Why We March…

My mother is one of the founders of the March for Life — in fact, she was pregnant with me during that first March — and the story of how it all came about is an interesting one.

A few years prior to the March, my mother found herself in a convent in the South. Though the “nun” thing didn’t work out, this time did help her to gain insight into the plight of the African-American living in the South at the time.

Having a heart for what they were suffering, she decided that she was going to help black men and women register and exercise their right to vote.

She marched with Martin Luther King, Jr. and had more than one close call during this time, but God kept this little 5-foot-3 firebrand of a woman safe through riots and unspoken perils while helping the disenfranchised.

Soon after, she decided to become a teacher in the inner city of Chicago.  She was convinced that an education was the way out for the young men and women that she taught — an education could offer them a better life — and she was going to do her part.

Eventually she met my dad in Chicago and they moved out East.  It was at this time that Roe v. Wade was coming down the pike and she saw her first image of an aborted baby.

She couldn’t believe that a civil society could allow such a thing — there was no way she could stand by and let the voiceless die without at least her voice to protest.

For my mother, it was a natural progression to fight for the rights and education of black men and women and then turn her attention towards another marginalized group that was being threatened in society — babies in the womb.

She and six other dedicated men and women met around the dining room table of Nellie Gray’s home in Washington, D.C. They decided the best response to Roe v. Wade was to commemorate the one year anniversary with a March for Life.

Some had marched alongside Martin Luther King, Jr. or fought for equality in their own neck of the woods — they were familiar with “marching” and felt that a March For Life would be an effective symbol of their solidarity with the littlest members of society.

But it wasn’t all roses — there were some within the larger group who grew skeptical and worried that nobody would show up in DC in January — they were afraid of failure.

But that courageous handful of men and women, including my mother, decided that they would not walk away in fear. They would stand — and they would march.  Their determination is what ensured the success of the March.

They were willing to risk failure as long as they could look themselves, their God, and their kids in the eyes when they were asked “What did you do when this horrific thing was happening?”  You have to love the fact that they were so fearless!

And the March became a grassroots success — and for 40 plus years, people have been showing up every January, in the worst weather, by the hundreds of thousands to march in solidarity with the most vulnerable members of our society.

That’s Why They Marched, But why do we March?

We March For Our Sisters, Daughters, and Friends Who Felt Alone

We march for the women who felt alone — so alone that they felt that the only choice for them to make was aborting their own child.  We failed you, and we are so sorry that we left you alone.  But we want you to know that if you are hurting, there is healing and forgiveness and life can be beautiful again.  Maybe start here.

You will find no judgement here. We’re just so sorry for your loss, and we’re sorry that you have had to suffer something so horrific in silence — for so long.  We march for you and we march for anybody else in a crisis pregnancy who thinks that they are alone.  We love you, and God loves you, and we hope you’ll forgive us for failing to help you when you needed us most.

We March Because Girls Are Being Selectively Aborted Around the World –Just Because They’re Girls.

We are the ultimate feminists — we believe every girl around the world deserve a chance at life, just like every boy.  In increasing numbers around the world, perfectly healthy girls are being aborted — just because they’re not boys!

We’re here to say that the world is an amazing place because girls are in it — okay, there’s a lot of amazing boys out there too — but there is no superior sex.  We are different, for sure, but we have equal worth in the eyes of God, and we should have equal worth in the eyes of men.  We March for Girls everywhere.

We March Because We Want Our Girls to Have Good Role Models

People whom I know, love, and admire attended the March for Women in D.C. in it’s inaugural year.

Gotta be honest, I think marching for women is great — I mean, the March for Life has been doing it for 40 plus years — but I am surprised at some of the choices the organizers the March for Women made (and continue to make) in representing womanhood.

No pro-life feminist groups were allowed to partner with the March for Women — and believe me, they tried.

Since when did loving and supporting moms and babies make you anti-woman?  Apparently this was a March for pro-abortion women only — how very inclusive of them!

