[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.