Op-Ed: Is Your DA Pro-Life?

By Timothy Head July 19, 2022 at 2:27pm

While abortion is no longer protected by Supreme Court precedent, the fight for life in America continues. The early battle lines within the states are already forming, and district attorneys all over the nation have taken a stance.

In fact, a group of 88 elected prosecutors nationwide have publicly vowed not to prosecute abortions. “Enforcing abortion bans runs counter to the obligations and interests we are sworn to uphold,” their letter states. “Criminalizing and prosecuting individuals who seek or provide abortion care makes a mockery of justice; prosecutors should not be part of that.”

Thankfully, they are subject to the democratic process — and can be held accountable for their failure to uphold the laws so many states have enacted in the wake of Roe. Taking advantage of our democratic process to jettison malicious actors who intend to pervert the Constitution and sabotage constitutional rights is precisely the sort of political action America was built to enable.

The Supreme Court decision itself is a testament to the fact that our political order still works, and that justice abides within it. In many ways, it is a vindication of the Founders’ vision for our nation: The established powers were supposed to conflict with each other when necessary, as they have now. And those who fail to uphold the Constitution — such as these district attorneys — are subject to removal from office.

But this political system only works if citizens are informed and engaged. It requires virtue, both civic and personal. It requires real commitment to furthering the common good — even when facing severe opposition. For instance, Roe would likely remain the law of the land today if the pro-life movement had not dedicated 50 years of hard work to overturn it.

The Supreme Court overturned Roe because everyone invested in saving unborn lives got involved. We voted, we marched, we advocated, we volunteered, we educated. And the future of the pro-life movement will require just as much from us, if not more.

It will also require a very different sort of work. The focus is no longer just on Supreme Court precedent, after all. Every single state has now been tasked with the defense of life and vindication of the pro-life movement. We need to be aware of the most important legal and political positions in our states. Most of these get very little national attention during normal news cycles — the district attorneys included.

But the November races will have lasting significance for the future of the pro-life movement. These under-discussed state-level positions will form the front lines of our fight to save unborn life. Go out of your way to educate yourself about gubernatorial candidates and district attorneys. Make sure you’re voting for pro-life men and women to lead where we need them most.

Right now, we have a lot of men and women in office who explicitly seek to sabotage or undermine the Constitution. We are blessed to live in a country where we can vote them out. But with the blessings of justice and liberty comes the responsibility of dutiful, well-educated citizenship. We have a republic — if we can keep it.

So this November, fight to keep it. Fight to vindicate the Founders’ cherished hope of guaranteeing life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness to all Americans — even those who have yet to be born.

The views expressed in this opinion article are those of their author and are not necessarily either shared or endorsed by the owners of this website. If you are interested in contributing an Op-Ed to The Western Journal, you can learn about our submission guidelines and process here.

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