Steve Baldwin

During the climactic scene in 1993’s film Falling Down (spoilers ahead), Michael Douglas’ character, William Foster — known as “D-Fens,” after his license plate — asks a haunting question in a mix of disbelief and dawning recognition: “I’m the bad guy?” Robert Duvall’s Detective Prendergast, gun steadily trained on him, answers sympathetically: “Yeah.” “How’d that happen?” D-Fens asks.

I first learned the news from two female co-workers. One clapped her hands, while the other one practically jumped up and down. The Supreme Court had overturned Roe v. Wade. My response surprised me. I did not experience the same enthusiastic joy as my co-workers. Not that I’m the clapping-hands, jumping-up-and-down type, anyway. But I certainly was not doing that internally, either. This was strange, because I have been a strong pro-life supporter more than 30 years.

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