Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan and the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan are leading the way on a petition drive to amend the state constitution to guarantee a woman's so-called right to kill a preborn baby.
Anna Visser of Right to Life of Michigan tells American Family News citizens of The Great Lakes State are largely pro-life.
"They voted in 1972 that we did not want abortion in Michigan," she recalls. "We are hopeful that if this proposal does get approved and signatures are collected that Michigan voters will vote again to be pro-life."
The abortion proponents are gathering signatures as the U.S. Supreme Court considers overturning Roe v. Wade, which would leave abortion regulation up to the states. With that in mind, Kristan Hawkins of Students for Life of America (SFLA) has a few ideas on how to make a difference in the movement.
"It's very important that we as parents have conversations with our children about sex and abortion," she submits. "You have to realize Planned Parenthood and the abortion industry are literally waiting to come into your child's school, their grade school, their middle school, they're waiting on their phone in apps to reach your young people."
SFLA's initiative, Standing With You, offers resources to pregnant students and parents on school campuses. While she acknowledges that it is an uncomfortable conversation, Hawkins asserts that if parents do not have it early, then abortion proponents will beat them to it.
She also thinks pro-lifers must empower young men to have a voice on the abortion issue.
"We have been doing a lot of research at Students for Life about how to talk to young men about abortion, and I have to tell you, the stats are not good," Hawkins relays. "We have an entire generation of young men who have been raised to sit down and shut up and not have an opinion on this issue when everything inside of them tells them to do something."
Without the influence of Roe v. Wade decision, abortion is currently illegal in Michigan.
"Abortion is still illegal in Michigan, according to our 1846 abortion ban that was also updated in 1931," Visser explains. "So abortion as of now is illegal in Michigan if Roe v. Wade gets overturned."
The ban has not been enforced, however, since 1973, when the nation's high court ruled to force abortion on all 50 states. The Supreme Court is due to issue a ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization by June.
