ABORTION AND THE CONSCIENCE OF THE NATION.(Ronald Reagan's support of the pro-life movement)(Brief Article)

The recent celebration of his 90th birthday is an excellent reason to once again give thanks for the presidency of Ronald Reagan. Mr. Reagan was our first unashamedly pro-life President.

Those fresh to our Movement may be completely unaware of a book he wrote while President: Abortion and the Conscience of the Nation. When he composed the book (1983), it was the first ever written by a sitting President. Mr. Reagan took a lot of heat for this but--like a true pro-lifer would--wore the criticism as a badge of honor.

I highly recommend this slim but powerful work. Luckily for us, Abortion and the Conscience of the Nation has been reissued by New Regency Publishing, complete with an introduction by NRLC President Wanda Franz, Ph.D., and forewords by the Honorable William P. Clark and Brian Johnston, NRLC western regional director.

In her introduction, Dr. Franz reminded us that "The Reagan Legacy included a wide range of pro-life actions--actions that defied the pro-abortion culture and often had to be passed over the objections of a hostile leadership in Congress."

Mr. Johnston observes in his foreword that President Reagan was a protector of the fundamental rights common to a civilized society, adding that Reagan's assertion of "the preeminence of the right to life will, I believe, eventually gain him history's enduring recognition as a great statesman."

The Honorable William Clark served as Governor Reagan's chief of staff and later as a justice of the California Supreme Court. Under President Reagan, Judge Clark served as Deputy Secretary of State, National Security Adviser, and Secretary of the Interior.

In other words, he knew Mr. Reagan, a very private man, very well. Judge Clark writes in his foreword,