Washington — 

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today expressed his gratitude for the thousands of people who travel to Washington, D.C., to participate in the March for Life, a peaceful rally to stand up for the unborn. 

Thune’s speech below (as prepared for delivery):

“Mr. President, this Friday, as they do every year, individuals from every corner of the United States will come to Washington, D.C., to participate in the national March for Life.

“As usual, South Dakotans will be among them.

“Tens of thousands of individuals will march from the National Mall to the Supreme Court to bear witness to a simple truth: that unborn babies are human beings and that they deserve to be protected.

“Mr. President, it can be easy sometimes for human beings to turn their backs on injustice.

“We don’t want to get involved.

“We’re reluctant to speak out.

“And it’s particularly easy to turn our backs in the case of abortion, because the injustice of abortion is hidden.

“It happens out of public view, behind closed doors.

“But we must not forget that every day in the United States, unborn babies are being killed.

“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which compiles data on the number of U.S. abortions, reports that there were more than 638,000 legal induced abortions in 2015. 

“638,000.

“That is roughly equivalent to three-quarters of the population of South Dakota.

“That is an incredible number of lives lost.

“An incredible amount of joy lost.

“An incredible amount of love lost.

“And it’s all too easy to forget, because we don’t see it happening.

“But, Mr. President, we can’t forget.

“We can’t forget injustice.

“We can’t let fear or discomfort stop us from speaking up for those who cannot speak up for themselves.

“And fortunately, there are tens of thousands of men and women and young people around this country who are committed to speaking up for the unborn.

“And who travel to Washington, D.C., every year to remind us of the truth about abortion.

“To remind us that abortion is the destruction of an innocent human life.

“That every abortion kills an innocent human being, with her own DNA and her own distinct identity.

“Mr. President, I can think of few greater things than to defend the defenseless, to stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves.

“I am grateful for all those who will march through the streets of D.C. on Friday to speak up for the innocent unborn.

“I thank them for reminding us of this great injustice.

“And I join them in praying that one day every child will be safe from abortion.”