On Monday, January 23rd 2012, the 39th annual March for Life was held in Washington DC, and I was in Washington DC for my first March for Life.  The March is held annually to remember and protest the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision.  Since the decision over 53 million babies have been legally killed according to the law of the United States. 

Arriving to the National Mall with extra time Monday morning, we decided to go for a walk and check out the WWII national memorial.  The memorial is an impressive sight, with pillars and bronzes stills commemorating scenes of battle and of the home front.  But the thing that struck me most was the wall of golden stars, over 4,000 in all, each representing 100 American citizens killed or missing during the war.  It was a sobering representation; it seemed to me a multitude of stars, yet each one represented not just one dead but 100.  And then it occurred to me the number of children killed by abortion since 1973.  If the same memorial were made for them, there would be over 530,000 golden stars.  And the wall holding the stars would be over two miles long.  This image stuck with me throughout the day and sticks with me now.

At 12 p.m. the rally began on the National Mall, with a prayer led by a mixed group of Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox bishops.  After this a host of pro-life congressman took the stage several of whom were from Ohio.  These included House Speaker John Boehner and Representative Jim Jordan.  Also speaking was the brother of Terri Schiavo and a group of women who have experienced abortion first hand, and attest to the remorse, pain, and anguish that it causes women who have had abortions.   Throughout the rally the Mall continued to fill, whereas once we had been on the periphery we were now in the middle of a densely packed crowd. 

The March began and the sea of people began moving en masse towards the Supreme Court building.  As we mounted Capitol Hill I turned to survey the crowd and could not see the end of it, it stretched down the hill around a bend and out of sight.  A tide of people sweeping uphill, seeking justice for those who cannot seek it themselves.  

-David Bethel, Pro-Life Club at The Ohio State University

I would like to encourage other high school students to become involved with the Right to Life Oratory contest in their area.  I participated at my county Right to Life Oratory contest in March (of 2011) and what a neat experience it has been for me.  To my surprise I came in first place and then went on to the state contest that was held in Columbus in April. Again with so many good speeches I was surprised to hear my name called for first place. From there it was on to the National Right to Life Oratory contest, which this year was held at Jacksonville, FL.

In June my Mom and I flew to Florida, which was a first for me to fly.  The Right to Life Convention was being held at Jacksonville and the Oratory contest was a part of that.  Participants were from all across the country and it was really neat getting to meet and talk with them.  We were all rooting for each other to do good.  Even though I did not have a finishing place I still had fun.  I would like to encourage others to get involved with the Right to Life Oratory Contest.  You have a chance to meet others who also are taking a part in standing up for life.  We can all BE A VOICE FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NONE.

-Travis Goettemoeller, Coldwater, member of Mercer County Right to Life

If you would like to participate in or host a local oratory contest, email Erin at ecain@ohiolife.org.

Deadline to register a local contest is Friday, February 24th. The winner of the state contest (to be held on April 21) will receive an all-expense paid trip to Virginia for the national contest in June. The Youth Oratory Contest is for high school juniors and seniors.

You can help!

President Obama’s Department of Health and Human Services has recently issued a rule requiring all private health care plans to pay for contraceptives, sterilizations, and for “emergency contraceptive” drugs (aka “morning after pills”) that can cause abortion both before and after implantation.  The public comment period on this interim final rule ends September 30, 2011.  Although there is a pretext of a religious exception, the USCCB notes that the “religious exemption [is] so extremely narrow as to protect almost no one”. 

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is calling upon all who are able to send e-mails to the Department of Health and Human Services objecting to what the USCCB rightly characterizes as an “unprecedented threat to individual and institutional religious freedom”.  [Emphasis in original.] 

The USCCB’s statement, and proposed bulletin insert can be found here:

http://library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1102233612901-16/HHS+Mandate+Memorandum+(2).pdf

More information about how to contact the HHS and other officials, (and more details about how Obamacare is being used to do precisely what pro-lifers predicted) can be found here:

http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/religious-liberty/conscience-protection/index.cfm

Most pro-life student groups across the state have an impact on their communities. Some reach hundreds of people, while others speak to the young and old with a unique mission. Some stick to the tried and true methods while others create new methods and think outside of the box. Teens for Truth, a student group in Shelby County in Midwest Ohio, is one such group. Through barn painting, these students are making a positive impact on their community.

As a form of billboard in the agriculture-dominated community, barns are being painted by Teens for Truth with the image of a baby in the womb in the shape of a heart. The purple design is called “breath of life in a beating heart.” (Pictured above.)