Full of life

Roe v. Wade | Revitalized by young activists and growing support, the pro-life movement faces new tensions | Marvin Olasky

Photograph by Jim Esposito Photography L.L.C./Getty Images

Two decades ago the vast majority of participants in Washington, D.C.'s annual March for Life were middle-aged or elderly, and that did not look good for the pro-life movement: How slow would the March in 2012 be if many of the walkers needed their walkers?

If the hundreds of thousands of pro-life marchers on this year's Jan. 22 Roe v. Wade anniversary are like those in recent years, the movement's rejuvenation will be clear even to abortion advocates. In 2010 Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, watched the march and gave Newsweek her thoughts of the unfolding nightmare: "My gosh, they are so young. There are so many of them, and they are so young."

Some numbers show the pro-life movement's revival. Students for Life has doubled the number of its chapters in the past five years, and now has more than 600. The prayer group 40 Days for Life began in 2004 and now has vigils in about 400 cities. Care Net has doubled the number of centers in the past decade, and now has more than 1,100 affiliates.