March for Life 2016

Friday marked the 43rd anniversary of the infamous Roe v. Wade Supreme Court case that legalized abortion in the United States.  In the meantime, the annual March for Life was held in Washington, D.C.  Unfortunately, due to the impending snow storm, Delbarton’s trip to Washington, D.C. was cancelled.  At the same time, multiple trips to the March were cancelled for the same reason, which led to an underwhelming turnout compared to normal.  However, those who could attend showed up with fervor.  While everyone there braved the cold and snow, some monks were spotted walking with bare feet.

Meanwhile, I was personally disappointed I could not make the trip out to D.C., but I decided to contribute to the cause as best I could by offering up extra prayers for the unborn children and writing this article.  Furthermore, after googling “March for Life 2016,” I came across a number of pro-life posters I had never seen before, but my favorite was “pro-life is pro-women.”

Moreover, U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren, R-Ill was quoted saying, “We’re here with thousands and thousands of people marching to protect life, to make sure that we recognize the value of every single life. We’ve been doing this for 40 years because we believe one day we will have leaders and a society that again embraces the value of all of life.”  He later stated, “The new generation who is seeing that life is precious – all ages here today.”  This quotation stood out to me because it recognized the pro-life movement’s typical attraction to those considered “old fashion,” or simply, “old” (people born prior to Roe v. Wade in 1973).  The lack of concern for unborn children among today’s adolescents is very apparent, and it is sad.  To see Hultgren refer to the various age groups is an implied highlight of America’s youth at the March, and it brightens my day to know an unexpected number of adolescents turned out to celebrate the value of life.

Legalized abortion was non-existent prior to 1973, and its commonplace status has corrupted the wise, intellectual, and moral minds that make up the American population.  While rallies like March for Life continue to make a difference, it is important to recognize you do not need to be politically conservative or religious to appreciate the beauty of unborn children.