these horrific murders?
Our nation cannot afford to turn its back on the culture of abortion.
This week, on the second anniversary of the murder convictions of Dr. Gosnell, we must reaffirm our vow to prevent a repeat of the barbaric and grisly acts that occurred in Gosnell’s “house of horrors.” We are proud to stand up for the lives of the unborn in supporting the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. This bill would prohibit abortions from being performed five months or more after conception — saving 18,000 innocent lives a year.
This is an issue on which most Americans agree. In a nationwide poll, 64 percent of Americans supported a law prohibiting abortions after five months. Already, nearly a dozen states have similar legislation, including Louisiana, which Americans United for Life has named the most pro-life state for five years in a row. Tennessee recently passed legislation mandating that abortion facilities provide alternatives and resources to mothers and submit to inspection and licensure by the Tennessee Department of Health. It also requires facilities to enforce a 48-hour waiting period prior to abortions to allow for careful consideration and assessment of the mother.
The states are playing an integral role in our fight for life. In the 42 years since the Supreme Court decided Roe v. Wade, more than three dozen states have instituted laws and regulations governing abortions.
In 2014 alone, states enacted 26 new abortion restrictions. Because of the important work being done at the state level, the abortion rate in the United States is at its lowest point since 1973.
More than 1 million abortions annually, however, are no cause for celebration. There is still much work to be done.
The founders correctly named life as the first right. To protect and defend that right must be our first priority as Americans and human beings.
House Majority Whip Steve Scalise represents Louisiana’s first congressional district. Marsha Blackburn represents Tennessee’s seventh congressional district. Thinking of submitting an op-ed to the Washington Examiner? Be sure to read our guidelines on submissions.
