It was a blustery January day in Washington, D.C. as I made my way around the corner of the national mall. Suddenly, tens of thousands of pro-life activists came into my line of sight. I immediately froze in my tracks, overwhelmed at the sheer number of people who had traveled to march for the unborn.
Did you know that the largest human rights march is against abortion? I knew this truth before attending the national March for Life, but it was only when I witnessed the vast army of advocates willing to dedicate their lives for the voiceless that I truly understood what it meant. Over 150,000 activists unified on this cold day–making it the highest attended March ever.
Not only was I encouraged by the sheer amount of people, but also by our diversity. As I looked out across the vast sea of young and old, liberal and conservative, religious and atheist, men, women, and children, I realized how much of an impact we are making. United for life yet diverse in background, we are a powerful force to be reckoned with. Rather than fighting for ourselves, we fight for those who cannot speak for themselves, for women facing crisis pregnancies, and women seeking to heal from the trauma of abortion.
Here’s what stood out most to me, though. There was an overwhelming amount of young people present. People my age and younger, rising up against the greatest evil of our generation. My generation may have survived Roe v. Wade, but Roe will not survive us. I firmly believe that my generation is a generation of hope and action. We are the generation of change, and we will not stop fighting until every life is cherished and protected. One-third of us are missing. We will not stay silent.
I’m optimistic because I’ve witnessed firsthand at the March the passion my generation has. When we channel our enthusiasm and drive towards saving innocent lives we take one step towards a brighter America—one where every life is valued and protected. The pro-life generation marched for the millions of sisters, brothers, and classmates who should have been there with us. My generation understands that this is the fight of a lifetime, and we’re not backing down.
I also had the privilege of meeting up with my colleagues at Family Policy Alliance to spread our message of hope. We know that Roe’s days are limited. It’s not a matter of if Roe will be abolished, but rather when. As the pro-life generation marched, we knew the nation was watching, whether from a screen, the streets, or peering through windows of the federal buildings. So we boldly proclaimed our message: my generation is helping take Roe down. And after Roe? There is life.
When Roe is abolished on the national level the fight will have only begun. Overturning Roe won’t make abortion illegal in Minnesota, in fact, abortion-minded women will likely flock here. That’s why we need my generation, the pro-life generation, to rise up more than ever before. Overturning Roe is just the beginning of a cultural reformation that women and children so desperately deserve.
My generation may be young, but we are already saving lives, loving mothers, and changing hearts and minds. Keep on fighting for life–and pray that next year’s March for Life is a victory march!
