By Emily Drooby
The fight for life is heating up across the U.S. as pro-life laws in several states have run into roadblocks in lower courts that could propell them to the Supreme Court.
The latest state facing the roadblock is Alabama, where a federal judge blocked a law that would end nearly all abortions in the state.
Christian Rada, the director of Respect Life Education for the Brooklyn Diocese, said that the judge’s action is actually encouraging to many pro-life advocates.
“I feel encouraged i feel like there’s a light at the end of the tunnel,” he said.
“My counterparts in Alabama have been saying that they’re encouraged by this block. They look at is as this is a way for not just the Alabama community to address the abortion issue, but more of the nation to address it,” he explained.
The decision to halt Alabama’s pro-life law could wind up before the Supreme Court, which some of the state’s politicians have made clear is the ultimate goal.
It’s also believed to be the goal of other state lawmakers in places like Georgia, Ohio and Kentucky. They’ve all passed pro-life laws against abortion that have been overturned. As appeals move forward, they hope the cases will get to the Justices on the high court. With a new conservative majority on the bench, Roe v. Wade might be reversed.
Kathleen Gallagher of the New York State Catholic Conference said that what the states are doing have helped to educate the country on the horrors of abortion, and that the fight to protect life is crucial. But, she worries that going to the Supreme Court could backfire.
“It’s risky and dangerous, because it could actually move us away from toppling row where they could further embed it into our abortion juris prudence in this country,” she explained, and that no one knows how the Justices will vote on abortion matters.
As the fight for life continues, advocates like Alice Lemos — a board member for the Queens crisis pregnancy center The Bridge To Life — remind others why the fight is important:
“Babies are the most defenseless members of our community, and if we can’t defend babies than who can we defend?”