In a landmark decision, the U.S. Supreme Court finally overturned the egregious wrong of Roe vs. Wade – correctly ruling that the American Constitution does not confer a right to abortion.
The decision in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization resulted in large celebrations for those in the Pro-Life movement, who have spent decades fighting for the right to life.
But since that terrible decision in 1973, there have been several steps that have resulted in this landmark ruling in 2022. In this article, we look at the key moments that has led to Roe vs. Wade finally tumbling.
What was Roe vs. Wade?
The case Roe vs. Wade was a decision of the U.S. Supreme Court back in 1973. The court ruled that the Constitution of the United States protects a pregnant woman’s liberty to choose to have an abortion.
This essentially legalised abortion throughout the United States. The decision has led to millions of babies being killed in the womb. It led to decades of controversy.
In that time, organisations like Planned Parenthood – who were founded by a white supremacist intent on eliminating the black race – have killed millions. These organisations have appeared in all 50 states.
But in a historic ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade on 24th June 2022. It is a date which will be remembered for a long time, and a date that will be celebrated by those opposed to abortion.
The decision has delighted social conservatives. It also serves as a reminder that Christians still have a powerful voice in America. The sanctity of life is being protected once again.
Now, individual states in America will have the right to outlaw abortion. Many states had trigger laws which resulted in near-total bans on abortion straight after the decision was announced.
1. The Silent Scream Film
The Silent Scream was a film released in 1984 that showed many the horrors of abortion. It led to many people with neutral opinions on abortion to change their mind, and support the right to life.
The film – directed by Jack Duane Dabner – shows an abortion process through ultrasound, with an abortion taking place in the uterus. The film shows that during the abortion, the foetus cries in pain and is in severe discomfort.
The film gave many an insight into how an abortion is actually conducted – including how in some cases, the baby is dismembered, with its skull crushed. It also provided a scientific viewpoint.
Ronald Reagan – who was U.S. President at the time – said that “if every member of Congress could see that film, they would move quickly to end the tragedy of abortion”.
2. Planned Parenthood vs. Casey
The Planned Parenthood vs. Casey case in 1992 loosened abortion laws further. They ruled in line with an “undue burden” standard, believing that a law is invalid if its “purpose or effect is to place substantial obstacles in the path of a woman seeking an abortion before the fetus attains viability.”
While this was a dark day for those opposing abortion, it galvanized supporters of the Pro-Life movement. It would turn out to be a key decision, but one that was ultimately overruled.
3. Dr. Anthony Levatino’s Powerful Testimony in 2015
There is nothing more telling than when a Doctor who by his own admission conducted over 1,000 abortions in his career, later realises the horror of what he had done.
Dr. Anthony Levatino originally graduated from medical school, and for many years, he performed abortions. In this time, he performed over 1,200 of them – a staggeringly appalling number.
However, events in Levatino’s personal life resulted in him changing his mind. After struggling to conceive a child with his wife, he adopted a young girl named Heather. Heather was tragically killed after being struck by a car.
By his own admission, this resulted in Levatino seeing the body parts ripped apart in the womb on the table for what they truly were – limbs and skulls of a child. As a result, he eventually stopped performing abortions.
In 2015, Dr. Levatino testified in court about the horrors of abortion. In a video that went viral, Levatino used his hands to simulate an abortion, and during his narration, showed the sheer barbaric nature of abortion.
Many of those watching the video became shocked at what they saw – after all, the mainstream media have always done their best to stop anything like this becoming widely-known.
You can see Dr. Levatino’s powerful, five-minute testimony below:
4. Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003
This law, signed by President George W. Bush, banned the “intact dilation and extraction” technique of abortion, which is often referred to as a “partial birth abortion”, due to its nature where the baby is often medically alive when they are aborted.
This was an important step, as it was a sign that the Supreme Court was waking up to the horrors of abortion. By removing this method, this was a step closer to banning all methods of abortion.
5. Donald Trump Becomes President
In 2016, Donald Trump became President of the United States. With Trump in the Whitehouse, major changes took place. Trump was able to appoint hundreds of judges that had Pro-Life philosophies.
Trump was able to appoint three Supreme Court justices – all of which voted to overturn Roe vs. Wade. This was one of the biggest legacies of the Trump presidency.
