(Oregon Right to Life) — Live Action founder and president Lila Rose this week delivered a powerful defense of the pro-life position in a debate at Yale University. Attendees found Rose the winner of the debate by a wide 60-31 vote margin.
On Tuesday, Rose engaged in a scheduled debate against activist and former Catholics for Choice president Frances Kissling at Yale.
Kissling, who ran an abortion clinic in the 1970s and became a prominent pro-abortion activist, made the case that the decision to have an abortion ought to be exclusively up to the pregnant woman, arguing that “no one can really say” to women “that the only decision they can make is to carry the pregnancy to term, whatever it means for them and their life, or, the best decision they can make is to exercise their right to end the pregnancy.”
She later stated that she agreed with the trimester framework put forward in Roe v. Wade ostensibly limiting later abortions (though loopholes in Roe effectively legalized abortion on demand throughout pregnancy). She also granted that all human life should have equal value in principle, while arguing that certain lives are treated with greater value than others in practice.
For Kissling, abortion is “a decision about whether you’re going to have a baby or you’re going to end a pregnancy… end the developing life of what would emerge as a new person.”
Meanwhile, Rose, a well-known national pro-life leader, pointed out that human life begins at fertilization as a matter of scientific fact; that abortion involves the brutal dismemberment, starvation, or lethal injection of unborn babies; and that past campaigns of widespread dehumanization have led to grave historical injustices. She also made the case that the 14th Amendment prohibition against depriving “any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law,” written at a time when a majority of states had laws restricting abortion, applies to all persons: born and unborn.
“Every day in this country, nearly three thousand children meet their fate by abortion,” Rose said. “The case against abortion is simple: It is [always] wrong to intentionally kill an innocent human being… abortion intentionally kills an innocent human being. Therefore, abortion is always wrong and it must be illegal because the baby has value and deserves a choice [and] the ability to live.”
A vote taken after the debate found 60 students voting for Rose as the winner compared to just 31 who voted for Kissling.
Live Action said the exchange “underscored the pro-life movement’s unwavering commitment to truth, human dignity, and peaceful dialogue, even in the face of hostility.”
The debate came just days after the assassination of conservative pro-life leader Charlie Kirk during an outdoor public debate event in Utah.
Kirk, a 31-year-old husband and father of two, was a beloved and powerful voice among conservatives, especially young people, and made huge strides in the national conversation since his early entry into politics in 2012 at age 18. He was a prominent advocate for conservative values, including the right to life and freedom of speech.
RELATED: Tributes Pour In After Prominent Pro-Life Conservative Leader Charlie Kirk Assassinated
In the wake of the tragedy, Lila Rose joined many other conservative voices in vowing not to allow a fear of violence to lead them to cancel any upcoming speaking events.
Live Action said its founder “boldly continues the fight for the lives of preborn children and the defense of equal human rights.”
