    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2008, Book I)]
    [January 22, 2008]
    [Pages 100-101]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks to March for Life Participants
    January 22, 2008

        Nellie, good to be with you. We're fellow
    west Texans who care deeply about the value of human life. Other members
    of the board of directors for the March for Life, leaders of the pro-
    life community, and all those who are here with us for the march, it's
    good to have you here, and welcome to the White House.
        As I look out at you, I'll see some folks who have been traveling
    all night to get here. [Laughter] You're slightly bleary eyed.
    [Laughter] I'll see others who are getting ready for a day out in the
    cold. But mostly I see faces that shine with a love for life.
        I see people with a deep conviction that even the most vulnerable
    member of the human family is a child of God. You're here because you
    know that all life deserves to be protected. And as you begin your
    march, I'm proud to be standing with you.
        Thirty-five years ago today, the United States Supreme Court
    declared and decided that under the law, an unborn child is not
    considered a person. But we know many things about the unborn. Biology
    confirms that from the start, each unborn child is a separate individual
    with his or her own genetic code. Babies can now survive outside the
    mother's womb at younger and younger ages. And the fingers and toes and
    beating hearts that we can see on an unborn child's ultrasound come with
    something that we cannot see, a soul.
        Today we're heartened by the news that the number of abortions is
    declining. But the most recent data reports that more than one in five
    pregnancies end in an abortion. America is better than this, so we will
    continue to work for a culture of life where a woman with an unplanned
    pregnancy knows there are caring people who will support her, where a
    pregnant teen can carry her child and complete her education,

    [[Page 101]]

    where the dignity of both the mother and child is honored and cherished.
        We aspire to build a society where each one of us is welcomed in
    life and protected in law. We haven't arrived, but we are making
    progress. Here in Washington, we passed good laws that promote adoption
    and extend legal protection to children who are born despite abortion
    attempts. We came together to ban the cruel practice of partial-birth
    abortion. And in the past year, we have prevented that landmark law from
    being rolled back.
        We've seen the dramatic breakthroughs in stem cell research, that it
    is possible to advance medical science while respecting the sanctity of
    life. Building a culture of life requires more than law; it requires
    changing hearts. And as we reach out to others and find common ground,
    we can see the glimmerings of a new America on a far shore. This America
    is rooted in our belief that in a civilized society, the strong protect
    the weak. This America is nurtured by people like you, who speak up for
    the weak and the innocent. This America is the destiny of a people whose
    founding document speaks of the right to life that is a gift of our
    Creator, not a grant of the state.
        My friends, the time is short, and your march is soon. [Laughter] As
    you give voice to the voiceless I ask you to take comfort from this: The
    hearts of the American people are good. Their minds are open to
    persuasion. And our history shows that a cause rooted in human dignity
    and appealing to the best instincts of the American people cannot fail.
    So take heart.
        Take heart, be strong, and go forth. May God bless you.

    Note: The President spoke at 9:01 a.m. in the East Room at the White
    House for later broadcast to march participants on the National Mall in
    Washington, DC. In his remarks, he referred to Nellie J. Gray,
    president, March for Life Education and Defense Fund. A tape was not
    available for verification of the content of these remarks. The related
    National Sanctity of Human Life Day proclamation is listed in Appendix D
    at the end of this volume.