Trump departed in 2020, but did so after becoming a true giant of the Pro-Life movement. As Trump rightly said himself, “unborn children have never had a stronger defender in the White House”.
Trump did more for the Pro-Life movement than any President since Ronald Reagan. In fact, Trump became the first sitting President to attend the March for Life – as mentioned above.
Following the announcement of the decision, Trump stated that the decision was “the biggest WIN for LIFE in a generation”. His Vice President Mike Pence also praised the decision. Trump and Pence presided over an administration that were more pro-life than ever before.
6. Ideological shift on the Supreme Court
Before Trump made his three appointments, the Supreme Court was deadlocked between Liberals and Conservatives. Chief Justice Samuel Roberts usually sided with his liberal colleagues, resulting in abortion restrictions being difficult to enact.
However, after Trump’s three appointments were made, a profound ideological shift in the Supreme Court took place. This ideological shift suddenly made the conservative wing of the court stronger, and made it more likely to enact abortion restrictions.
Ultimately, the ideological shift led to the overturning of Roe vs. Wade. The Conservative majority were key in this decision, and finally led to the realisation that abortion is not constitutional, and that it is a terrible, evil thing.
7. Heartbeat Bills
A major step in the right direction was the creation of so-called “Heartbeat Bills”. These bills effectively made abortion illegal approximately 6 weeks into pregnancy – which is when a baby’s heart starts beating.
Once a baby has a heartbeat, no one can deny that they are alive. Therefore, if an abortion takes place after this, there can be no denying that the life of an innocent human is being taken.
These bills were key as they provided a tightening of abortion restrictions, which offered a key step in the movement to overturn Roe vs. Wade. They were also ultimately what led to the Supreme Court hearings.
Texas and Mississippi were among those to champion these bills. Some states may choose to enact Heartbeat bills rather than full bans on abortion in the wake of Roe vs. Wade being overturned.
8. Marches for Life
For decades, millions of people have taken part in Marches for Life around the globe, most noticeably in the United States. Those attending often brave freezing temperatures.
The annual March for Life in America – which takes place on the anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade decision – typically attracts millions of people. Marches for Life have raised awareness, and provided a chance to get much-needed news coverage of the evils of Abortion.
9. The “Never say die” attitude of the Pro-Life movement
The strength and resolve of those in the Pro-Life movement cannot be underestimated – nor can it be ignored when looking at the past five decades. The attitude of this movement is incredibly positive and strong.
Step-by-step, the Pro-Life movement made progress, and had to wait decades for this. But their patience paid off, with the decision finally being made to protect the unborn.
But it has been difficult for them. Those who are Pro-Life face ridicule and anger on a daily basis, with some ostracized from friendship groups and communities just for giving an opinion. The mainstream media advocates hugely for abortion.
Every tweet written by pro-life activists, every debate, every single person who has protested at an abortion clinic, every person who has written a pro-life article, everyone who has attended a march – they all deserve credit.
However, those who have been part of the Pro-Life movement have never given in, they have ignored the vitriol and continuously campaigned for the right to life. This victory shows that all of their hard work and persistence was worth it.
10. Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization
And so the ultimate success was the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case, which was decided in June 2022. The court ruled in favour of returning abortion laws to the individual states.
The decision, backed 6-3 by the Supreme Court, has been heralded as an incredible day for the right to life. Abortion will become illegal in multiple states, with some already putting laws into place.
Sadly, there were many people and politicians who criticised the decision. This included Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau – who alluded to an apparent attempt to control women’s bodies. This of course was the same man that pushed vaccine mandates – effectively controlling the bodies of Canadian citizens.
Then several companies pledged to cover Abortion travel expenses for employees. Of course, these employers know this makes financial sense – as it saves them money compared to maternity leave.
The decision was praised by numerous Christian groups. Catholics, Baptists and Pentecostal followers were among those to herald the decision.
The Takeaway
The overturning of Roe vs. Wade was a glorious moment. It is a moment that will result in millions of children being born, and having the most basic of rights – the right to life. Among those that would’ve been aborted could be future leaders, doctors, scientists and activists that make positive changes in the world.
For all those that made this possible, it is time to celebrate. However, the fight won’t stop here. But for now, babies will be protected. With God by our side, we won – life won.
