After thirty-five years of living under Roe v. Wade, many pro-life Americans are understandably weary. This frustration makes them more receptive to the arguments of those who claim that the battle against legal abortion has simply been lost, and that the only sensible goal now is to enact social programs that will make abortion less likely, even if this means voting for pro-choice candidates.

But Michael New, writing for Public Discourse, insists that these arguments are at odds with the facts. Though the situation remains unacceptable, pro-life laws, passed by pro-life politicians, have managed to reduce the rate of abortion—since every life saved is precious, it would be no trivial matter to lose ground so painstakingly won.