Quad City Times - Rubio: A Pledge to Defend the Unborn

Op-Ed

By Marco Rubio

Every January marks the tragic anniversary of one the most egregiously flawed Supreme Court decisions in our nation's history. Since the Roe v. Wade decision legalized abortion in 1973, tens of millions of children have been denied life, and America has in turn been denied the gifts God gave them.

Make no mistake: Life is a definitional issue. It tells us what sort of society we are. If the right to life is not guaranteed for all, then our society is not truly equal. A nation that cannot guarantee a right to life cannot guarantee liberty. And of course, without life, there is no ability to pursue happiness.

The election before us is a choice about what kind of country we want to be. The issue of life is a fundamental aspect of that choice. The next president could well determine the balance of the Supreme Court for a generation. He or she will have the opportunity to sign pro-life legislation, protect religious liberty, and save millions of lives.

For the first time ever, Planned Parenthood has endorsed someone for president in a primary. It is now abundantly clear that if Hillary Clinton is elected, she will pursue the most radical pro-abortion agenda in American history. She must be stopped. And with your help, she will be.

All human life is worthy of the protection of our laws. Even one abortion is too many. Yet despite the fact that the pro-life movement continues to grow, we have not yet persuaded enough Americans to join the effort to protect life once and for all. If I am our party's nominee, I will work every day to change that.

Throughout my time in public service, I have sought, whenever possible, to protect life. I've worked to prohibit abortion after twenty weeks, when science tells us an unborn child can feel pain. I've led the fight to require parental notification when a minor is taken across state lines for an abortion.

For my work in the Senate, I've earned a 100 percent rating from National Right to Life and a 0 percent rating from Planned Parenthood. I don't know which I'm more proud of.

I'll continue this unfinished work in the White House.

On day one, I will reinstate the Mexico City Policy to stop taxpayer funding of abortions overseas. A Republican Congress and I will once and for all defund Planned Parenthood. And, when the time comes, I'll appoint justices to the Supreme Court who have a record applying the Constitution as it was written and upholding the God-given rights it protects.

America is an exceptional nation, one that has been an inspiration to all in search of a better life. This country tells us we are all equal -- that even if we are not born into wealth or power, we can still go as far as our talent and hard work will take us.

We know that a culture of life is inseparable from the American Dream. A nation that values life values the dreams we have for ourselves and our children.

We are a nation that encourages parents to dream big when they first catch a glimpse of their child in an ultrasound. We are a nation that insists no child is unwanted, for America is filled with families ready to adopt and love. We are a nation that -- through the too often overlooked work of pregnancy care centers -- helps and reassures women in the most difficult of circumstances.

Each generation of Americans has dedicated themselves to passing a stronger nation on to their children. Today, we sometimes make the mistake of believing that all the great social battles have already been fought and won by those who came before us. But they haven't been. Our generation now stands on the frontlines of the battle for the dignity of life at all stages.

Our legacy depends on what we do next. This election is our generation's choice. Let us side with life.

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