Interestingly, Ginsburg had spoken about the case she wished had been heard by the Supreme Court, Struck v. Secretary of Defense. Ginsburg represented Captain Susan Struck, who became pregnant while serving in the Air Force in Viet Nam. The Air Force told her to either terminate the pregnancy or leave the Air Force. Struck wanted to keep the baby and her job. The Supreme Court agreed to hear the case, but the Air Force backed down, allowing Struck to keep her job and her baby. Said Ginsburg, “I wish that would’ve been the first case. I think the Court would’ve better understood that this is about women’s choice.” Few, if any pro-choice recognize that their champion wanted to try the case of a woman who desired to keep her baby, not terminate a pregnancy, as the way to grow women’s rights.
It is estimated that more than 63 million babies have been aborted between when Roe became law in 1973 and May 2022. That is 63 million lives lost. Who was never born? What great statesman, scientist, religious leader, or mother, never had the chance to live up to his or her potential? Never had the chance to realize a dream. How many women have gone to sleep each night wondering what would have been, if only they had made a different decision.
I never thought too much about abortion while growing up. My family wasn’t overly religious nor were we activists for one side or the other, we were simply Americans living our lives. People debated the issue when I was in college, mostly taking the pro-choice side, given the liberal leanings of Northwestern University. Again, I listened, but didn’t really participate. It didn’t impact me, and I didn’t care enough to care.
Fast-forward to the day I learned that my wife was pregnant with our son. I had just come home from a concert with friends and found a positive home pregnancy test on the bathroom vanity. I had never been so happy! As the pregnancy progressed, the doctor asked if we wanted to have an amniocentesis, the amnio test, performed to make sure the baby was “normal.” My wife and I had discussed this prior to her pregnancy and had decided that we would perform the test and terminate the pregnancy if any abnormalities were detected. But something strange happened that Wednesday morning in late 2000. We both immediately replied “no.” That was the day I affirmed my pro-life position.