Roe marches on

Thousands of pro-life advocates demonstrated on downtown streets yesterday, marking the 31st anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision, which legalized abortion on demand.

Organizers estimated that more than 100,000 people from across the country attended the annual March for Life, but police did not provide an official crowd estimate.

After more than 15,000 people attended a morning Mass to pray for Roe v. Wade to be overturned, thousands more pro-life advocates met for a noon rally on the Ellipse, where they heard speeches from several Republican lawmakers and a short speech from President Bush by telephone from Roswell, N.M.

“During the past three years, we’ve made real progress toward building a culture of life in America,” Mr. Bush said. “Human life is a creation, not a commodity.

“But we all know there is still more to do. … We must continue with civility and respect to remind our fellow citizens that all life is sacred and worthy of protection,” he said.

The president said his administration is determined to prevent human cloning and to uphold the ban on partial-birth abortion, which he signed into law on Nov. 5. He did not mention overturning Roe v. Wade.

On Capitol Hill, some pro-choice lawmakers used the anniversary to argue that Republicans are trying to take away abortion rights.

“It is wrong for the U.S. Congress and the White House — two groups dominated by older white men — to usurp the right of women to control their own bodies and their own lives regardless of their individual circumstances,” said Rep. James P. Moran, Virginia Democrat.

“We should be empowering women to make healthy decisions through education and not judicial or legislative fiat,” Mr. Moran said.

Pro-life lawmakers, meanwhile, marked the anniversary by praising Mr. Bush’s positions, highlighting the passage of the partial-birth abortion ban and lamenting the practice of abortion.

“For 31 years, we have denied the most fundamental of all human rights to 40 million American children,” said Rep. Joe Pitts, Pennsylvania Republican, adding that abortion has cheapened the value of human life and contributed to senior citizens being disregarded and newborns being thrown into trash bins.

The march from the Ellipse to the Supreme Court began almost an hour later than scheduled, at about 2 p.m., but was uneventful. A group of about 30 pro-choice advocates met the marchers in front of the Supreme Court, and a small group of pro-life advocates tried to drown out their voices with chants.

Others prayed, but most marchers dispersed.

Luana Stoltenberg came from Davenport, Iowa, to attend the march because she said every time she vacuums her home she is reminded of the three abortions she had as a young woman.

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