Students march for life in D.C.
Taking a stand — (Left) Rachel Smith silently makes a statement. (Above) Thousands gathered in D.C. to remind those in office that they haven’t forgotten the significance of life. Photo Credit: Erica Persson.
More than 100 Liberty students attended the March for Life Rally in Washington, D.C,. last week to contribute to the Pro-Life Movement’s annual reminder to Congress that they have not forgotten Roe v. Wade.
At 4 a.m. Monday, Jan. 24, 55 Liberty students piled into a bus and headed for Washington, D.C. The funds for the cost of the bus were provided by Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr.
According to the March for Life’s website, the very first march took place in 1973. The event is held on or around the date that the Supreme Court ruled in favor of abortion in the Roe v. Wade case. This year, it was attended by more than 400,000 people. The number of attendants was similar to 2010.
The crowd was composed mainly of young adults, according to the Executive Chairman of College Republicans at Liberty University, Zachary Martin.
People flocked to the National Mall, despite the elements, traffic and crowds, in order to show their support for those who cannot defend themselves. Although temperatures dropped as low as 29 degrees, the crowd’s spirits remained high.
Liberty senior Rachel Smith has a passion for events such as this. She said that the topic is extremely close to her heart as a result of her close friend, Lauren Mitchell, who has Down syndrome. Mitchell has motivated Smith to show the world that everyone deserves the chance to live and to contribute to society.
“Lauren has taught me so much about joy,” Smith said.
In addition to the students at the march, Liberty was also represented by the traveling ministry team, The Sounds of Liberty, who performed at the march.
“It’s great to see Liberty students taking action for a cause greater than themselves,” Martin said.
Both Martin and Smith encourage students to participate in the on campus clubs that give them the chance to help give a voice to the unborn. Two of the most prominent clubs are Reclaiming Others’ Sacred Existence (R.O.S.E.) and Lifeline.
R.O.S.E. was created to help keep the students of Liberty educated on the topic of abortion. This club strongly supports the Blue Ridge Pregnancy Center, according to Smith.
Lifeline is a group of students who go to abortion clinics and are available to talk with the women who visit the clinic. These students distribute information regarding the abortion process to anyone who is interested.
Many of these women are not aware of the actual tactics used to perform an abortion. They are also available to speak with women who follow through with their appointments.
“Students should be engaged in the fight now if they want to be effective later on,” Martin said.