March for Life

Pope Benedict & a Culture of Life

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Pope Benedict & a Culture of Life

While the March for Life is a non-sectarian organization, we are unabashedly grateful to Pope Benedict for his ongoing advocacy for life and the dignity of the human person at all stages throughout his priesthood and his pontificate! In his honor today we share a few of our favorite B16 quotes related to building a culture of life:

On the MARCH FOR LIFE: At the 2013 March for Life, the Holy Father tweeted   “I join all those marching for life from afar, and pray that political leaders will protect the unborn and promote a culture of life.”

On abortion being a human rights abuse: “…the right to life…is a right that must be sustained by all, because it is the first fundamental right of all human rights.”

On abortion never being a positive thing for women: “…society as a whole must defend the conceived child’s right to life and the true good of the woman who can never, in any circumstances, find fulfillment in the decision to abort.”

On legislation that does not promote and protect life: “I am convinced that legislative measures which not only permit but at times even promote abortion for reasons of convenience or for questionable medical motives compromise the education of young people and, as a result, the future of humanity.”

On science and technology being at the service of life: “If the human being is reduced to an object of experimental manipulation from the very earliest stages of his development this means that biotechnological medicine has surrendered to the will of the stronger. Trust in science must not make one forget the primacy of ethics when human life is at stake.”

On the relationship between being pro-life and authentic human development: “Openness to life is at the center of true development. When a society moves towards the denial or suppression of life, it ends up no longer finding the necessary motivation and energy to strive for man’s true good. If personal and social sensitivity towards the acceptance of a new life is lost, then other forms of acceptance that are valuable for society also wither away. The acceptance of life strengthens moral fiber and makes people capable of mutual help.”

Thank you, Pope Benedict, for standing up for the goodness of life! We love you!

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2013 Rose Dinner

 

Purchase Rose Dinner Tickets

Friday Evening, January 25, 2013

Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill

6:00 PM – Social Hour

7:00 PM – Opening Prayer and Dinner

 

We are pleased to announce that the 31st Rose Dinner will be held on Friday evening, January 25, 2013 in the Regency Ballroom of the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill, 400 New Jersey Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001. The annual event is the culmination of our MARCH FOR LIFE activities, and promises to be an exciting evening for everyone. Tickets are $100 at the door. For administrative reasons, online ticket sales ARE NOW CLOSED.

New Nellie Gray 5K set for January 26, 2013

The Inaugural Nellie Gray 5K Run/Walk with Kids 1K Fun Run will be held at 8:00 AM on Saturday, January 26, 2013 in West Pototmac Park, Washington, DC. The event is being hosted by the National LIFE Runners Team…All in Christ for Pro-Life! Click here to see a flyer for the event. LIFE Runners Jeff Grabosky and Jeff Pauls are the race directors. You may register for the races and order your LIFE Runners jersey a http://liferunners.org/signup/. There is no cost to take part in the event but all participants are encouraged to make a donation to the March for Life by clicking here and scrolling to the March for Life 5K Donation section. Suggested donations are $20 per adult; $5 per child; or $50 per family.

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Timeline of MFL Events

A success! On January 22, 1974 thousands of pro-lifers participated in the first March for Life to stand up for the unborn. An inspiring rally was held as Members of Congress announced pro-life legislation and expressed their support for the pro-life cause. The program concluded with a “Circle of Life” march around the Capitol, followed by participants lobbying their Members of Congress.

Soon after that first March in 1974, it became apparent that congressional protection for the unborn was not on the horizon. Instead of sitting on the sidelines, Nellie decided that the MARCH FOR LIFE, rather than the originally anticipated one-time event, would instead be held every year until Roe v. Wade was overturned. That year, the March for Life became incorporated as an action-oriented non-profit organization, and the “Life Principles” were developed as the underlying guideline of the organization.

With Nellie’s leadership, the March continued to grow and develop each year. Nellie was an ever-faithful voice for the most vulnerable in society, working to protect the preborn until her last hours of life. While each MARCH FOR LIFE has faced a unique challenge or obstacle, the numbers of participants have continued to grow. Below are some highlights of the dedication of pro-lifers over the past forty years:

1987

On January 22, 1987, as pro-lifers began their annual pilgrimage to Washington D.C. for the MARCH FOR LIFE, many faced a terrible snow storm.  While some had to turn back, thousands continued on to Washington D.C. to witness for the preborn.  Nellie later commented “Our continuing to march that day was not stubbornness to defy the elements, but willingness to cope as best we could in our determined efforts to defend the unalienable and paramount right to life of our born and preborn brothers and sisters.” Police estimated that 10,000 people trod through the deep snow that day.

1990

In 1990 it was apparent that the March was growing tremendously. For the first time, buses had to park at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial (RFK) stadium and pro-lifers took the Metro to the March. Unfortunately, there was an escalator collapse in which many pro-lifers were hurt; as a result, many others had to walk miles to the rally.  But, they graciously walked the “extra mile” with joy for the sake of life!

