By Maria Gallagher, Legislative Director

In cities and towns across the U.S., students are returning to school–or just about to. But in all the back to school reports on the local news, no mention will be made of all the students who are missing because of abortion. It is estimated that as many as one in five pregnancies in the U.S. ends in abortion. Nearly one million American children are lost to abortion each year. It is a tragedy of epic proportions–yet all too often ignored by the mainstream media.

But back to school time can also be a time of tremendous hope. Many faith-based schools organize bus trips to the annual March for Life…host pro-life clubs on campus…and encourage students to spiritually adopt preborn babies as they pray for the little ones each day.

Those who are parents and grandparents can also use this time to instill in our offspring a great respect for the dignity and incalculable value of human life. We can make sure middle schoolers know the stages of life in the womb, and that high schoolers know the location of the nearest pro-life pregnancy resource center.

We can also use this time to educate ourselves about pro-life issues, turning to trusted pro-life organizations, such as the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation and National Right to Life, to find out the latest developments on the pro-life front. Education is power, and with our newfound knowledge we may just save a life–or change a mind.

In addition, we can recommit ourselves to working for an overturn of the tragic U.S. Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade.  Someday, the issue of abortion will return to the states, and we must be prepared to pass meaningful pro-life laws. Let us look forward to the day when Roe is just an unpleasant asterisk in student history books, and when all children have a real chance at life.