Since the beginning of the War on Terror in Iraq and Afghanistan, thousands of American soldiers have been killed. This has been a tragic loss. Another war, however, has taken an even greater amount of American lives — over 47 million to be exact. When did this war start, and where does it take place? It started with the 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision which legalized abortion, and the war is taking place directly on our own soil.

Terrorism is a growing threat. Not a day goes by without hearing of the deaths it causes. Perhaps a greater threat than Islamic terrorism, though, is the abortionist’s scalpel. This terror often goes unnoticed, because the screams of the victims are silent. Today, we rightly fear the threat of losing our freedom. But, if we cannot as a nation defend our most basic right, that of life, for our own citizens, how can we ever defend ourselves from the threats against national security? As precious as Americans view freedom, how can we deny that freedom to the future children of our nation, the future that comes from a mother’s womb?

According to science, a baby’s heart starts beating 20 days after conception. If America does not defend her children at home, how can we expect to defeat terrorism abroad? On the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade, Jan. 22, let us stand together and put an end to the silent screams. Once we defeat the enemy within, then we can face the enemy without more effectively.

Patricia Hahn