In the 365 days following Roe v. Wade being overturned by Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the pro-life movement has seen tremendous progress many thought they would never witness in their lifetime. New estimates from Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America show that as many as 200,000 babies will be saved annually in a post-Roe America.
“The best guess that we have is about 200,000 children were born this year that would not have been born” without the overturning of Roe, Senator James Lankford shared. “That’s 200,000 kids. That’s 200,000 smiling faces on playgrounds. That’s 200,000 silly songs, starting in kindergarten. That’s 200,000 families that will be blessed with looking in the eyes of a child” (emphasis added).
To put those numbers in perspective, 200,000 people could fill a city the size of Grand Rapids, Michigan; Vancouver, Washington; or Chattanooga, Tennessee. At times when it seems the pro-life movement is fighting an uphill battle, remember that every abortion prevented is another life saved. Each baby so carefully crafted in the womb is an invaluable part of God’s plan for this world. The pro-life movement has an eternal purpose.
Abortion has been prohibited in the following 12 states, except when a doctor believes it’s needed to save the life of the mother: Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Five other states have gestational limits on abortion – meaning that they are legal only up until a certain point in the pregnancy.
An estimated 96% of abortions were eliminated in the 12 states where abortions were prohibited aside from “life of the mother” exceptions. Twenty-five states total have enacted some form of pro-life protections. All of this became possible the minute SCOTUS ruled to overturn Roe.
If this is the progress we have made in one year, imagine what we can do in five, or ten, or twenty. God is moving in America. Don’t give up hope when the legal battles seem insurmountable, or when the hate from abortionists seems unendurable, or when each victory feels like an uphill battle. Each baby in the womb matters, and every inch of progress on the pro-life front is making an eternal difference.
“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” – Matthew 25:40
To learn more, watch our Life After Roe presentation below! Representative Jon Hansen unpacks the policy battles of the last year, and explores what’s next for South Dakota.
