We March Because We Care

In 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court issued one of its most infamous decisions in Roe v. Wade, creating a so-called “right” to abortion. Since Roe, over 65 million unborn children have been lost to abortion—just in the United States. That’s why every year since 1974, on the anniversary of the decision, men, women, and children from across the country travel to the nation’s capital to advocate for the fundamental right to life.

Even though, at times, there seemed to be little hope of achieving significant pro-life victories, tens of thousands of Americans came together each year, through snow and freezing temperatures, to express their faith in the movement and make their voices heard at the March for Life.

A victory for life

After five decades of prayer, and tireless efforts in courthouses, legislatures, and the public square, pro-life advocates rejoiced as the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe in 2022’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, restoring the right of every state to protect the lives of the unborn.

While many celebrated the decision, it quickly became clear that the fight to defend life wasn’t over. Some states moved to protect life, but many others responded to Dobbs by passing laws and policies to promote abortion, protect abortion providers, and enshrine abortion as a state constitutional right.

What’s more, at least one-third of states have introduced legislation targeting pregnancy centers since 2022. States like New York, Colorado, and California are trying to silence the voices and hinder the work of these pro-life ministries. And New Jersey’s attorney general even launched an unfounded investigation into one pregnancy center, demanding the names of their donors and up to 10 years’ worth of confidential documents. With the help of Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys, the center took its case to the Supreme Court, which could issue a ruling soon.

Planned Parenthood—which receives nearly 40 percent of its annual revenue (well over half a billion dollars) from taxpayers—continues to prioritize its abortion profits over the health and well-being of women and children. According to their most recently released annual data, Planned Parenthood facilities performed over 400,000 abortions in fiscal year 2023-24. That’s an increase of nearly 9,500 from the previous year—an indication that the organization remains committed to ending unborn lives. Additionally, for every adoption referral in 2023-24, Planned Parenthood performed 187 abortions.

Unborn children are still losing their lives. Girls and young women are still being put at risk and fed harmful lies by the abortion industry. And chemical abortion is now the most common form of abortion, even driving overall abortion numbers up in recent years.

After over 50 years, this is why the March for Life still exists. Because we care.

The We CARE initiative

As part of ADF’s We CARE initiative, our team has developed the CARE Act, a purposeful way for us to support mothers and their babies. The CARE Act is designed to protect the life-affirming mission and work of pregnancy centers. It ensures that government officials cannot discriminate against these groups because they disagree with their pro-life views. And it prohibits government officials from censoring the free speech of pregnancy centers or forcing them to express messages they disagree with.

Whether in Washington, D.C., or in state capitals throughout the nation, there are a host of reasons why we march. This year, we march to take a stand for:

• Pro-life pregnancy centers that face states’ attempts to harass and silence them, obstructing their efforts to serve young women in desperate need of support. They need states to take action and pass bills like the CARE Act to protect their mission.
• Medical professionals who have been barred by state governments from speaking the truth about the life-saving process of abortion pill reversal (APR).
• Loving parents and families who are ready and willing to adopt or foster a child in need but have had their licenses denied or revoked by states because they won’t promote their state’s radical views on gender and sexuality.

Each year, the March for Life creates beautiful opportunities for men and women from all different backgrounds to unite with the common goal of protecting life at all stages and standing with mothers who bravely choose life. 

The March for Life is our opportunity to take a stand in the most significant human rights issue of our time, to stand for the most fundamental of all rights, and to show the love of Christ to both mother and child.