National Sanctity of Human Life Day
Encyclopedia
National Sanctity of Human Life Day is an observance declared by several U.S. Presidents
who opposed abortion
.
designated January 22, 1984 as the first National Sanctity of Human Life Day. The date was chosen to coincide with the 11th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade
Supreme Court
case that first recognized the constitutionally-protected status of abortion
in the United States.
Reagan issued the proclamation annually thereafter, designating Sanctity of Human Life Day to be the third Sunday in January, which represents the closest Sunday to the original January 22 date. His successor, George H. W. Bush
, continued the annual proclamation throughout his presidency. Bush's successor, Bill Clinton
, discontinued the practice throughout his eight years in office, but Bush's son and Clinton's successor, George W. Bush
, resumed the proclamation, and did so every year of his presidency.
as "a wonderful statement of what the pro-life
movement is really all about". Reproductive activist groups like NARAL
and Planned Parenthood
have denounced it, saying it signals a desire to roll back the rights of women.
In an amicus brief filed by the National Lawyers Association
in the case of Elk Grove Unified School District v. Newdow
, National Sanctity of Human Life Day was cited as an instance of the executive branch acknowledging the theistic philosophy of the United States government.
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
who opposed abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
.
History
In a January 13, 1984 proclamation, President Ronald ReaganRonald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
designated January 22, 1984 as the first National Sanctity of Human Life Day. The date was chosen to coincide with the 11th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade
Roe v. Wade
Roe v. Wade, , was a controversial landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court on the issue of abortion. The Court decided that a right to privacy under the due process clause in the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution extends to a woman's decision to have an abortion,...
Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
case that first recognized the constitutionally-protected status of abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
in the United States.
Reagan issued the proclamation annually thereafter, designating Sanctity of Human Life Day to be the third Sunday in January, which represents the closest Sunday to the original January 22 date. His successor, George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
, continued the annual proclamation throughout his presidency. Bush's successor, Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, discontinued the practice throughout his eight years in office, but Bush's son and Clinton's successor, George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, resumed the proclamation, and did so every year of his presidency.
Response
The proclamation of National Sanctity of Human Life Day has been heralded by National Right to LifeNational Right to Life Committee
The National Right to Life Committee is the oldest and largest pro-life organization in the United States with affiliates in all 50 states and over 3,000 local chapters nationwide. The group works through legislation and education to work against abortion, infanticide, euthanasia and assisted...
as "a wonderful statement of what the pro-life
Pro-life
Opposition to the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-life, or anti-abortion, movement, a social and political movement opposing elective abortion on moral grounds and supporting its legal prohibition or restriction...
movement is really all about". Reproductive activist groups like NARAL
NARAL Pro-Choice America
NARAL Pro-Choice America , formerly the National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws, then National Abortion Rights Action League, and later National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League, is an organization in the United States that engages in political action to oppose...
and Planned Parenthood
Planned Parenthood
Planned Parenthood Federation of America , commonly shortened to Planned Parenthood, is the U.S. affiliate of the International Planned Parenthood Federation and one of its larger members. PPFA is a non-profit organization providing reproductive health and maternal and child health services. The...
have denounced it, saying it signals a desire to roll back the rights of women.
In an amicus brief filed by the National Lawyers Association
National Lawyers Association
The National Lawyers Association is a voluntary association of lawyers in the United States, similar in many respects to the American Bar Association , but farther to the political right. It was founded in 1993 in response to the ABA's official position in favor of abortion rights.Apart from the...
in the case of Elk Grove Unified School District v. Newdow
Elk Grove Unified School District v. Newdow
Newdow v. United States Congress, Elk Grove Unified School District, et al., 542 U.S. 1 , was a lawsuit originally filed in 2000 which led to a 2002 ruling by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit that the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance are an endorsement of...
, National Sanctity of Human Life Day was cited as an instance of the executive branch acknowledging the theistic philosophy of the United States government.
See also
- Abortion in the United StatesAbortion in the United StatesAbortion in the United States has been legal in every state since the United States Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade, on January 22, 1973...
- Abortion debateAbortion debateThe abortion debate refers to discussion and controversy surrounding the moral and legal status of abortion. The two main groups involved in the abortion debate are the self-described "pro-choice" movement and the "pro-life" movement...
- Abortion and religion
- List of observances in the United States by presidential proclamation
External links
Proclamations- Proclamation 5147, 1984
- Proclamation 5292, 1985
- Proclamation 5430, 1986
- Proclamation 5599, 1987
- Proclamation 5761, 1988
- Proclamation 5931, 1989
- Proclamation 6090, 1990
- Proclamation 6241, 1991
- Proclamation 6397, 1992
- Proclamation 6521, 1993
- Proclamation 7520, 2002
- Proclamation 7639, 2003