Have We Reached a Tipping Point on Abortion in America?

President Trump’s highly anticipated State of the Union address last night before a joint session of Congress featured a series of dramatic and moving moments, including salutes from WWII heroes who stormed the beaches of Normandy, a veteran who helped liberate the Dachau concentration camp in Germany, along with a man who was rescued – and it even shined the spotlight on 89-year-old former astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the man who planted the American flag on the surface of the moon fifty years ago this summer.

But in my estimation, the most remarkable section of the speech featured the President’s clear and forceful defense of the sanctity of human life.

Against the backdrop of New York’s legalization and celebration of abortion up to the moment of birth and the Virginia governor’s cold and callous support of infanticide last week, President Trump spoke passionately about the right to life:

There could be no greater contrast to the beautiful image of a mother holding her infant child than the chilling displays our Nation saw in recent days. Lawmakers in New York cheered with delight upon the passage of legislation that would allow a baby to be ripped from the mother’s womb moments before birth. These are living, feeling, beautiful babies who will never get the chance to share their love and dreams with the world. And then, we had the case of the Governor of Virginia where he basically stated he would execute a baby after birth.

To defend the dignity of every person, I am asking the Congress to pass legislation to prohibit the late-term abortion of children who can feel pain in the mother’s womb.

Let us work together to build a culture that cherishes innocent life. And let us reaffirm a fundamental truth: all children — born and unborn — are made in the holy image of God.

As the President spoke, many abortion supporters in the House chamber sat silent and motionless. Senator Schumer (D-NY) was caught on camera smirking. Tragically, it’s in the senior senator’s hometown of New York City where more than one of every three babies are aborted, a disproportionate number of whom are black. Between 2012 and 2016, 118,127 black babies were born in New York City – and 136,426 black babies were aborted. Fans of the late Margaret Sanger, the eugenicist and founder of Planned Parenthood who championed better “breeding” and the elimination of black children as a means to that end, are seeing her diabolical vision come true.

To put New York’s abortion epidemic in perspective, you could almost fill Yankee Stadium (capacity of 54,000) twice each year with the average number of pre-born children whose lives are deliberately terminated in the Empire State.

The quest to protect every life under law has been a long and tear-filled campaign. In fact, it’s been going on for so long – 46 years – that many of its early organizers are gone. For others, it’s been a lifelong reality. There have been high points and low points, many of which have featured court decisions and legislation that restrain or reduce some of the evil and wickedness.

But something seems different this year. In my 30 years here at Focus on the Family, I don’t believe I’ve sensed this level of national outrage over the barbaric belief that a baby can be legally murdered just moments before birth – or even moments after while laying on a table.

Some have suggested the outrage is simply a result of the truth coming out – that the cold and torturous killing of innocent children has been going on for decades. They would be right. Liberals have grown more aggressive, too, galvanized by recent electoral victories. The explosion of new media has also played a role. No longer a slave to network censorship and traditional outlets sympathetic to a pro-abortion perspective, conservative commentators and pundits are gaining steam and influence.

But I also sense that a consensus is building among average people – even those who have been seemingly indifferent to the abortion scourge – that enough is enough.

Many of you have reached out to Focus on the Family to express your outrage. You feel helpless – and you’re heartbroken.

As you may know, thanks to the generosity of many of you, the ministry has been able to help save more than 425,000 babies through the use of ultrasound technology. Abortion-minded women who see their baby on a screen that was provided by Focus have changed their mind and carried their baby to term.

At the recent March for Life in Washington, D.C., we announced a new goal that we’re calling “A Million Alive by 2025” – that is by adding additional machines in high-abortion areas, our plan is to have helped save a million children by New Year’s Eve of 2025.

We want to do more.

On this coming Monday’s Focus on the Family radio program, which will feature an interview with Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE), I’m planning to make a major announcement about a new initiative and special event in a large American city.

After a period of prayer and discernment, we believe that what we’re going to announce is bold and inspired by the Holy Spirit. I also believe that it has the potential to not only save more babies – but we believe the Lord might also use it to change people’s hearts and minds about the sanctity of human life.

Please let me know what you thought of last night’s speech – and don’t forget to tune-in on Monday for our big announcement!