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The
Declaration of Independence boldly affirms that first among our
inalienable rights is the right to life, given to us by the Creator. Yet
despite being so solemnly proclaimed, the right to life is today
threatened and often denied, particularly at the moments when life is
most fragile. Our laws should—first and foremost—protect life. Even with
the overturning of Roe v. Wade,
many states still do not recognize children in their mothers’ wombs as
persons and still claim that abortion is a right. Further, many
political leaders work actively to increase access to abortion. Some
falsely describe it as health care and even as a basic human right. Laws
and policies that legalize or promote an intrinsic evil like abortion
violate the virtue of justice.
By original: w:Second Continental Congress; reproduction: William Stone - numerous,
Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=621811
Those
who work as public officials and civic leaders have a duty to serve the
common good, and therefore have a profound obligation to safeguard this
most fundamental right to life. Through our own prayer, witness, and
civic participation, we can encourage our leaders to truly answer their
call to protect the rights of all people. For “there can be no true
democracy without a recognition of every person’s dignity and without
respect for his or her rights” (Evangelium vitae 101).
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