7 Days of Life: Why Do I March?

The March for Life’s campaign surrounding the 2014 March is #WhyWeMarch.  This push made me reflect on why I march.  It is not an easy thing to answer.  I know what brought me to the pro-life movement – in all honesty it was a job offer from the Family Research Council.  But what made me pro-life?  Why do I March?

 

I March for my parents for giving me my faith and love of knowledge and debate.  I grew up in a family of eight kids, not quite Duggar territory, but not shabby. And while unfortunately not all are pro-life, we were all taught to be both open minded but also be able to defend our positions.  While I am a cradle Catholic it wasn’t till years later I embraced that.  When I was pretty young I was an early riser.  I would get up and then turn on the television for Gilligan Island reruns.  My Mom would have none of that and insisted I go to daily Mass with my Dad.  This not only gave me an incredible bond with my Dad, it turned into me being a daily communicant for most of my childhood and, even though I didn’t know it at the time, gave me my love for the Church.  It was also my Mom who one summer as I was watching television (once again, though this time Mr. Ed reruns) who decided she would have none of that either, and instead introduced me to first editions of the Hardy Boy novels we had up in the attic.  This evolved into me being a voracious reader of anything I could get my hands on.  And as we got older it was my now deceased Dad, a judge and lawyer, who would make meal times interesting by sometimes making us take varying positions on things, and see how we fared against the toughest crowd around – our siblings.

 

I March for my best friend and his girlfriend choosing life.  In my last year of high school one of my two best friends at the time took his own life.  A month after that his girlfriend found out she was two months pregnant.  She decided that she would keep and raise the child.  For my freshman and sophomore years of college I would spend my summer days taking care of her son as she worked days and I worked nights.  For a guy with a pretty reckless reputation it was an eye opener being partially responsible for that life.  In future years it even inspired me for a short while to work day care.  He is now a full grown man and his Mom, who deserves all the credit for his turning out so well, couldn’t be prouder.

 

I March for my unborn child.  A few years after my college graduation, while I was still pretty reckless, I got a young woman pregnant.  Even though we did not work out there was no question we would keep the child.  Unfortunately late in the pregnancy we lost the child.  I know God has a plan in all things.

 

I March for my wife for strengthening my faith and reminding me why it is so important.  She grew up in a family of seven kids and her family is without a doubt more devout.  She incidentally is also in the pro-life movement – however she is in the much more important side – that of ministry.  She sees politics for what it is – not the final answer.

 

So to sum it up:

 

I March for my parents, and all parents, may they teach their children right and wrong and that good and evil do exist – and you need to stand up for what is good.

 

I March for my friend’s child and that child’s mother – and all parents who face a difficult decision and make the right one – be it parenthood or adoption

 

I March for all those who lost a child, deliberately or otherwise, before they had a chance to live.  That they may find healing

 

I March for my wife, and other incredible women like her.  My Mom, my mother in law, sisters, sister in laws, nieces and so on.  That they may help create a world where all human life, at all stages, is given the full value it deserves and that they may always be safe from those who would exploit them in the name of politics.

 

And I March for the inspiration to continue doing the work I have grown to love.  Nothing is more inspiring than seeing hundreds of thousands of people, mostly young, marching to end abortion.

 

That is why I March.  Why do you?

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