June 2003 ACTION NEWS | VOL. 22 No. 2
Why We Celebrate
by Eric Scheidler
Since we announced our plans for a big celebration of our February 26 victory in the Supreme Court, countless friends and supporters have written to express their desire to be a part of the celebration, and hundreds joined us downtown for "Bring America Back to Life" on June 7.
Not to be joyful about our high court win, publically and vocally, would smack of ingratitude.
However, some have criticized the very idea of a victory party, for a variety of reasons (see John Griffin's representative letter).
Some say it's premature to celebrate while Fay Clayton is still making trouble as the case makes its way down from the Supreme Court to the District Court. The answer to that is that Fay has lost. She and her friends on the Appellate Court can't accept that, but they can do little more than stall the inevitable process of dismissal by the District Court. To pretend that we didn't really win in the Supreme Court until Fay admits it would be to give her cynical legal games credit they don't deserve.
Some question the expense of such an event even while the League asks for your donations to help our life-saving work. The truth is that the League has been in financial trouble since our founding in 1980. That's just how it is for pro-life groups, especially activists groups like the Pro-Life Action League. The big money goes to pro-abortion groups like NARAL and NOW, who can afford to launch major media ad campaigns and wage decades-long legal battles against pro-life activists like us.
[Back to Top]If we waited to be financially secure we'd never get anything done. Our only choice is to spend what resources we have on projects we consider worthwhile, and let the Lord, working through your generosity, keep us afloat. Yes, the victory celebration cost money, but we consider it worth the expense to publically thank God for finally ending NOW v. Scheidler. Not to be joyful about our high court win, publically and vocally, would smack of ingratitude to all who prayed so ardently for seventeen years—and to God, who answered those prayers on February 26.
The ultimate purpose of "Bring America Back to Life" was to encourage even greater commitment to pro-life activism.
Some say it's wrong to celebrate while Roe v. Wade remains intact and abortion continues unabated throughout the United States. The fact is that abortion does not go unchallenged in our land. Pro-life activists and sidewalk counselors are challenging abortion every day right outside abortion mills and at pro-abortion events. The ultimate purpose of "Bring America Back to Life" was to encourage even greater commitment to the kind of pro-life activism that is gradually wearing down public support for abortion and increasingly frustrating the abortionists and their friends. To judge from the response to the victory celebration, it has done just that.
We should note that only a small minority of our friends and supporters expressed such doubts or criticisms. Still, we respect their views and want them to understand why we celebrate.
[Back to Top]Links and Related Articles
- Pro-Life Activists Celebrate Victory—Our June 7 "Bring America Back to Life" rally, workshops and banguet
- John Griffin's Letter, representative of the few complaints we received for celebrating a pro-life victory