TFP Newsletter, Vol. IV – No. 2 – 1984

Largest Turnout in Years 

Washington March For Life – Antiabortion marchers call for no middleground

“We defend the right to life of the innocents. He who defends great moral principles with true conviction will never be defeated."

With this statement emblazoned on one of its three banners, The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP) joined over 75,000 other anti-abortion demonstrators in Washington, D.C. on January 23. It was one of the most forceful displays in years protesting the infamous U. S. Supreme Court decision that "legalized" abortion eleven years ago. Anti-abortion demonstrations were also held in other major U. S. cities on the same day. A contingent of TFP volunteers and sup­porters joined some 500 demonstrators in Los Angeles, and smaller groups par­ticipated in protests in San Francisco and Denver.

This year's Washington March was larger than those of previous years as in­dividuals and entire families from anti­abortion groups, schools, parishes and state organizations came from all parts of the United States in a determined ef­fort to make their voices heard and their influence felt in this 1984 election year.

The turnout illustrated that even after suffering from both a major Supreme Court decision that struck down a num­ber of state laws restricting abortion and the defeat of the Hatch amendment last June, pro-life groups and grassroots sup­porters are growing and maturing. They have realized that the so-called "mod­erate" position has meant delays and only favors the abortionists. "No Com­promise" was the theme of the Eleventh Annual March For Life.

"The soft line did not work any more than did Chamberlain's effort to nego­tiate with Hitler for peace. So, we have relearned hard lessons — the abortionists will not accept even a little bit of pro-life." One is either for or against the killing of innocent preborn children. There is no position in between," read the statement of March For Life presi­dent Nellie J. Gray.

After pro-life leaders met with Presi­dent Reagan, a number of prominent speakers and members of Congress ad­dressed the crowd at the Ellipse behind the White House around noon. President Reagan appeared on the balcony to acknowledge the demonstrators.

The American TFP was well repre­sented by a large number of members, volunteers and supporters who distrib­uted a statement rebuking the inaction of the "soft" antiabortionists — those who do not act energetically against the heinous crime.

The TFP document pointed out that it is not the pressure of pro-abortionists that maintains legalized abortion in the United States; rather, it is the softness of the antiabortionists. "When the day comes to render accounts to God for their actions, these soft ones will see that they were cruel. They were the soft, cruel exterminators, the ones principal­ly responsible for the continuation of legalized abortion in the United States," the TFP statement declared.

It went on to note that "If there were a danger that more than one million innocent Americans would be executed in the next year, it is certain that all Americans would be so indignant that the elected officials who were in any way partisans of this unjust execution would be clamorously defeated in the next elections."

The March ended in front of the Su­preme Court Building, but the indigna­tion of the marchers continued to he felt throughout the balls of the Houses of Congress as they dispersed to seek out their local Senators and Congressmen.