Protest Rally Marks 13th Anniversary of Legalized Abortions

With signs, balloons and baby strollers, more than 600 people gathered in a Santa Ana park Saturday to mark by their protest the 13th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion.

Rep. Robert K. Dornan (R-Garden Grove), one of half a dozen politicians and ministers who spoke, told his audience that Congress protected such endangered species as the snaildarter, the condor, the whale and “the little white seals” but had failed to protect human fetuses.

This issue of some “18 million people killed in their mother’s womb” since the 1973 Roe versus Wade decision “is the holocaust issue of our lifetime,” Dornan said. That Supreme Court ruling permits abortions during the first three months of pregnancy.

“This is the issue where the good Germans stood up (after World War II) and said, ‘Why didn’t I say anything?’ ” Dornan said.

‘Number 1 Battle’

The questions then--”Where were you in the resistance? Did you fight the Nazis, the terrorists? What did you do?”--are parallel questions now, he said.

“We’re in the right fight together. This is the number one battle of our age,” Dornan said, as young men and women who had been sitting on the grass, listening quietly with their children, gave Dornan a standing ovation.

In numbers, this year’s Rally for Life in Centennial Regional Park was a far cry from the 7,000-person rally in La Palma Stadium 10 years ago--just three years after the controversial court decision.

Nevertheless, participants said that if Saturday’s rally was smaller than in some other years, the protesters’ commitment to overturn the Supreme Court ruling was as strong as ever.

Keeping Issue Alive

“The point of it is to commemorate the Jan. 22 (1973) Supreme Court ruling. This is a public community affair to educate the public in the issue and not let the issue die,” said Janet Larson, president of California Committee for Choice, as she bounced 6-month-old Andrew Larson in a carrier on her back.

California Committee for Choice was one of a dozen Orange County anti-abortion groups that participated in Saturday’s “Rally for Life.” The rally itself was organized by Pro-Life of Orange County, a Fountain Valley anti-abortion group.

Some of those who came Saturday said they had never been to an anti-abortion rally before and were thinking of joining an anti-abortion group.

“There are a lot of things people care about--apartheid and people starving in Africa,” said Jim Kosinski, an architect from Irvine, who recently joined a group called Crusade for Life. “If we can’t even respect life, all that has no reason at all.”

The rally had the air of a 4th of July picnic. On a sunny, summery afternoon, families sat on folding chairs or on the grass before a stage that was wrapped in red, white and blue bunting. As the afternoon sun grew hot and the politicians talked on, children wandered through the crowd eating popsicles.

But anti-abortion signs and tables loaded with pamphlets gave witness that this was no ordinary day in the park.

“Jesus said Repent or Perish,” said one sign bearing huge red flames. “Choose Life,” said another. A “Life-mobile”--a van carrying video monitors--was conducting showings of “The Silent Scream” and other anti-abortion films.

Two people carrying pro-choice signs attended part of the rally but quietly left as the rally moved into its second and final hour.

Some other Southern California politicians attended the rally or sent messages.

Rep. William E. Dannemeyer (R-Fullerton), a U.S. Senate candidate, told the audience that this was a moral issue that could be remedied by a constitutional amendment barring abortions “rather than the way it is today, with the decision stuffed down our throats as a result of nine justices who are not elected.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich, another candidate for the Senate, also spoke out against abortion. So did Republican Richard E. Longshore, a candidate for the Assembly seat now held by Richard Robinson (D-Garden Grove), and Anaheim Mayor Don Roth, a candidate for 4th District supervisor.

Letters of support, which were read to the audience, were sent by state Sens. Marian Bergeson (R-Newport Beach), Paul B. Carpenter (D-Cypress), William Campbell (R-Hacienda Heights) and Edward R. Royce (R-Anaheim), and Assembly members Doris Allen (R-Cypress) and Gil W. Ferguson (R-Newport Beach).

Said Roth, a father of three children: “I encourage you to increase your numbers, increase your protest. We must halt these sinful killings and halt them soon.”