Upcoming anti-abortion rights conference presupposes demise of Roe v. Wade

The youth-focused anti-abortion rights group Students for Life of America (SFLA) recently announced its upcoming annual national conference with a theme of “Envision,” as in “Envision … a World Without Abortion.”

The conference, scheduled for Jan. 22, 2012, at the North Bethesda Marriott just outside of Washington, D.C., falls on two important anniversaries for both sides of the anti-abortion rights movement: the 39th anniversary of the *Roe v. Wade * and *Doe v. Bolton *decisions, marking the 39th anniversary of legal abortion in the U.S.

“This January, Students for Life of America calls on you to Envision the future of the pro-life movement, the overturning of Roe v. Wade/Doe v. Bolton, and a world where no more women cry and no more babies die,” wrote SFLA Executive Director Kristan Hawkins in a press release, which estimates the conference’s attendance at 1,800.

Already, SFLA has carved out panel discussions and strategy sessions that focus not on how to criminalize abortion in all cases, but how to shape the debate and the abortion movement once Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton have successfully been overturned. On the schedule now are sessions titled: “What’s** the New Standard of Healthcare without Abortion?” and “How to Bring Healing to Those After Abortion.” Birth control is also on the agenda for discussion.

“Some may say that our theme is too grand, too forward thinking, un-realistic,” Hawkins said. “However, I think it’s just [what] our movement needs. If we are ever going to end legal abortion in America, we need to start talking about it, envision what it will look like, and make our plans for victory now.”

Confirmed conference speakers include the Family Research Council’s Patrick Fagan, Operation Rescue’s Troy Newman, 40 Days for Life’s David Bereit and representatives from the Christian litigation firm the Alliance Defense Fund.

SFLA’s 2011 national conference included Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), author of the “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act,” which passed the U.S. House of Representatives this year.