What a wonderful sight to behold: from Capitol Hill, as far as I could see, there was a sea of people on the march for life. But the recent 45th March for Life was bittersweet.
It was inspiring to see so many people, from so many states, marching on behalf of our unborn brothers' and sisters' right to be born. But it was sad to think that we have been marching for 45 years - with no end in sight.

While progress has been made in many states to restrict abortion on demand, we are still a very long way from the day when every single unborn child will be allowed to see the light of day. In 2017 alone, over 900,000 unborn human beings were aborted in the U.S., while worldwide, the number of fellow human beings killed by abortion was approximately 56 million.

The reality of abortion is brutal, ugly and deadly. Challenge yourself to glimpse at what abortion looks like, and then commit yourself to make a difference. Please click this one minute video: www.abortionno.org/.

The annual March for Life in Washington, D.C., the Walk for Life West Coast (Jan. 27), the Midwest March for Life (Jan. 27), and pro-life demonstrations in various state capitols are shots in the pro-life arm, but these one day annual events are simply not enough.

We need to have an ongoing peaceful, prayerful presence at every abortion center.

The pulpit needs to be used much more often to awaken the consciences of the faithful.

Our schools need to effectively teach students about embryonic and fetal human development (see "Conception to Birth: http://bit.ly/1XezTp2), and how abortion brutally ends that development. Students for Life are a good resource here (see: www.studentsforlife.org).    

At the March for Life, I saw signs carried by humble and courageous women saying, "I regret my abortion." Also inspiring were the signs of men saying, "I regret lost fatherhood" (see: www.silentnomoreawareness.org).

Powerful ongoing political pressure needs to be exerted on our local, state and national representatives to pass legislation that will protect all unborn human beings - without exception, for there is never a good reason to kill an unborn baby.

Go to your state Catholic conference's website and sign up to receive their legislative alerts.

And please email and call (Capitol switchboard number: 202-224-3121) your congressional delegation urging them to co-sponsor and vote for the "Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act" (H.R. 4712/S.220), the "Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act" (H.R. 36/S. 2311) and the "Conscience Protection Act" (H.R. 644/S. 301). And urge them to defund Planned Parenthood - which performs over 300,000 abortions every year. For more information, and to contact your senators and congressperson online, please go to http://bit.ly/2lHt7vu.

In her Nobel Peace Prize speech, St. Teresa of Calcutta said, "I feel the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a direct war, a direct killing, direct murder by the mother herself. ... Because if a mother can kill her own child, what is left but for me to kill you and you to kill me - there is nothing in between."

Let's continuously respond to the Lord's call to be consistent peacemakers on behalf of all of our brothers and sisters - born and unborn.

Let's tirelessly peacefully demonstrate, witness, educate, donate, lobby, call, email, text and pray for unborn life, for all life, all year long.

Tony Magliano is an internationally syndicated social justice and peace columnist. He is available to speak at diocesan or parish gatherings. Tony can be reached at tmag@zoominternet.net.