On January 24, people from across the nation and around the world faced icy cold temperatures at the Mall in Washington D.C. for the 32nd annual March for Life. The event was attended by over 100,000 people who gathered to express their repudiation for the infamous 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that denied pre-born children the right to life.
The gathering began with speeches from three cardinals, 16 bishops and around 20 congressmen. President Bush also addressed the crowd by telephone from Camp David, Md. The president’s speech stressed the importance of valuing life, regardless of what the conditions of that life may be: “We know that in a culture that does not protect the most dependent: the handicapped, the elderly, the unloved or simply inconvenient become increasingly vulnerable.”
Congressman Mike Pence (R-Ind.) added a sobering note to the event by citing Thomas Jefferson: “Liberty is God’s gift and I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is Just and His Justice cannot sleep forever.”
Over 100 TFP members, friends and supporters also attended the march, with hallmark standards, capes and banners, and their Holy Choirs of Angels marching band which enlivened the event with patriotic music.
As the crowd marched past the band, a TFP statement titled “As Long As It Takes: A Time to Renew Our Resolve,” was distributed which drew a link between abortion and other moral aberrations in today’s society. It read:
Once the killing of an innocent child in the mother’s womb is accepted as a “right,” the ground is ready for the acceptance of other unnatural “rights” such as same-sex “marriage” and domestic partnerships, embryonic research and other issues. One moral wrong paves the way for the next.
In this light, the march became more than just a protest against the evil of abortion, but an outcry against a moral climate in which sins like abortion are even considered.
As the end of the march made its way up the hill leading to the Supreme Court building, the mercury dropped and a light snow began to fall. This created an epic scene as thousands pushed their way through adverse weather to stand up for the moral values so lacking in our society.
At election time, Americans made their commitment to these moral values clear. At this year’s March for Life, those present showed a dogged persistence to continue marching as long as it takes to overturn Roe v. Wade and renew a sense of decency to America.