If you pay any attention to the news, you know that the Northeast coastline has gotten a ton of snow over the past few days. Social media is exploding with pictures of cars completely buried and snow piles that reached a height even taller than grown men! Just thinking about those conditions makes me want to jump into my warm bed and watch HGTV reruns until summer. But, no matter how inviting that sounds, there were thousands of people who showed up to participate in the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C. this past Friday, January 20.
Rockhurst University’s own Respect Life club had plans to attend themselves, but due to the extreme weather conditions, the club made the pro-life decision to not attend and put themselves at risk of danger on the highways. Having attended the March several times in the past myself, I was devastated not to be going this year. But, I used my time at home to reflect on how important it is to be a pro-life woman.
I am pro-life because I am pro-woman.
While I do believe that men and women should have equal rights in the workplace and in politics, man and woman were not given the same gifts. The gift to bear life is purely given to women. No man will ever have the privilege of giving birth to a beautiful baby. Life is something to get excited about; it is something to enjoy and appreciate. Why should we take that gift away from daughters, wives, and mothers?
I am pro-life because each woman has a choice.
If raising your baby is not something you can do, there are other options. A baby can be given up for adoption and be given a chance at a life full of love and happiness. Babies can be dropped off at churches and hospitals around the country, no questions asked. I do not want to limit my options by having death as the only alternative to raising my baby on my own.
I am pro-life because having a baby is not something you do alone.
Once you find out that you are having a baby, your entire world changes. A girl is now a mother. A boy is now a father. Parents are now grandparents. The baby inside you is only days old and already has a huge support system and family. Everyone gets involved in helping keep you and the baby safe. Even though it seems like having or aborting him or her is a personal decision, the baby’s life has already affected so many other lives. It’s not a personal decision at all anymore.
Being pro-life is not easy. There are so many situations where it might seem for a second that an abortion is the only way to go. However, when you stop and think about it for another second, you can be certain that it is not. Being a pro-life woman is one of the most important things every girl should be. It shows you are strong. You are able to stand up and fight for your rights, and for your children’s rights.
"A person’s a person, no matter how small." - Dr. Seuss
It’s time we all, women and men, step up to the challenge and become a strong voice for the voiceless.
