53rd National March for Life embraces ‘Life Is a Gift’ theme in Washington

If you watched the Super Bowl last year, you probably remember the Rocket Mortgage commercial that cuts through the noise and goes straight to the heart. Instead of flashes or controversy, it told a quiet story: a family, a home, children growing up, ordinary moments, but it turned into anything.

For a moment it almost felt like a pro-life message.

Of course it wasn’t. It was an advertisement. But it worked because it touched on something deep and universal, something every human heart instinctively recognizes. Life, family, love and belonging are important. Life is not a problem to be solved. Life is a gift.

The theme of this year’s 53rd National March for Life is this simple truth: Life is a Gift.

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For more than 50 years, Americans have gathered in Washington, D.C., for the world’s largest annual civil rights demonstration to affirm a fundamental belief: every human life, whether born or not, has inherent dignity and immeasurable value and deserves protection and support by our laws, our communities, and our families.

The abortion debate has always been conducted on two levels. One is intellectual: facts, science, public policy, and law. This level is important. The truth must be defended openly and honestly.

And facts are compelling. Science shows that human life begins with fertilization. From that first moment, a new person with genetically unique DNA comes into existence. A heartbeat can be detected for up to six weeks. This is definitely the mother’s, not the child’s. By the 12th week, organs are formed, fingerprints appear, and babies frequently suck their thumbs, sometimes preferring one hand over the other. Science shows that by 15 weeks, unborn children can feel pain.

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The facts also reveal ugly truths about the abortion industry. Planned Parenthood’s abortion numbers continue to rise even as other health care services decline. Today, 97% of pregnant women who enter Planned Parenthood no longer get pregnant. Despite growing evidence that abortion drugs pose serious risks to women’s health, chemical abortions now account for more than half of all abortions in the United States.

A large study found that approximately 11% of women using mifepristone experienced serious or life-threatening complications; This number is much higher than women are often told and is completely intolerable for almost any other type of medication.

These truths should be shouted from the rooftops. But facts alone do not change a culture.

Especially in this day and age, where so much discussion takes place online, asynchronously, and impersonally, people are often unimpressed by a series of bullet points. We are moved by encounters with what philosophers call transcendentals: truth, beauty, and goodness. When we see something worth loving and holding on to, our minds change and our hearts soften.

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This is why the March for Life continues even after so many years. First of all, movements fueled by anger tend to burn out. Anger is not sustainable. But happiness is.

The abortion debate has always been conducted on two levels. One is intellectual: facts, science, public policy, and law. This level is important. The truth must be defended openly and honestly.

Everyone who attended the march knows this. The face of the March of Life is not anger or resentment, but joy: singing, energy, love for both mother and child. Countless thousands of people, many of them young, stand together in the cold to bear peaceful witness to life.

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This youthful presence is particularly notable at a time when pro-life self-identification is rising among Gen Zers and Gen Zers’ willingness to accept abortion on demand throughout pregnancy is falling, according to a Gallup poll conducted last summer. On campuses, on social media, and in local communities, a rising generation is addressing this issue with clarity and compassion, unafraid to boldly speak the truth and committed to shaping a culture that sees life as a blessing, not a burden.

What gives the pro-life movement its ultimate strength is that it is defined not by what it rejects, but by what it embraces. At its best, our movement points to a complete vision of human flourishing: a vision based on love, responsibility, and the belief that no life is disposable. Three-quarters of voters, including strong majorities of Democrats, independents and women, support pregnancy centers that offer pre- and post-natal support rather than abortion. This positive testimony continues to move hearts long after discussions have ended.

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The world will continue to change. Politics will change. The winds of culture will blow. But the mission of the March for Life remains constant: to affirm the inestimable value of every human life, to advocate for greater protections for the littlest people, to support women and families, and to bear joyful witness to a truth that never loses its power.

No matter the circumstances, life is a gift. This truth speaks to the heart of every human being. That’s why we keep walking throughout life.