I made the trek down to Washington, D.C for the 49^th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. The weather was frigid, getting up to about 25 degrees. Gloves, a heavy coat and a ball cap weren’t enough to stop the cold. Hand and toe warmers, and a hood to cover my ears were in order. Fortunately the snow and cold couldn’t keep a crowd of about 100,000 pro-life supporters from rallying and marching from the Mall up to the Supreme Court.

It was on January 22, 1973 when the Supreme Court of the United States declared state laws prohibiting abortion unconstitutional. Since then, an estimated 63.5 million babies have been aborted. But there’s hope that the Supreme Court will overturn Roe v. Wade, which was never settled law.

In December, the Supreme Court took the case Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, and their ruling could overturn Roe v. Wade.

The theme for this year’s march is, “Equality begins in the womb”. This is a great choice because there are many who believe in equality, yet remain pro-choice. However, if one truly believes in equality, this simple theme has real meaning. Should all human beings be treated with equality? If so, then making an exception to some humans is a violation of this principle. If not, then what other humans can we exclude? Can we really cherry pick which humans don’t deserve equality?

Obviously, these are important questions to ponder, particularly for those who are pro-choice.

One of the day’s speakers was 36-year-old Katie Shaw, who has Down Syndrome. She spoke of how so many people like her have been aborted, even though they’re capable of leading productive, happy lives. “It makes me very sad to think of all the friends I have that I might have lost if their parents did not believe equality starts in the womb. It makes me sadder to think of friends I miss because they were aborted.” She went on to share, “I believe equality for you, me and everyone started in the womb. It started the day of conception when God gave us our soul.”

Another speaker, Toni McFadden, told her tragic story, expressing the regret and pain she suffered after aborting her baby. Her life did not get better, as promised by the abortion clinic. “This is the reality of abortion. It only destroys.” She went on to say, “The greatest regret of my life was ending the life of my child. I believe all lives matter.” Now, she says, “We will not stop until abortion is made illegal, and unthinkable.” Thankfully, Toni found forgiveness in the Lord, and today that hope has led to a husband and four children. “I am so thankful that we have a God who redeems. And he can take the pain and the mistakes of our past and make something absolutely beautiful out of it.”

Many of the speakers, including actor Kirk Cameron, encouraged adoption as an alternative. This is one of the most important and valuable things pro-life advocates can offer.

Then there was 19 year-old Mikaela Kook, a woman who became pregnant a little over a year before. But despite the pressure to go through with an abortion, she made the difficult decision to keep her baby. With the help of the pro-life organization, Mary’s Shelter, she got the help she needed. Now, she says, “My daughter Amy is my pride and joy of my life.”

There are many arguments people use to support abortion, but few have any merit. An ectopic pregnancy may jeopardize a woman’s life, but, even then, no baby deserves to die. Abortions should be rare, and only considered in the most extreme cases.

Every human is made in the image of God, including the unborn, and a civilized society should be protecting the most vulnerable among us. Our society should value life, and it is my hope that Roe v. Wade is overturned. But the battle cannot end there. As March for Life President Jeanne Mancini said, “If Roe falls, battle lines will change, but the fight for life will need to continue.”