But all that aside,  couldn’t the organizers have chosen better role models for the next generation of women in their inaugural year?  I mean, Madonna?  Really?  That’s the best they could come up with?

In about 3 minutes time, she managed to sing out of tune (admittedly, better than I could do) drop the F-Bomb three times (apparently, to be strong you have to swear) and suggested bombing the White House might be a reasonable option (is violence really the answer to our problems?!), amongst other ridiculous things.

Yes, girls, if you really want to get even with the slimeballs of the world, be like Madonna and spend most of your adult life gyrating on stage — practically naked —  because we all know that slimy guys aren’t into that at all.

That will show them! (Insert face-palm)

Frankly, if that’s the brand of woman that they’re selling — then I ain’t buying!

Girls deserve role models who are strong, who will stand up for what is right, and who treat themselves and others with respect — and who can be totally clothed while doing it — go figure!

And they might not be famous, but almost every women you pass in the March For Life is happy, joyful, and confident in who they are as women.

They believe that women are strong enough and capable enough to pursue their dreams without causing harm to another — now that’s the type of role model girls deserve to see!

We March Because We Aren’t Afraid of Science

Can you believe that you can still legally abort a baby at any point in your pregnancy, including the day of your delivery?  I mean, science, people.

A beating heart can be detected at just the first month of life — ain’t no Big Mac if it’s got a heart beat — let’s be honest with ourselves — these are babies.

They have unique fingerprints, unique DNA, they feel pain, and they can smile in their mother’s womb. They are human beings who have been marginalized and made vulnerable — and like every other man, woman, or child in our midst — they deserve the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

We March Because We are Survivors

Many of us were born after Roe V. Wade.  Our parents chose life.  Not gonna lie — I’m pretty darn grateful that they did!  We have survived, but how many of our friends and family members didn’t survive?  How many have been denied the right to do something great with their lives?

We March for everybody we lost and are missing today.

We March For the The Little Guys Who Will One Day Be Men.

Most of us know a number of really good men — men who have sacrificed for the good of others, who take responsibility for their actions, and never willingly treat women as objects.  They are out there — probably in greater numbers than some would have us believe.

We march in honor of every good husband, son, brother, and boyfriend.  We especially march for the little guys who will one day be men — we will continue to cheer you on as you grow into the amazing men we always knew that you could be.

May you always fight for the weak, the vulnerable, and those without a voice.  We believe in your goodness and we pray that when given the choice to do the right thing or the easy thing  — you’ll have the strength to choose the right thing, even when it’s difficult.

We March Because We Are Women

Yes, we are women and we have breasts and a uterus — and that makes us different from men.  That’s not just okay — that’s amazing.

We don’t have to be moms –nope — but one day we just might get to be a mom, and we don’t take that for granted.

It is a privilege to be a mother and to love somebody so much that you’d go to hell and back just to bring them to life.  We aren’t trying to be second-rate men but first-rate women.

The feminine genius, baby, it’s for real.  And it’s a fearsome thing to behold! As Catherine of Sienna once said, Be who you were meant to be, and you will set the world on fire!

We are women marching to encourage other women to embrace the unique, unrepeatable person they are — to embrace their God-given dignity and value.

We March Because Little Lives Matter

We March because over 1 million babies are aborted each year in the US alone — that’s over 2,700 babies each day.  Little Lives Matter — no matter how small.

We want to honor them, pray for them, and recognize their worth.  They matter. We love Them. We love their mothers and fathers. Enough Said. Period.  The End.

But that’s not the end.  It’s only the beginning.

Join us at the March for Life — as we march for those who have no voice, for those who do but are afraid to use them, and for those who feel they’re not worthy to march alongside of us.

You are worthy.  You are good.  You are beautiful.  Join us at the March.

For more info, go here.

This post dedicated to the unsung heroes of the First March For Life.  We March now because you marched then.