The 49th March for life rally will be held on Friday, January 21, 2022 in Washington, DC. Organizers claim that it is the largest annual human rights demonstration in the world. It was initiated ever since the US Supreme Court ruled in favor of abortion in 1973. The theme for March 2022 is 'Equality Begins in the Womb'. Unfortunately, unborn children are being neglected in a nation where equality is promised for every individual. "There is no consensus on what constitutes equality and to whom it applies," said Jean Mancini, president of March for Life.
March for Life rally is to protest a 1973 US Supreme Court ruling, legalizing abortion. In 2020 the rally was conducted virtually due to Covid restrictions. Only a handful of March for Life leaders attended the rally in person. They walked through the streets, offering roses in front of the Supreme Court in memory of the children who lost their lives to abortion as a result of the controversial ruling by the Court. Even though it was not open to the public, few people still joined the march. As pro-life activists marched, pro-abortion activists, on the other side, lined up holding slogan calls, banners and posters. The fate of Roe vs Wade case will depend on the verdict in the 'Dobs vs. Jackson Women's Health Organization' case currently pending in Supreme Court.
"When we hear the arguments of the Dobbs vs. Jackson Women's Health Organization case, we hope that the Supreme Court will uphold the existing constitutional protections for fetus," Mancini said. The case was heard in the Supreme Court on December 1. Organizers said more states will participate in the rally.
What is ‘Dobes vs Jackson Women's Health Organization'
In March 2018, the state of Mississippi in the United States passed Gestational Age Act. The law prohibits abortion after the first 15 weeks of pregnancy. Abortion is not permitted except in case of serious health condition of mother or serious birth defects of the child. Cases of rape or incest (pregnancy caused by relatives) are not excluded. Governor Phil Bryant signed the bill, saying, "I'm committed to making Mississippi the safest place in the United States for the unborn child, and this bill will help us achieve that goal."
Within days after passing the bill, Jackson Women's Health Organization, the only remaining abortion clinic in the state, filed a lawsuit against the state, challenging the bill's constitutional validity. Judge Carlton W. Reeves of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi heard the case. In November 2018, Reeves stood up for the clinic and barred the state from enforcing the law. Reeves argued that Mississippi had no legitimate reason to justify the abortion ban, based on evidence that fetal activity begins between twenty-three to twenty-four weeks. Reeves' verdict was upheld in November 2019 at 3-0. The state had approached the Supreme Court against the judgment of the lower court. The case is currently pending before the Supreme Court. Although many states in the United States have passed the Heartbeat Bill, the Supreme Court had barred all states except Texas from enforcing the law. The Supreme Court had ruled that the Heartbeat Bill is against ‘Roe vs Wade’. (The Heartbeat Bill prohibits abortion if the fetus's heart begins to beat).
What is 'Roe vs Wade’ ?
In 1969, a woman named Norma Mc Corvey (later known as Jane Roe, an imaginary name) approached a doctor to abort her third child. In the state of Texas, where she lived, abortion was not legal at the time. So, the doctor asked her to approach the court. The case was taken up to court. A lawsuit was filed in U.S. Federal Court against Dallas District Texas Attorney Henry Wade. Back then, abortion was not allowed in Texas, except to save a mother's life. The plaintiffs argued that it was contrary to the freedom enshrined in the Constitution. A three-member panel ruled in favor of Jane Roe.
Texas approached the US Supreme Court and the Court upheld the lower court's judgment. The court ruled that abortion was a woman's right and that the constitution mandated it. This case, which caused a great deal of controversy, became known as the 'Roe vs Wade'. The court reconsidered the case in 1992 and confirmed it again. Abortion, popularly known as 'Planned Parenthood', continuing to be legal.
As per current U.S. law, abortion in first trimester cannot be interfered by law. There are some restrictions for abortion during second trimester. Abortion is not permitted in third trimester except in life threatening conditions of the mother and only to save the life. Mississippi has raised the demand to ban abortion from as early as the heartbeat of the fetus start.
Crosses placed in front of St Joseph's Catholic church Richardson in Dallas, Texas. This refers to Roe vs Wade
In a country where freedom, equality and protection of human rights are held high, the right of the unborn to be born is denied. When former President Donald Trump appointed Amy Barrett as Supreme Court judge, he anticipated the possibility of putting an end to abortion since the latter did not support abortion. Biden administration, which had come out with a manifesto claiming to bring equality to all citizens, has turned a blind eye towards the rights of the unborn. Considering the fact that the administration ensured equality of people across all categories in the country, including LGBT (even a legislation was passed in favor of it), it is disheartening to realize that they completely ignored the unheard voices of the unborn from millions of wombs around the nation.