In May of 2019, Missouri Governor Parsons signed one of the strongest pro-life laws in the country, the “Missouri Stands for the Unborn Act, and the last abortion clinic in Missouri lost its license because of numerous health and safety violations. The Planned Parenthood abortion clinic continues to operate only because of several temporary injunctions by a judge.

In an attempt to reverse the “Missouri Stands for the Unborn Act”, the pro-abortion American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri attempted to mount a public referendum against the abortion restrictions. However, the ACLU gave up this week, contending that it was impossible to collect the roughly 100,000 voter signatures needed for the referendum in the two weeks before most of the law takes effect.

Nevertheless, now the Missouri public defenders office is warning that “taxpayer-paid attorneys could soon face the prospect of defending poor women charged with felonies for knowingly performing or inducing their own abortions“. The Republican sponsors of the law have rejected this idea, citing that the law states a “woman upon whom an abortion is performed or induced in violation of this subsection shall not be prosecuted for a conspiracy to violate the provisions of this subsection.”  (Emphasis added)

These developments, along with other defeats such as the 10 other states passing strong pro-life laws just this year (some blocked by courts or currently facing lawsuits), is now revealing both the desperation and the extremism of Planned Parenthood and other pro-abortion groups to protect the abortion industry nationwide.

No longer is abortion called just a health care “choice”.

CONCLUSION

Decades ago when I joined the pro-life movement, I thought that once people learned the truth about the humanity of the unborn child as well as the damaging effects of abortion on the mother and society, the public would reject abortion as a solution.

I also thought the selfless and voluntary efforts by the pro-life movement to help desperate mothers and their families would change hearts as well as minds.

Instead, the pro-life movement was called “dangerous” and “heartless” by the politically powerful and media-supported abortion establishment.

But since 1973 when the infamous Roe v Wade decision by the US Supreme Court opened the floodgates of killing by “choice”, the pro-life movement continued to persist with every small positive step and every life saved celebrated as a victory.

Now, Planned Parenthood and other pro-abortion groups have dropped their self-described goal of  mere “choice” to embrace and work for abortion on demand up to birth (and even beyond) without apology as a “civil right”-and preferably taxpayer-funded.

However, as Missouri shows, a dedicated and positive pro-life movement can succeed in changing laws as well as attitudes about respecting every human life.