by Rick Hinshaw
“The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only legitimate object of good government.” – Thomas Jefferson, 1809, to the Republican Citizens of Washington County, MD
On June 24, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, overturned the Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling declaring a Constitutional right to abortion that is nowhere found in the Constitution. With the Dobbs decision, the high court returned law-making authority regarding abortion to the people, through our elected representatives.
Four years on from that decision, where does the pro-life cause now stand?
Beginning of course with prayer, there is much to be done on all fronts to build a culture of life: education; political and legislative advocacy; public witness; and, critically, creating and sustaining an environment that is welcoming to new life, supportive of mothers and babies during pregnancy and following birth, and affirming of the critical importance of healthy family life.
To that end, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, on Mother’s Day, launched Moms.gov, “a groundbreaking website for new and expectant mothers” that HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. said, “delivers critical tools and support to help parents foster healthy pregnancies, strengthen young families, and create brighter futures for their children.”
Finally, in the true spirit of Thomas Jefferson’s words above, the federal government is directing resources toward the care and nurturing of new human lives, rather than their destruction.
As reported in the National Catholic Register at Moms.gov, directs people to Pregnancy Resource Centers that “oppose abortion” and provide such “life-affirming” services as “pregnancy testing, ultrasounds, classes for childbirth, testing for sexually transmitted diseases, and support for parenting and supplies for childcare.”
Mom.gov also provides links to Federally Qualified Health Centers throughout the country, which, while “not ideologically opposed to abortion,” generally do not perform abortions, the Register notes. They do “provide high-quality care, including primary care services, maternal care, and prenatal care,” to low-income Americans, Mom.gov explains.
In addition, the Register summarizes, “The website links to dietary guidelines for pregnant women, nursing mothers, and children. It offers information on breastfeeding and how health conditions could affect pregnancy along with resources on mental health. It provides information about federal savings accounts available for children and information on low prices for prescription drugs.”
In short, Moms.gov is a welcome initiative by the federal government to promote the care and flourishing of human life and happiness from its very beginning—an appropriate development as we commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, proclaiming that we are all created equal, and endowed by our Creator with the unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
In the latest Reading the Signs podcast, Clare Hinshaw shares her insights on the current status of the pro-life movement from her vantage point in the D.C. beltway, where she works at Young America’s Foundation to advance conservative ideals, traditional values, and the sanctity of life.
www.Moms.Gov
HHS Website Links to Life-affirming Care for Expectant Mothers and Their Children
Watch the commentary of this dynamic pro-life voice: 4 Years Since Roe
