I am a woman, I am a millennial, and I am pro-life. I know, that's crazy right? Well actually it's more common than you might think. This past Friday, January 27th 2017, hundreds of thousands of people from across America made the trek to DC to march for unborn children and their mothers. I would like to preface this article with mentioning that this a movement of love, not just for the unborn but also for the mothers who have been and are in a situation where they are faced with the option of aborting their baby. In this post, I am going to share a little bit about my experience at the march and end with telling you why I marched. My Friday morning started a little different than most Friday mornings. Instead of waking up early to head to the rink, or head to class, I woke up at 5:30 am and headed to the Verizon Center where thousands gathered for a rally and mass. Here I was reminded that it is okay to speak up when we feel something is unjust. Often times our voices are silenced by fear of what others might think of us, but it is so important for all of us to stand for the things we believe in. After mass we made our way to the Washington Monument where several speakers spoke about the importance of life and the hope that one day we will live in a world where people recognize and value the life of each unborn child. The keynote speaker was Vice President Mike Pence who delivered a memorable speech. Following the speech, two things he said really struck me. The first was he said, "We will continue to win the hearts and minds of the rising generation if our hearts first break for young mothers and their unborn children." I think it is so important to show empathy to any young women who feels like they must consider the option of abortion. I would argue that most women do not want to get an abortion but instead feel they have to because of financial reasons, social criticism, etc. and we (as pro-lifers) need to recognize that hardship. The second thing Vice President Pence said was that "life is winning again." It is so easy, on a college campus, to feel like we are not heading in that direction but after seeing the hundreds of thousands of passionate young men and women here this weekend, I am confident that what he said is true. Before I tell you the reason I marched on Friday, I want to give a little background on when my pro-life beliefs really formed. I was in middle school when I first started gaining interest in the world of politics, so casually in dance class with one of my best friends we would discuss politics while tying our pointe shoes or grabbing a drink from the water fountain. What I learned one day, is that my best friend could have been one of the millions of babies that are aborted every year. She told me everything. She told me how her mother was young, 16 years old, and how everyone in her family told her to abort her except for one aunt. And she could have. And I never would have known my friend. This world would have had an empty place that could have only been filled by her life. But by the grace of God, her mom went against everything. She didn't care if society told her she was too young, she didn't care if her family wasn't going to support her, she didn't care if people would judge her. All she cared about was this life inside her and she knew it was up to her to protect it. This is when the pro-life movement really struck me because I couldn't have imagined my life without this friend and I began thinking about how often women must be in this situation and how hard it must be. After learning about this, I began talking to my mom about abortion and how sad it made me. My mom then told me about my grandma and her story. My grandma was 18 when she had my mother. And like the story of my best friend, my grandma's family encouraged her to get an abortion. "She's too young," "She isn't ready," "What would others say?" These are the words that were spoken to my grandmother. So what did my grandma do, she felt something pulling at her heart and decided to go against everyone. She didn't care if society told her she was too young, she didn't care if her family wasn't going to support her, she didn't care if people would judge her. All she cared about was this life inside her and she knew it was up to her to protect it. Society has created this environment of shame for pregnant women. When a woman is pregnant when they're too young, or out of wedlock, or not financially stable, society condemns them and gives them a supposedly "easy way out." So why did I march this weekend? I marched for the women who have had abortions. I marched for those searching for healing. I marched for the women who find themselves in a situation where they are confronted with the option of abortion so they might be strong enough to go against what society says is okay. Life is precious and we should protect it to our fullest ability. I know people don't want the government to force them to do anything. People want to make their own choices. I'm not here to say the government should decide your fate but instead I am here to encourage young women to choose life. I want their to be support and opportunities to make life the more appealing option.
4 Comments
Catherine
1/31/2017 08:10:29 am
I absolutely love this topic idea. It's refreshing to see a pro-life perspective amongst a school where majority are pro-choice. I understand it might be hard for you to stand up for your beliefs when so many people around you might not agree. I come from a religious background so this is something I can relate to as well. I really applaud you for vocalizing your opinion!
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Zack
1/31/2017 08:41:32 am
Wow, this is a blog I look forward to following over the course of the semester. Like Catherine said above, I can't imagine how hard it must be at times to stand up for your beliefs at a university where many people have the opposing view. I'm excited to see where this goes and learn more about your experiences and perspectives.
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Eli
1/31/2017 06:04:32 pm
This blog has the opportunity to give a voice to--while it may be a minority voice at GW--a large group of young Americans who believe in protecting the sanctity of life. I commend you for tackling a sometimes unpopular perspective in a bold and brave way, and I hope our classmates can share in that appreciation. Blogs like this add value to the marketplace of ideas, hopefully opening up arguments other than what we usually hear from the vocal majority at GW. Two quick aspects of the pro-life movement I hope you include: First, that you incorporate the non-religious arguments for pro-life. Second, that you place as much emphasis as the March for Life did on the choice to choose adoption over abortion. Really excited to see what's to come!
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Jon
1/31/2017 09:12:12 pm
Like everyone else who commented, I'm glad to see a viewpoint that isn't so commonly voiced at GW. But, if I'm understanding your perspective correctly, I can't imagine that it's a very unpopular one. Correct me if I'm wrong, but my understanding of your view is this: pregnant women should be encourgaged to choose to NOT have an abortion, but the government shouldn't make that choice for them. Perhaps, I'm just projecting my view but that's what I got. Regardless, I'm looking forward to reading more of your blog this semester!
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AuthorI am a sophomore at GWU, originally from Northern Minnesota, studying International Affairs and Journalism. This is a blog for my social media class and I really hope you enjoy my perspective as a pro-life millennial. Archives
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