The phrase “pro-life” comes from a 1970’s political movement. The movement primarily focused on abortion, with the stance that preborn lives were valuable and needed to be protected. However, the term has since developed a broader perspective valuing human life at every stage from conception to natural death. Those who affirm life take the position that all human lives have inherent value and should be treated with dignity.

The pro-life community is incredibly diverse, transcending all walks of life, but unified in its purpose.

Why Are People Pro-Life?

The reasons for identifying as pro-life are complex. They are often based on an individual’s lens through which they view the world. The more common reasons often fall into the following categories: moral, religious, and scientific.

The Scientific Argument 

The medical facts pertaining to pregnancy and fetal development present logical reasons why people are pro-life.

• Conception occurs when the sperm unites with an egg, also called fertilization. At this point, two separate sets of chromosomes (one from the sperm and one from the egg) create one unique strand of DNA. 
• 5-6 weeks after fertilization a baby begins developing arms and legs. Facial features start to emerge. A fetal heartbeat can be detected by an ultrasound.
• By the 8th week of development, all the major organs are present. All aspects of the upper and lower limbs are distinct. The connections for breathing are beginning to extend from the throat to the lungs.
• During weeks 9-14, a baby’s automatic reflexes can be detected. Such reflexes include kicking, turning, and thumb sucking. Fetal viability starts at 24 weeks.

MISSISSIPPI

The law bans abortion after 15 weeks of conception before a female knows she’s pregnant. This only affects women without means (primarily blacks) because they can not leave the state due to travel, boarding, and abortion costs.

Also,  the law DOES not consider the medical health of the mother, rape, or incest. According to Michele Bratcher Goodwin, a Chancellor’s Professor of Law, she was raped by her father who was not convicted due to the status he held in the community, but abortion saved her.

As of December 2021, 21 states are poised to ban or severely restrict abortion if ‘Roe v. Wade is overturned

Mississippi’s abortion law is the gateway to the death of Roe

Texas

The Law bans abortion after 6 weeks without consideration of the mother’s health, rape, or incest. Also, the law promotes vigilantism. In other words, doctors, clinics, Uber drivers, etc… can be sued for $10,000 by ANYONE if he/she believes their services assisted in the abortion. 

The possibility of being sued led to the closing of clinics as of December 2021 and the undue burden of access caused females to arrange their abortions in other states.

Trigger Laws

About half the states will ban abortion almost immediately and half the states will allow abortion to be provided. They’re not going to stop overturning Roe and what they want is a nationwide ban on abortion. And so even in states where Roe, the overturn of Roe right now doesn’t mean that abortion will be eliminated, it doesn’t mean that in the long term, it won’t. So if you’re in a state like New York or California and you think that you will have access to abortion even if Roe versus Wade is overturned, that is true in the short term.

But what everyone needs to also understand is that the next long-term plan from the other side and maybe not even that long term; is to ban abortion nationwide. And we can also talk about the other rights that are implicated if the Supreme Court overturns Roe versus Wade, like the right to contraception and LGBTQ rights.

Constitutional laws involving privacy such as gay marriage, interracial marriage, and the use of contraceptives can be deemed unconstitutional by a Judicial court composed of liars, conspiracy theorists, and Q-Anon supporters who side with a minority of voters instead of the majority.