Two Presidents, Two Protests, Two Days after Inauguration.

The Inauguration is upon us, and the annual peaceful protest of legalized abortion in Washington D.C. is fast approaching - January 20th and 22nd, respectfully. This brings to my mind a plethora of mixed feelings.
I was at a Catholic conference not long ago, and one of the keynotes at the conference was lauding the efforts of the March for Life. He praised the fact that 100,000 folks converge on the U.S. Capitol to walk in peaceful protest for the unborn. He thought how great it would be if we could get double that number January 22, 2009. What a great message it would send (In an aside, he was incorrect on his numbers ... 225,000 showed up at last year's March for Life ... I would love it if 450,000 showed up this year)!

But...

He told us not to forget about the march that will be happening two days before the election, when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s dream is finally recognized (his niece would disagree), at the inauguration of the nation's first black president.

Wow. The mention of those two things in the same minute blew my mind. Our nation (and incidentally, 52% of Catholics) voted for a man who said that the first thing he would do as president is sign the abortion-on-demand Freedom of Choice Act; vowed immediately after the election to rescind the Mexico City policy; called the identification of a baby's human rights above his pay grade, said he doesn't want his daughters punished with a baby; lied to the nation about voting against protecting infants that were born alive; voted to cease funding for non-controversial amniotic and adult stem cell research (which has contributed to date to over 70 cures) in favor of a blank check for the rather controversial embryonic stem cell research (which has contributed to date to zero cures ... and which kills a human being); and countless other things that should have given a great many of us Catholics, including this keynote speaker, a little bit of pause before voting for him. And now, he praises the election along with the efforts of the March for Life?

The last time I went to Washington D.C. for the March for Life was January 22, 2001. We had just inaugurated Bush two days beforehand. Those at the March had higher hopes for the Pro-Life cause with Bush than with Clinton, but there was still uncertainty as to what that would mean on paper and in practice from the White House. It was announced that the newly inaugurated President was invited to take part in the March, but doubtful that he would show up. The speeches came and went, from Robert Dornan to Rabbi Leven to Sam Brownback to Randall Terry to Fr. Frank Pavone ... the whole Pro-Life movement was there. Suddenly, in the middle of one of the speakers’ talks, Sam Brownback literally interrupted and said, “We’ve just received good news from the White House.” Over 200,000 people were on pins and needles to hear the good news. Then, Senator Brownback announced that President George W. Bush’s first executive order in office was to re-instate the Mexico City policy … a policy that, in a nutshell, ends the funding of abortions as “aide” in other countries with America’s taxpayer dollars. The entire crowd started cheering for the newly elected president, chanting "Bush! Bush! Bush!"

I never voted for George W. Bush, in either election. I think the man has made some serious mistakes in his presidency. It cannot be denied, though, that he has done MORE for the cause to end abortion in this country than any President since Roe v. Wade.

Fast forward to today. Today, we inaugurate a man who has promised to expand Roe more than any President. Folks have said we can thank Bush for Obama’s election. Maybe. The supposedly Pro-Life Catholics who voted for him, though, need to pay close attention these next couple of days.

In two days, I will once again be practically on the White House lawn for the 36th annual March for Life, my first time since 2001. How interesting will it be, if Obama’s first executive order would be to rescind the Mexico City policy, with 300,000 (projected) pro-lifers at his doorstep? Will that speaker from the Catholic conference be disappointed (He did say he would be attending both "marches"), or has he, like many others in the country, already canonized the man?