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  Guest contributor: Abby Klose, college sophomore
 

Since most media sources won’t report on the March for Life that took place on Friday and they consistently fail to portray the ideology of an average pro-lifer, I’ve decided to share my views as someone who is pro-life. My goal is not to change anyone’s opinion, but to give a glimpse into the heart behind the pro-life movement for those who have yet to experience it.

Today my heart grieves a little extra for the lives lost to abortion because of the circumstances of their birth or the makeup of their DNA. It pains me to know that someone won’t be born today because somebody else failed to see their value. The idea that the circumstances of my own birth afforded me life, while someone else’s circumstances brought them a death sentence places a burden on my heart to advocate for those who were less fortunate.

How can we expect to eliminate discrimination when it is encouraged while we are still in the womb?

How can we expect those who are born into unfortunate circumstances to understand their worth when we constantly tell pregnant women that their babies are better off dead?

I long for the day when we treat every human being with the dignity that they deserve BOTH inside AND outside of the womb.

I long for the day when we refuse to cite moments when dignity was robbed from humans outside of the womb as a reason to rob dignity from mothers and their children within the womb. I say mothers too, because abortion hurts them just as much.

I long for the day when every person who calls themselves pro-life actually treats those outside the womb with the respect and the dignity they deserve. That includes post-abortive mothers. Those who call themselves pro-life but mistreat humans outside of the womb are NOT pro-life.


I long for the day when our first response to an unplanned pregnancy is to rally the troops and consider how we can best support women. On that day, abortion will truly be unthinkable.

I pray for a day when the church as a whole awakens and recognizes their sin of apathy on an issue that matters to God. I pray that their eyes will be opened and their hearts burdened.

All this being said, I don’t live with a misty-eyed view of life. We live in a world with pain and suffering, and that’s not going to change. But I also believe there is a light far greater than the darkness in this world. His name is Jesus Christ, and it is the power of Christ that can redeem any situation. He takes our brokenness and turns it into a testimony. He brings light to dark situations. Some people may be born with an extra chromosome. Some may be born into an abusive home. Some were a product of violence. Even still, I believe there is value in their life. This is why I am unashamedly pro-life.

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The mainstream media is exceptionally deceptive in providing the viewer a glimpse of the narrative they want you to see. It’s like looking into binoculars and focusing in on one area while completely missing the beautiful panoramic scene beyond your focus. The pro-life community is often fixed into a specific narrative by various media outlets. What they don’t want you to see is a community of people made up of different faiths, cultures, nationalities, and a common purpose in creating a culture that embraces life.

Last Friday was the 44th Annual March for Life. I was there walking among hundreds of thousands of people all centered on the common goal of marching against the injustice of abortion. The injustice of the unconstitutional decision of Roe v Wade in 1973, has resulted in the deaths of 58 million Americans. Focus in on that number because mainstream media never does. Instead, the media focuses on angry anti-abortion rhetoric that doesn’t represent the pro-life community as a whole.

The pro-life movement is anti-abortion. Abortion is murder and Roe v Wade made it legal to kill the most innocent among us. In a society that stands for civil rights and equality for all, our country has turned its back on this genocide for forty-four years. But who are these people who march every year? What does the pro-life community really look like?

Three years ago, I started to write about pro-life issues. I became familiar with pro-life organizations. I researched and followed life news. What I found was that even though I had considered myself pro-life, I did not understand the movement. I was focused in on mainstream media’s narrative and did not realize there was such a diverse community standing up for the life of the unborn. Not only diverse, but each group focusing on various ways to achieve the goal of creating a culture of life.

Every year, I am in awe of the different organizations who join the pro-life community. It’s a beautiful panoramic of people from all over the country whose goal- whether part-time or full-time- is to not only save the lives of unborn babies but meet the needs of women and men who contemplate abortion as a choice. I have never been a part of a movement so diverse with so many gifts, and talents focused on one common goal. There are faith-based groups, political parties (Republican and Democrat), educational and research institutions, secular groups, homes established to provide for pregnant mothers, media and entertainment outlets, adoption agencies, pregnancy care centers, healthcare providers, and the list goes on and on. It’s a holistic approach to a common goal, unlike anything I have ever witnessed.

The marchers that you might have watched (briefly) on your news programs, holding pro-life messages, was just a glimpse of the pro-life community. There is really no way to adequately convey how misinformed I was about those who dedicate themselves to stand for life. They are more than activists who journey once a year to march on Washington to demonstrate against our nation’s fateful decision of Roe v Wade. They are students, priests, politicians, post-abortive mothers and fathers, adoptees, adoptive parents, ex-abortion clinic workers, faith communities, atheists, feminists… The diversity is astounding, and many of them dedicate their lives full-time to save the life of the unborn. These are not once-a-year activists who hold creative pro-life signs. Whether full-time or part-time, they live out their objective to create a culture of life in their communities.

I come away from the March for Life Event every year and realize we are a pro-life generation. Despite how the media spins the narrative of the pro-life movement, it will not change reality. There is a growing culture of diverse people who stand against abortion with compassion, grace, and unity with a common purpose. As a pro-life woman, mom, and writer, I urge those of you who stand for the sanctity of the life of the unborn to adjust your focus. Research and support the many pro-life groups in our country. Volunteer and take a stand in your community using your gifts and talents to create a culture of life. Being pro-life does not necessarily mean you have to be an outspoken activist. But you do have to support the cause for life actively. If you claim to be pro-life, live it out and defend it.

The theme of this year’s March for Life was “the power of one.” It truly is amazing how the power of one multiplies every year and grows into a diverse community. A population of people who prove that every life has purpose both in and out of the womb. They unite every year despite the judicial ruling that they refuse as the definitive answer to abortion.