Every January for the past 40 years, a large group of anti-abortion advocates has gathered on the National Mall and then marched to the Supreme Court to mark the anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Organizers say their participants in the past few years have numbered from 200,000 to 400,000, a large part of whom are young people, and yet they remain perplexed why one of the largest demonstrations in Washington, D.C., gets little of the attention they feel it is due.
“What’s exciting is the amazingly large number of young people who are in leadership positions in these groups,” Hunter said. “We’re often in meetings with national groups and we are the oldest in the room, by far, 15, 20 years the oldest in the room, so you have these college grads and people in their 20s and 30s who are really given to this mission and that is very exciting and meaningful to see.”
According to a 2013 Gallup poll, the views on abortion of Americans ages 18 to 34 largely reflect the split in the general public: Forty-one percent of young people surveyed by Gallup thought abortion should be legal in all or some circumstances, while 57 percent said it should be illegal in all or some cases. Adults generally were split 58 percent to 39 percent toward illegal. A 2011 study by the Public Religion Research Institute found six in 10 millennials believe abortion should be legal in at least most cases, but also found that young people’s views do not differ substantially from the general population.
March for Life is an hourlong rally on the Mall, followed by a walk to the Supreme Court steps for another gathering. Around the march itself are a number of other related events, and people drive from far and wide for the festivities, with local groups like the Arlington diocese finding space even on gym floors to accommodate them all.
Beyond its symbolic importance, the march is a signature event every year for anti-abortion advocates, including politicians.
“The March for Life is the only place where all of the different pro-life groups come together, and I absolutely believe in that famous quote, ‘If we don’t all hang together, we’ll sure all hang separately,” said March for Life Education and Defense Fund President Jeanne Monahan. “And the sheer number that come together, in D.C. and across the country, it’s so rare for that many people to come together and advocate for the same thing, so that alone is beautiful.”
"In a preview of tomorrow's theme, Monahan reminded the pro-life leaders present that “1.21 million babies are aborted annually, versus only about 18,000 to 20,000 infants who are adopted.”
“We're trying to encourage mothers who are facing an unexpected pregnancy to consider the nobility of being a birth mother,” she said.
Beverly Miller, 39, of Mankato, Minn., made her first trip to join the march with her 15-year-old son Joseph and youth from their church. Her local diocese rented buses and drove 20 hours to the nation’s capital. “When we get together in a group like this and we see that there’s hundreds of thousands of other people like us, it gives us strength and courage and hope that we aren’t alone. If we stand together, we really can make a difference,” she said. The march began on the National Mall with a rally. Then protesters marched along Constitution Avenue to Capitol Hill and the Supreme Court.
Every January for the past 40 years, a large group of anti-abortion advocates has gathered on the National Mall and then marched to the Supreme Court to mark the anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Organizers say their participants in the past few years have numbered from 200,000 to 400,000, a large part of whom are young people, and yet they remain perplexed why one of the largest demonstrations in Washington, D.C., gets little of the attention they feel it is due.
ReplyDelete“What’s exciting is the amazingly large number of young people who are in leadership positions in these groups,” Hunter said. “We’re often in meetings with national groups and we are the oldest in the room, by far, 15, 20 years the oldest in the room, so you have these college grads and people in their 20s and 30s who are really given to this mission and that is very exciting and meaningful to see.”
According to a 2013 Gallup poll, the views on abortion of Americans ages 18 to 34 largely reflect the split in the general public: Forty-one percent of young people surveyed by Gallup thought abortion should be legal in all or some circumstances, while 57 percent said it should be illegal in all or some cases. Adults generally were split 58 percent to 39 percent toward illegal. A 2011 study by the Public Religion Research Institute found six in 10 millennials believe abortion should be legal in at least most cases, but also found that young people’s views do not differ substantially from the general population.
March for Life is an hourlong rally on the Mall, followed by a walk to the Supreme Court steps for another gathering. Around the march itself are a number of other related events, and people drive from far and wide for the festivities, with local groups like the Arlington diocese finding space even on gym floors to accommodate them all.
Beyond its symbolic importance, the march is a signature event every year for anti-abortion advocates, including politicians.
“The March for Life is the only place where all of the different pro-life groups come together, and I absolutely believe in that famous quote, ‘If we don’t all hang together, we’ll sure all hang separately,” said March for Life Education and Defense Fund President Jeanne Monahan. “And the sheer number that come together, in D.C. and across the country, it’s so rare for that many people to come together and advocate for the same thing, so that alone is beautiful.”
http://www.politico.com/story/2014/01/march-for-life-2014-102461.html
"In a preview of tomorrow's theme, Monahan reminded the pro-life leaders present that “1.21 million babies are aborted annually, versus only about 18,000 to 20,000 infants who are adopted.”
ReplyDelete“We're trying to encourage mothers who are facing an unexpected pregnancy to consider the nobility of being a birth mother,” she said.
EWTN - March for life 2014 - Live
ReplyDeleteYou tube
Beverly Miller, 39, of Mankato, Minn., made her first trip to join the march with her 15-year-old son Joseph and youth from their church. Her local diocese rented buses and drove 20 hours to the nation’s capital.
ReplyDelete“When we get together in a group like this and we see that there’s hundreds of thousands of other people like us, it gives us strength and courage and hope that we aren’t alone. If we stand together, we really can make a difference,” she said.
The march began on the National Mall with a rally. Then protesters marched along Constitution Avenue to Capitol Hill and the Supreme Court.
http://washington.cbslocal.com/2014/01/22/thousands-will-mark-30th-anniversary-of-roe-v-wade-with-march-for-life/