'Setting the record straight': Lila Rose on fighting abortion, strategies for the post-Roe generation
One year after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the landmark abortion case Roe v. Wade, prominant pro-life activist Lila Rose is optimistic that the movement's message is resonating more with Americans than the abortion industry's "pro-killing" talking points.
The founder and president of Live Action, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the public about abortion, told The Christian Post this week that the pro-life movement is "united around the common principle of human rights."
She said people from various backgrounds and belief systems make up the movement, but many are unaware of this due to the mainstream media and tech companies favoring abortion proponents and trying to paint the pro-life movement in a negative light.
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"But the good news is, when we get our facts and our information out there, it beats the pro-abortion side every time," Rose told CP. "So it really is a matter of getting in front of people, at least as much as the pro-abortion side, and setting the record straight."
On its website, Live Action says it reaches millions of people monthly with its "life-saving content." In addition to undercover investigative footage exposing abortion industry practices, the organization offers educational content on a variety of pro-life topics, including apologetics.
Rose said that Live Action hears from people daily, mostly young adults from Generation Z and Millenials, about how the organization has impacted their views on abortion, with some admitting the content led them to change their minds on the issue or become stronger in their pro-life convictions.
"You know, what I see is our movement is growing every day at Live Action," Rose said. "Our movement is growing; our email list is growing. Our social media followers are growing. These are mostly young people, Gen Zers and Millennials, who are passionate about life."
Many young people in the pro-life movement often refer to themselves as the "pro-life generation." Now that Roe v. Wade is overturned, many of the same young people have taken to calling themselves the "Post-Roe Generation."
Some studies have suggested, however, that younger people are more likely to support abortion.
A study released by the nonpartisan Public Religion Research Institute in February 2023 reportedly found that majorities in 43 states support legal abortion in "most cases" or "all cases." The survey asked respondents between March 2022 and December 2022 whether they think abortion should be legal in all cases, legal in most cases, illegal in most cases or illegal in all cases.
According to the survey, 38% of young people ages 18 to 29 support abortion legality in all cases, with support declining among older age groups. However, as pro-life researcher Michael New suggested in his breakdown of the study, the results are likely due to the wording of the question.
According to New, polls that ask participants whether abortion should be legal in all cases, legal in most cases, illegal in most cases, or illegal in all cases typically show support for abortion.
Rose noticed a similar trend regarding the language used in surveys, arguing that polls can be "misleading" and that the type of questions asked are relevant.
"For example, if you asked the question, 'Do you support a ban on abortion at six weeks?' most people will say 'no,'" Rose said. "But if you say, 'Would you support a ban after the baby's heart is beating?' most people will say 'yes.'"
A 2022 poll conducted on behalf of Students for Life of America found that 52% of young adults supported banning abortion after an unborn baby's heartbeat becomes detectable, compared to 48% who opposed such bans. The survey assessed 834 young adults between the ages of 18 and 34 from Jan. 5-11, 2022 about their views on abortion and the Roe decision.
Amid discussions about the 2024 presidential race and the position candidates should take on abortion, Rose asserted that now is the time for "bold and uncompromising leadership."
"And yes, I do think the electability of the candidate matters," the Live Action founder said. "Obviously, that's very much up for debate. What does it mean to be electable? Who is actually electable? And that's what we're all debating."
For Rose, pro-life voters should seek to elect a candidate that is "uncompromising" in their position on abortion and recognizes their duty as an elected official to ensure equal protection under the law for all people, including the unborn.
"And if they do not do their sacred duty in protecting these children, then they do not belong in office," Rose said.
With Roe overturned, the Live Action founder believes there are three effective strategies for eradicating abortion in society.
The first is to make raising a family in America easier through public and private avenues, including pregnancy resource centers, providing subsidies to families and making birth free.
In addition, Rose called for public policy that would abolish funding for Planned Parenthood and abortion facilities, maintaining that funding should go towards supporting families instead.
The second strategy for ending abortion, according to Rose, involves educating the public, which has been fed propaganda about the unborn's humanity and the harm that abortion causes. She stressed that this work demands a "deep investment" in communities and churches, revealing that Live Action has a new pro-life educational curriculum for churches to be released soon.
"All of this is very important to reach people and change hearts and minds," she said.
The third strategy for ending abortion is to enact what Rose described as "aggressive abortion bans" at every state legislature as possible. In addition to bans at the state level, the pro-life leader declared that a federal abortion ban is also necessary.
"We've been stopped from that in the past by the courts because of Roe v. Wade," Rose said. "Now that has changed. Now we have the opportunity of a lifetime to actually enact abortion bans."
Regarding whether pro-lifers should focus solely on ending abortion through grassroots advocacy instead of politics, Rose insisted that this would not be a winning strategy.
"We need abortion abolition," she said. "Laws are huge teachers, laws make a big impact in states and countries that have banned abortion or limited abortion, and it dramatically affects the abortion rate.
"So it's very important to pass pro-life laws and make sure there's legal protection in addition to doing the culture work and the care work for families."
Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman
