The Patriot Post® · March for Life

By Gary Bauer ·
https://patriotpost.us/opinion/60653-march-for-life-2019-01-19

I love this day! Every year hundreds of thousands of people come to Washington, D.C. — in January! — to march for the sanctity of life. Friday was the 46th annual March for Life, and that tells you something about the dedication of the pro-life movement.

Usually the “mainstream media” ignore the march or disrespects it by giving equal weight to the few dozen pro-abortion demonstrators who might show up. But the Washington Post Friday did not ignore the march. The Post attacked it by taking issue with the theme of this year’s march, “Unique from Day One: Pro-Life is Pro-Science.”

In its notorious Roe v. Wade decision 46 years ago, the Supreme Court dodged the question of when life begins, just like Barack Obama dodged Rick Warren’s question in 2008 about when a baby earns human rights.

But a lot has changed since 1973. Every few months brings a technological advancement or scientific breakthrough that more fully reveals the unborn child as a living, feeling human being.

You can read more in my latest opinion piece at The Washington Examiner.

Pro-Life America

A Marist poll released this week finds overwhelming support for pro-life ideas and legislation limiting abortion. For example:

  • Only 15% of those surveyed said abortion should be legal for any reason at any point during pregnancy.

  • 84% support varying restrictions, such as banning late-term abortions.

  • Asked specifically about Roe v. Wade, only 30% felt the Supreme Court should uphold Roe, leaving abortion unrestricted as it is now. Sixty-five percent said the Court should make abortion illegal or allow the states to make restrictions.

  • 75% of those surveyed oppose the use of their tax dollars to promote or perform abortions overseas.

The last point is important to keep in mind because Speaker Nancy Pelosi included an amendment to use your tax dollars to pay for abortions overseas in her legislation re-opening the government.

In addition, the newly-empowered House Pro-Choice Caucus is vowing to repeal the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits taxpayer funding of most abortions in Medicaid.

Nancy Got Grounded

The same media that praised Nancy Pelosi as a “genius” for delaying the president’s State of the Union address were beside themselves Thursday when President Trump hit back. He was blasted as “childish,” “unpresidential” and “strategically nitwitted.”

I am an enthusiastic supporter of the president, but I have a slightly different take on this. I think Trump should have let Pelosi go to Afghanistan and then grounded her there, since she is the main obstacle to securing the border. (Sarcasm!)

Speaking Of Border Security…

There were a lot of shocked people on both sides of the aisle after a new NPR poll was released Friday morning. It found that President Trump’s approval rating among Hispanics jumped 19 points — from 31% to 50% — during the government shutdown when Trump has been talking every day about securing the border.

Many on the left (and even some in the GOP consulting class) just don’t understand how this can be, but it’s no mystery to me.

Hispanics in border communities are the first ones impacted by massive waves of illegal immigration. It impacts their schools, their hospitals and their communities first. It depresses their wages and increases crime in their neighborhoods.

In fact, another recent poll found that 69% of voters support “building a fence in high-crime areas along the U.S.-Mexico border.”

I also think there is a tradition in Latin America of admiring strong leaders, and that is certainly the kind of president we have now.

Omar vs. Israel

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) was asked on CNN Thursday about a tweet she wrote in November 2012. It read, “Israel has hypnotized the world, may Allah awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of Israel.”

At the time, Israel had launched Operation Pillar of Defense in response to Hamas firing 1,500 rockets at Israeli civilians. Hamas was doing evil, not Israel.

Co-host Poppy Harlow asked Omar how she would respond to Jewish Americans who were offended by her characterization of Israel. Incredibly, Omar doubled down, saying, “I don’t know how my comments would be offensive to Jewish Americans.”

How can she be that clueless? Well, she is a product of the Somali community in Minnesota, which is a hotbed of radical Islamic recruitment.

And this takes us back to the immigration debate. Why are we importing so many people from parts of the world that we know are hotbeds of anti-Semitism?

By the way, Speaker Pelosi just appointed Omar, a supporter of the anti-Semitic BDS movement, to the House Foreign Affairs Committee. That’s like giving an arsonist a job at the fire station!

Kudos To Knight

The NFL’s anthem controversy continues. Left-wing groups are pressuring performers to show their support for Colin Kaepernick by backing out of the halftime show at Super Bowl LIII. The game will be held in Atlanta on February 3rd, assuming Democrats don’t shut it down too.

Atlanta-native Gladys Knight, who is signing the national anthem at the Super Bowl, was recently challenged about the controversy. Here’s how she responded:

“It is unfortunate that our National Anthem has been dragged into this debate when the distinctive senses of the National Anthem and fighting for justice should each stand alone.

"I am here today and on Sunday, Feb. 3 to give the Anthem back its voice, to stand for that historic choice of words, the way it unites us when we hear it and to free it from the same prejudices and struggles I have fought long and hard for all my life…

"I have been in the forefront of this battle longer than most of those voicing their opinions to win the right to sing our country’s Anthem on a stage as large as the Super Bowl LIII.”

Knight is right! The whole purpose of the national anthem is to unite us. And it always did that until just a few years ago when the left became completely unhinged in its hatred of America.