Reflections on the March for Life

Gabriel Marcella

1. I watched the March for Life on Eternal Word Network and was inspired to record some reflections about what I saw and thought.

2. It was a beautiful display of democracy at work, marching by the very powers of government: Constitution Avenue, by Supreme Court, and to Capitol Hill. People came from long distances, including an entire high school from North Dakota. And they believe in their ability to change hearts and minds. So do I.

3. They also came from Canada, Italy (Voglio Vivere), Denmark, Brazil. Our cause is just and we are not alone.

4. There is an enormous cultural distance between pro-lifers and the abortion side. We must continue our work to educate our community about respect life. We are winning but have a long way to go. Logic and information are our allies.

5. The passion of youth is very inspiring: “we are the pro-life generation.” For a person who is in the seventh decade, I’m happy to say that the future is in good hands.

6. Watching the march reminded me of the tragic waste of human life that I have seen in Latin America. The homeless and family-less chicos de la calle (street children) in Lima, Guatemala City, and Rio de Janeiro whose faces I will never forget. I also see it in our own cities.

7. Protecting the unborn and the vulnerable took a new meaning when I listened to Marisa Tomei’s interview with a child who was born with an extra chromosome.

8. Throughout the 3 hours of the march the question kept bothering me: am I doing enough to protect human life?

For additional writing from members and associates of the St. Gabriel Respect Life group, see below:

https://stgabrielcarlisle.squarespace.com/our-pro-life-views-1/