1995

In 1995 there were disruptions in the planning of the March because of shootings at an abortion facility. The press sought comment from the MARCH FOR LIFE Education and Defense Fund, and we reassured them that the March for Life is dedicated to protecting life through peaceful means.

1998

In 1998, to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Roe and Doe, the dedication of prolife Americans was proven again with an unprecedented number of Marchers. The rally featured three former pro-abortion activists who had become pro-life: Dr. Bernard Nathanson, founder of NARAL, Norma McCorvey, the plaintiff in Roe v. Wade, and Sandra Cano, the plaintiff in Doe v. Bolton.

2002

In 2002 the MARCH FOR LIFE was held just months after the September 11th terrorist attacks on America. The march went on and thousands courageously made the journey to Washington, DC despite the uncertainty and fear that the attack brought upon the American people.

2005

In 2005, on the stage, the family of Terri Schiavo, who were then battling to save her from starvation and dehydration, reminded the marchers that the right to life applies not only to the unborn, but all, including the disabled and terminally ill.

2006

The year 2006 brought excitement to the March, as two Supreme Court seats opened up in 2005. Following the retirement of Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and the passing of Chief Justice Rehnquist, President Bush nominated Judge John G. Roberts and Judge Samuel Anthony Alito to the Supreme Court. The President also raised Justice Roberts to Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.  Pro-lifers had hope that Roe v. Wade/Doe v. Bolton cases would be corrected.

2009

The March in 2009 was held two days after the Inauguration of President Barack Obama, who had expressed his support of abortion. Perhaps in response, the March for Life estimated that it was the largest March to date, with hundreds of thousands of participants.

2011

In 2011, there was a sense of renewal as the 111th Congress was sworn in, bringing many new faces to Washington, including many who were elected on pro-life platforms. At the rally, a record fifty-three members of Congress spoke to voice their support for the unborn!

2013

The 2013 March will be filled with sadness as pro-lifers mourn the 40-year legacy of Roe v. Wade, and the passing of Nellie Gray.  At the same time, we are filled with a sense of gratitude as we look back on all the great work that she did in organizing and running the March for Life for the better part of a century. Nellie dedicated all of her energy to advocating for the most vulnerable in society. Under her leadership, the March grew from 30 concerned citizens gathering in a Washington D.C. home to the present day march that draws hundreds of thousands of people from all fifty states and countless countries!

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Citizen Lobbying

GET AMERICAN TAXPAYERS OUT OF THE ABORTION INDUSTRY!

The March for Life Education and Defense Fund encourages Marchers to reach out to their elected officials concerning life issues.  While you are in town for the March for Life, take the opportunity to visit your Congressman or Senator’s office to advocate for an important piece of pro-life legislation, H.R. 7 (information below).

Back at home, be sure to call, write, email, or use social media to contact your elected officials.  They need to hear from you!

H.R. 7, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, was introduced by Pro-life Caucus Co-Chairs Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Dan Lipinski (D-IL) and would establish a government-wide permanent prohibition on funding for elective abortion and insurance coverage that includes elective abortion.  It would also close abortion-funding loopholes created by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), prohibit tax-preferred status for abortion through health savings accounts (and other similar arrangements) and itemized deductions.

No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act would not affect either the ability of an individual to pay for an abortion (or for abortion coverage) through private funds, or the ability of an entity to provide separate abortion coverage.  H.R. 7 does not affect funding for family planning services.

At the end of Title I of the U.S. Code, the legislation would add the Hyde Amendment that now covers programs funded through the Labor/Health and Human Services appropriations bill, the Act also would make permanent such laws as the Helms Amendment (no funds for abortion as a method of family planning overseas) and the Smith Amendment (no funds for health plans covering elective abortions for federal employees).

Statistics bolster the argument that direct federal funding for abortion increases the number of abortions performed.

  • In 1993, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that the Federal Government would pay for as many as 675,000 abortions annually were the Hyde Amendment and other measures not in place to prevent taxpayer funding of abortion in government supported programs.
  • According to a 2007 Guttmacher report, the Hyde Amendment ban on federal funding for abortion has prevented between “18-35%” of women from having an abortion. In other words, unrestricted federal funding for abortion will increase the number of women obtaining an abortion by an average of 25%.
  • Researchers at the Charlotte Lozier Institute found that Obamacare will lead to 71,000 to 115,000 more publically funded abortions per year.

Regardless of one’s views on protecting life in the womb a large majority of Americans agree taxpayers should not be paying for abortions. 

Abortion, plain and simple, is the taking of an innocent life and is opposed by a large majority of Americans.  H.R. 7 gets the federal government out of directly funding the abortion industry and should be passed immediately.