WASHINGTON — It may be the most significant unreported story in American history.

For 33 consecutive years, without fail, as many as 100,000 pro-life activists have taken to the streets of the nation’s capital to protest abortion’s legality.

The activists say they are persistent because babies’ lives are at stake. Even though it’s one big annual family reunion for pro-life activists, they aren’t excited about why they’re in Washington, D.C.

“I don’t look forward to the March. I look forward to the March for Life having its final year,” said Bryan Kemper, founder of Stand True, a pro-life youth organization.

The confirmation of John Roberts as chief justice of the United States and the nomination of Samuel Alito as a justice on the Supreme Court have buoyed hopes that Roe v. Wade might get curtailed or even overturned. But Kemper said that more pro-life activists understand that they won’t be able to rest even if Roe is overturned.

“We may celebrate Alito and Roberts. But that’s not the end of the battle. That’s the beginning of the battle,” he said. “We’re not just against a procedure. We need to turn hearts and minds to Christ.”

Tens of thousands of people took part in the march to the Supreme Court building on a rainy day Jan. 23. It was the day after the anniversary of Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, companion decisions that effectively allow abortion for almost any reason throughout all nine months of pregnancy. The march is always held on a weekday, to allow participants to visit the offices of their representatives in Congress.

The event took place two weeks after the beginning of hearings in the Senate Judiciary Committee on the nomination of Alito. The committee was scheduled to vote on the nomination Jan. 24. The New Jersey Catholic has a written record of opposing Roe v. Wade.

Cardinal William Keeler, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee for Pro-Life Activities, was cautiously optimistic at the annual Vigil Mass, held the night before the march at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington.

He noted that recent events seemed to indicate that euthanasia and embryonic stem-cell research were gaining political support.

“We know our work for life is not completed. Perhaps we are not close to being completed,” Cardinal Keeler, the archbishop of Baltimore, told thousands of people in attendance for the Mass. “[However] our cause is not without advance. The rate and number of abortions are at the lowest point since 1975. Eighty-seven percent of U.S. counties are abortion-free zones. Physicians are reluctant to prescribe RU-486.”

The cardinal also cited a recent poll by CBS News that showed a majority of Americans favored stricter legal restrictions that would prohibit most abortions.

“And opposition to abortion is strongest among the young,” said Cardinal Keeler, to thunderous applause at the shrine.

Politics as ‘Ministry’

Leaders in the pro-life movement kept emphasizing that to achieve victory more prayer and more work would be needed.

“It’s going to take a big effort at adult education,” said Archbishop Sean O’Malley of Boston, home of many ethnic Catholics like Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy, who have abandoned the pro-life teachings of their Church. “Our Catholics have to understand what’s at stake. There’s a lot of Catholics who are still confused about a lot of these issues. There’s a need for greater spirituality.”

Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., thinks that pro-life activists have done a good job of supporting pro-life candidates, but now they need to run for office themselves.

“We need to occupy. We need to move from the streets and into the suites,” said Smith, who worked for New Jersey Right to Life before running for Congress in 1978. He lost that year, but was elected in 1980 and has been reelected every two years since then.

“They need to think about running for city council, state assemblymen, Congress, Senate,” said Smith. “We’ll push out these politicians who embrace the culture of death. It does matter who we elect. We need people to run for office. I see politics as a ministry. I really do.”

Several pro-life activists echoed Smith’s call. Ben Wetmore, vice-chairman of Students for Life of America, said that the pro-life movement will only succeed when people place saving children above their own career ambitions.

“Hollywood is full of aspiring actresses who work as waitresses to pay the bills. They take acting classes at night and they cut out of work to go to auditions,” Wetmore said. “They know the chance of becoming the next Julia Roberts is rare, but they are willing to sacrifice the security of a 9-to-5 job selling auto insurance for something they are truly passionate about.”

Wetmore wondered when Christians would start sacrificing their careers to save babies’ lives.

“If you saw a nursery on fire, you would run full speed into the building to save the babies. No question. Well, 4,000 babies are dying every day from abortion. And they’re dying in your neighborhood. But what are you doing about it?” said Wetmore.

Austin Ruse spent many years in the New York magazine world, including writing for Rolling Stone, before he went to work promoting pro-life policies at the United Nations. He said when he told his old friends that he was running a non-governmental organization at the United Nations, they initially were very supportive — until he told them it was a pro-life organization.

“If you feed the poor, clothe the naked, promote democracy in troubled areas, the world will applaud you,” Ruse said. “But if you defend the defenseless, you won’t get any ticker-tape parades.”

Ruse told the 500 students gathered for the Students for Life of America conference Jan. 21 that they needed to devote themselves to the cause of ending abortion even if they receive ridicule.

“Our only measure is in heaven,” said Ruse. “When you’re at the pearly gates and they ask you, ‘What did you do for the little ones?’ I hope the unborn children say about you, ‘We recognize him. He’s one of us.’”

Joshua Mercer is based

in Petoskey, Michigan.

He filed this article

from Washington.