Washington D.C., Jan 19, 2019 / 16:00 pm
Attendees at the 2019 March for Life saw an unannounced appearance from Vice President Mike Pence, a video message from President Trump, a strong bipartisan speaker line-up, and a secular science theme. But the most surprising sight of the day, at least for one 12-year-old first-time marcher, was the number of children.
"There are more kids here than adults!" said Angela from Rockville, Maryland.
A crowd of 100,000 people marching on the politically divisive issue of abortion, in the middle of the country's longest-ever government shutdown no less, might not seem like the place for kids. But Robin Diller was one of thousands of mothers present who would enthusiastically tell you otherwise: "It's such a positive environment, a happy and joyful place."
The March, held Friday, traced the annual route along the National Mall in Washington, DC. It was the Dillers' second march as a family. Their group of 14 included the Diller brothers, their wives Robin and Lisa, and their collective ten children. The crowd did not intimidate even the smallest Diller, a 10-month-old blinking out from Mr. Diller's chest, zipped into his dad's jacket for warmth.
In addition to the fun, Mr. Diller said he sees the March as a lesson in civic responsibility: "It's important to show our kids what positive activism looks like."
High school history teacher James Flannery loves the March for a similar reason. He said that his biggest concern for his students is apathy. "That's why it's so reassuring to see so many of them here, to see them stand for something."
Though often labeled "anti-abortion," people like Mary Bonk from Lexington Park, Maryland, think of themselves as marching for many different life issues-- not just against abortion.
Bonk adheres to the consistent life ethic, which opposes all forms of violence against the human person, including things like war, torture, embryonic stem cell research, and the death penalty.
Bonk acknowledged that her anti-death penalty views put her at odds with many right-leaning pro-lifers. This does not phase her: "I don't think that being pro-life is a right-wing position."
Plus, she added, "I feel welcomed here."
Krista Corbello and Alex Seghers, 26-year-olds from Pro-Life Louisiana, shared Bonk's expansive sense of what it means to be pro-life.
Corbello agreed that it takes humility to welcome diversity into the movement. But in her experience, the spirit of "welcoming hospitality" is always present "when change is really happening."
One such change is the growth of "pro-life feminism." Seghers identified herself and her unborn daughter as pro-life feminists: "She's marching before she's even born." To them, pro-life feminism means advocating nonviolence and nondiscrimination for all people, including those in the womb.
"It's inclusive of anyone from any background."
These women appear to have struck a nerve with their inclusive message: their group brought 1,500 young people to D.C. for the March this year.
"Consistency is key for young people," Corbello said, adding that young people from Louisiana are lucky to have a legislature that is bipartisan on life, including Democrat Rep. Katrina R. Jackson, who spoke at the March this year. Seghers attributes the bipartisanship to Louisiana's diversity and "culture of family values."
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Though "family values" often connotes religion, Pro-life Louisiana's events are mostly secular in tone. "Abortion is wrong because it is violent," Corbello said. "That's not a religious belief."
Family is a common theme among young people at the March. Though many of them march for religious, political, and educational reasons, almost all point to their families first when asked about their interest in pro-life issues.
Mother and daughter Claudia and Taylor Turcott did this in a literal way, carrying signs with arrows drawn toward each other. Claudia's reads: "25 years ago, I thought abortion was the only way, but I walked out of that clinic with my baby that day." Taylor's read: "October 1994: I survived my mom's abortion appointment."
Taylor began volunteering at a crisis pregnancy clinic in college after learning about her mother's near decision to abort her. The Turcotts see their advocacy, especially the March, as an opportunity to share their gratitude.
Although many people who saw Claudia's sign thanked her for choosing life, she simply said: "I just feel so, so grateful. I don't think I'm unusually brave." Claudia wants to encourage young women facing unplanned pregnancies: "You will be amazed by how many resources there are to help you."
Friday's crowd was full of extraordinary stories like the Turcotts.
One woman, Francis Reciniello, has attended the March for over 30 years. As an immigrant from Honduras, she said she had never supported abortion because it was antithetical to her culture and upbringing. So when a friend got pregnant in college, Reciniello offered help and begged her to choose life.
It worked. "She told her boyfriend and he married her, and they named their child 'Francois,' after me" Reciniello said.
Though Reciniello's own children are active pro-lifers, most years she marches with her friend, who immigrated to the U.S. from Germany. "She's a cancer survivor, and every year we say: 'Can we make it?' And we do. Even though we go at our own pace now."
The two expressed their amazement at how young the March has become. "Young people are really stepping up!"
Perhaps the most extraordinary part of the March for Life was that the thousands of people who attend each year think of their peaceful activism, loving families, and joyful sacrifices as ordinary.
"This is just, like, normal," said Garrett, a high school student from Philadelphia, about being young and pro-life. "It's how we grew up." His classmates Evan, Miguel, and Charlie nodded.
"It's normal to respect each other, to have respect for other human beings."
