January 23, 2004, 10:04 a.m.
Under the Radar
Abortion and its discontents.

By Grattan Brown & Michael Leaser

It has become an annual event. In an act of willful ignorance, networks once again missed the big story about the tens of thousands of people blanketing Constitution Avenue from the Washington Monument to the Supreme Court. Thursday's "March for Life" marked the 31st anniversary of the Supreme Court decisions in Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, which together virtually eliminated all obstacles to abortion.

Many Americans have never really accepted abortion, and dissatisfaction with what the Court has wrought is growing. In December 2003, Zogby reported that 53 percent of Americans believe that "abortion destroys a human life and is manslaughter." The "March for Life" testifies to the strength of these beliefs. Written on banners you could read "Defend Life," "Abortion Kills," "Stop Abortion Now," and "Smile, Your Mom Chose Life."

It was not surprising to see veteran marchers. One woman had an old "Feminists for Life" button that read "Peace in the Womb." The numbers on one colorful umbrella ticked off the years of attendance: '74, '75, '76 ... '04. An elderly lady had her march years — she had missed none — marked on her yellowed banner. Every so often we encountered gentlemen passing out flyers for one of the institutes founded in 1973 in response to Roe and Doe.

Most striking was the number of marchers under 25. Two hundred Notre Dame University students rode all night in buses, piled into the Metro with their headphones, backpacks, and pillows, and joined their fellow collegians from Harvard, Williams, the University of Richmond, and St. Louis University, to name a few. Others came with "National Teens for Life," "Rock for Life," "Teens 4 Truth," and one grunge-fringe group that we thought to call "Spikeheads for Life." Some of their banners read: "Stop killing my generation," "Rebel with a Cause," and our personal favorite, "Abortion is mean!" The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington packed the 20,000-seat MCI Center with youth from all over the country for a pre-march rally and mass.

These young people represent at least several hundred thousand more who perceive dire consequences for their generation because of the abortion industry. Apparently some politicians do too. In a rally in front of the Washington Monument, the crowd heard from Sen. Sam Brownback and Reps. Christopher H. Smith, W. Todd Akin, Roscoe Bartlett, Rick Renzi, and Patrick J. Toomey, among others. By telephone President Bush said: "I know as you return to your communities you will redouble your efforts to change hearts and minds, one person at a time."

Standing on Constitution Avenue, we could palpably sense this resolve. One last banner said it best: "Here until babies stop dying and mothers stop crying."

— Grattan Brown and Michael Leaser both work at the American Enterprise Institute.

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