National Sanctity of Human Life Day

National Sanctity of Human Life Day is a day which may be designated annually by the President of the United States for that country's citizens to affirm their belief in the sanctity and dignity of human life.

History
In a January 13 1984 proclamation, President Ronald Reagan designated January 22 1984 as the first National Sanctity of Human Life Day. The date was chosen to coincide with the 11th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court case that legalized abortions in the United States.

Reagan issued the proclamation annually thereafter, designating Sanctity of Human Life Day to be the third Sunday in January, which represents the closest Sunday to the original January 22 date. His successor, George H. W. Bush, continued the annual proclamation throughout his presidency. Bush's successor, Bill Clinton, discontinued the practice throughout his eight years in office, but Bush's son and Clinton's successor, George W. Bush, resumed the proclamation, and has done so every year since his inauguration.

Response
The proclamation of National Sanctity of Human Life Day has been heralded by National Right to Life as "a wonderful statement of what the pro-life movement is really all about". Abortion rights groups like NARAL and Planned Parenthood have denounced it, saying it signals a desire to roll back the rights of women.

In an amicus brief filed by the National Lawyers Association in the case of Elk Grove Unified School District v. Newdow, National Sanctity of Human Life Day was cited as an instance of the executive branch acknowledging the theistic philosophy of the United States government.