March for Life is a bold statement for transformation
It seems good news / bad news, is the order of the day. It is good news that the Guttmacher Institute reports that the abortion rate in the United States has fallen to its lowest level since the Roe vs. Wade decision of 1973. The bad news is that, based on 2014 numbers, there were still at least 926,200 children aborted in the United States.
Good news is that the overall rate of abortion is half what it was 35 years ago. Bad news is that minorities are so targeted by the abortion industry, that abortion rates are one and a half times greater among Hispanic women and two times greater for African-American women.
Good news is, this weekend, hundreds of thousands of Americans (including many young people) will gather in Washington, D.C., to continue the good news by participating in the March for Life. Bad news is that, except for conservative outlets, most Americans will hear nothing about it. Some call the March for Life “America’s largest uncovered event.” This weekend, I will join the “Crusaders for Life,” Catholic Memorial High School’s pro-life club, for this sign of hope and commitment.
It is estimated that since Roe vs. Wade, more than 56 million babies have been aborted in the U.S. Many high school students, when they realize that from a quarter to a third of their generation was never allowed to be born, are compelled to act. Just as compelled as they are to fight climate change, human trafficking or many other social justice issues. They realize that by advocating for the unborn (the ultimate examples of defenseless people, of dreamers wanting citizenship, of those needing nutrition and shelter security) they are fighting for the most significant human rights issue of our time.
Young people are quick to realize that, beyond its attack on children in the womb, the insidious impact of an abortion culture has skewed attitudes about sexuality; in how we see the lives of others (unborn, disabled, ill or elderly) as mere encumbrances upon individual “rights” or “freedoms”; and how we now objectify aspects of life that were once described as moral, miraculous and loving.
Ideally, these are matters of one’s soul. Instead, what should be discernment of love, is usurped as political debate. What makes us families or communities of support is degraded into rivalries and conflict. But there is reason to hope. As Christians, my students know that their hope is in Christ. But one need not be Christian to see how the March for Life brings hope.
The March for Life, as well as a bold sign, is a chance for youth to encourage transformations based on personal connections. My students travel to Washington with stories to share: of a sibling who might have been aborted because of Down Syndrome; of a minority girl who knows how active the abortion industry is in her community; of friends or relatives who have confronted the decision for life. These students might initiate an encounter that will start the transformation of another person.
On the other hand, most students, like most Americans, have never met a woman who survived a botched abortion. Few have heard firsthand accounts of forced abortions of girls in many parts of the world. Rare is their encounter with a young man, born of rape, who challenges others not to see a reminder of horror, but to find in him conviction and inspiration that hopes to transform the world.
The March for Life is a bold statement that America can, and must, make courageous changes. It also is a personal statement of millions who want to transform their world.