Washington D.C., Jan 23, 2019 / 03:01 am
The Diocese of Lincoln sent more than 200 young people to Washington, D.C., to stand up for the unborn, and they believe they are part of a growing trend of pro-life sentiment.
CNA spoke to some of these students outside of the capitol to see what motivated them to embark on a daylong journey to the nation's capital. The group was meeting with pro-life Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE), who represents their district.
Earlier that day, Fortenberry had given a floor speech where he said that "women deserve better" than abortion, and that "no matter how hard the circumstances," human life is a gift.
The students largely expressed excitement about being in a crowd of young people from across the country. The March for Life drew an estimated crowd of 100,000, many of whom were college-age or younger.
Abby Pella, a 17-year-old from Lincoln, admitted that she found the bus ride to be "pretty awful," but that she found the trip to be a "great opportunity." She told CNA that she was most looking forward to standing alongside her peers, and fighting for an end to abortion.
"Being able to stand up for something I believe in is really empowering and is really worth the 24-hour drive," Pella added.
Ziyal McArthur, 16, also from Lincoln, agreed with Pella. McArthur said that while she has always been pro-life, she did not get involved in activism until a few years ago, and is now a member of the pro-life club at her school. She told CNA that she was most excited about "seeing people my age marching against abortion."
Hunter Stutzman, 14, is from David City, about 50 miles northwest of Lincoln. He said he was motivated to come to Washington because teens like himself may find themselves dealing with unexpected pregnancies. He told CNA that he is pro-life because "babies don't have a choice."
His sentiment was echoed by Logan Walker, an 18-year-old from Lincoln.
"That is a baby in there, but it's also one of us, one of our own kind," said Walker.
"It's a person."
Annie Timmerman, 18, was on her second trek to D.C. from Nebraska. She described the trip as "a cause worth sacrificing for," and said that her travel companions were a "joyful group."
Timmerman said that she had run into "more and more people who are pro-life" and that she thinks she is part of a generation who is changing on abortion.
"We just really want to be the pro-life generation," Timmerman told CNA. "The generation that really makes the horrors of abortion end."
