Americans and freedom. Words that are practically synonymous. Foundational to both ideas… is sacrifice. America was built on, sustained through, and known for its sacrificial spirit. Whether it was revolution from a tyrant, wars against unjust regimes, or blotting out moral evils like slavery, America has sacrificed economically, physically, and totally to protect its citizenry against injustice or harm. We are witnessing an American moment right now. Americans across this country have sacrificed nearly everything to protect populations vulnerable to COVID-19.
Americans are forfeiting some of our precious freedoms to protect others against harm and save lives. Moments like this define what it means to be free and a part of a civil society. Being a part of a society, whose foundational premise is that all human lives are valuable, our rights and freedoms are always counter-balanced with our responsibility to respect those of others. America is built on the sacrifice of personal desires and wishes to promote a common good for all. This of course does not diminish the importance of personal freedom – but rather enhances it. This call to protect others ensures the protection of personal freedom for all.
One of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s rallying cries was to unite all Americans to the sufferings of others:
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. – Martin Luther King Jr., Letter from Birmingham Jail
More than anyone, Martin Luther King Jr. understood that protecting the most vulnerable took sacrifice, including some personal freedoms. In fact, he wrote this quote from jail because he was willing to sacrifice his personal freedoms to fight for the rights of all people. He understood that our future as a nation hinged on how we treated vulnerable classes of people.
It is the goal of the pro-life movement to restore this American spirit of uniting with suffering and vulnerable human beings to effect change and preserve freedom and justice. Giving birth to a child is not easy. It does require moments of sacrifice, however, like this moment in America history, we must be willing to take on hardship to prevent the destruction of human life. The pre-born are uniquely vulnerable human beings. Their location, size, level of development, and environment make them susceptible to discrimination and harm. However, it is precisely their vulnerability that makes them more deserving of protection.
As we are learning from this COVID 19 outbreak, the American people are as resilient and compassionate as ever. Willingly putting everything on hold to protect human life. Let us extend this compassion to the pre-born human beings that with all Americans are “tied in a single garment of destiny.” We will be defined by moments like this, moments when we together etched our destiny by fighting for innocent human beings. Abolishing abortion will be a defining moment in America history, one that we are more than ready for
