Members of Georgetown’s Right to Life organization joined as many as 200,000 other pro-life activists on a march from the National Mall to the Supreme Court Tuesday as participatants in the March for Life, an annual protest held on the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision, the 1973 Supreme Court case that legalized abortion as a privacy issue.
From newborns being pushed in strollers to protesters involved since the original decision, all ages were in attendance, including small contingents of high school and college students. Many of the protestors carried signs depicting fetuses and infants.
Several high profile pro-life activists spoke at the March, including Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul, Terry Schiavo’s brother Bobby Schiavo, George H.W. Bush—whose remarks were recorded earlier and broadcasted—and Kansas Senator Sam Brownback, who received the loudest applause.
“Brownback is pretty much worshipped by the pro-life crowd,” GU Right to Life Campus Outreach Chair Dan English (MSB ’10) said.
Amidst the rousing cheers, Brownback spoke optimistically of overturning Roe v. Wade.
“We’ve not yet won … but we will,” Brownback said. “End this night of death … it’s time.”
GU Right to Life, in conjunction with the GU Knights of Columbus and University Faculty for Life, sponsored this year’s 9th annual Cardinal O’Connor Conference on Life held on campus. According to English, the student-run conference was attended largely by high school and college students, with most of the adults at the conference as chaperones.
There were a number of events leading up to the march, including Sunday night’s Luau for Life in Copley Formal Lounge and a conference on Monday. It attracted over sixty participants, about half of them high school students.
“Our motto for this trip is ‘Let’s save some babies!’” Maddie Robinson, a high school senior from Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory in Indianapolis, said.
The conference attracted over 400 people, which excited GU Right to Life President Caitlyn Barr (COL ’09), who said that it was a good turnout for a weekday.
“It’s my favorite day of the school year,” GU Right to Life Treasurer Jenna Himsl (COL ’09) said.
Archbishop Raymond L. Burke, the Archbishop of St. Louis, was one of the keynote speakers Monday, addressing a nearly full Gaston Hall.
“[Abortions] are the work of Satan, who is the father of lies and the prime agent of violence and death,” Burke said.
Katy Hewett (COL ’08), a board member of H*yas for Choice, said it was no surprise that the conference would be held at Georgetown. H*yas for Choice is a pro-choice group that is not officially recognized by the university.
“They like to promote their Catholic Jesuit identity, and this is one way to do it,” Hewett said, adding that Georgetown should sponsor events that are pro-choice, because all students deserve a voice.
“I think the pro-life stance is shortsighted in general,” Hewett said.
