Dear Jeanne and the entire March for Life team,
First, I want to say thank you. Thank you for carrying on a long and heavy legacy of one of the longest-running and most widely-attended human rights protests in the history of United States.
The March for Life is, without question, an invaluable annual event that the pro-life movement in the United States needs to be rejuvenated and reminded of the community that stands with us in our work.
This letter is not meant to be abrasive or angry or antagonistic, but rather a request and a suggestion based on years of experience and insight. I hope you'll take the time to read and consider the opportunities that we have as a movement at this crux for the future.
As a young person, I came to know and understand this important event for the pro-life movement from attending my first March for Life in January of 2008. I was 19 years old. I was devoutly Catholic and thoroughly Conservative and I fit in easily with the rosary-toting, hymn-singing crowds of mostly-Catholics who leaned Right politically. I understood the March for Life as a religious event for political Conservatives who wanted this unequivocal good for human rights.
But as I got older, I struggled more with my faith – and in the midst of all the trials of faith I was struck by something that it would be hard to understand as a devout Catholic: it was very difficult to attend the March for Life as an Agnostic despite the fact that I was ardently and passionately pro-life – how much more difficult would it be as an Atheist or a Buddhist or an openly gay or bisexual individual or a Democrat or even a Libertarian?
I believe (and I hope you'll agree) our goal with the March for Life should not merely be a rallying point for Conservative Catholics to make the same point year after year, and many young pro-lifers stand with me in calling for a greater diversity amongst speakers and perspectives shown at the mainstage rally. Whether that be a simple nod to non-believers to acknowledge that they are welcome (some examples – "If you're the praying kind, please join with me..." "Whether you are Catholic, Protestant, Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Atheist or Agnostic – you are welcome and a much-needed ally in the fight for all life..."), or some faces from non-traditional pro-life groups to demonstrate inclusiveness (please find below a list - though hardly exhaustive - of some speakers that offer this quality of inclusiveness), I strongly believe that this is a necessary and welcome addition to the March for Life for future years.
The reason why?
The simple one-word answer is: unity. A lot of young people are sick of seeing the infighting of the pro-life movement in the past and we're eager to work together and cross party lines and religious delineations to collaborate and make abortion a thing of the past. We're seeing more and more non-religious pro-lifers, a growing number of liberal and unaffiliated pro-lifers, and in general, a lot of young people looking at the abortion issue from a perspective of human rights and solid ethics instead of from a perspective that must tout religion in order to be effective. The Walk for Life West Coast has made an effort to promote this sort of inclusion and outreach to pro-life Atheists and Agnostics: just this year Monica Snyder of Secular Pro-Life spoke on their mainstage with a thoroughly positive response.
Lastly, think of how the discourse surrounding abortion would have to change in society as a whole if we adopted this human rights perspective instead of (or in addition to) a religious tone not only in our rally but our ongoing work: the pro-abortion-choice proponents would have to stop and reevaluate the truth that lies in science and ethics because they could not write us off as "hyperreligious crazies" from the get-go. The lie that they've been touting that "all pro-lifers are old, white, Conservative Catholic men" will be proven wrong in our own arena. And we'll have the chance to shape the discourse.
I'd like to share a brief anecdote from my college years that I hope will shed some light on the reason why I'm writing this letter. I was the president of my pro-life club in college for 2 years, and during that time our executive board had 3 LGBT members, 2 Agnostics, 1 Protestant, and 2 Catholics. Of the students that attended the March for Life with us (including the whole executive board), I am the only one who still attends now, post-graduation. At least one of those students became pro-choice in her senior year and stopped attending our meetings; she then later protested with Planned Parenthood during her post-grad years. I often look back to our experiences as an organization and I wonder what we could have done differently to keep these young ladies actively engaged and promoting a culture of nonviolence for the preborn despite our best efforts at inclusion and activism. My mind immediately springs to their responses to the March for Life rally and a few other major pro-life events that we attended together: "Do they [the organizers] even want us here? I mean, we're not Catholic. These speakers make it sound like this [the pro-life movement] is only for Christians and straight people." It breaks my heart to this day that they did not feel welcome.
If we want to end abortion, we're going to need everyone's help. It's not going to be a partisan effort alone; it will not be won solely by the Catholics and the Evangelicals. We cannot afford to neglect and discourage the non-traditional members of the pro-life movement or we run the risk that they will become inactive and apathetic (or at worst, active for the cause of abortion "rights" where they are welcomed with open arms).
It's much easier to say "we don't need them if they're that fickle," but many young people just need the community to back up their ethics in order to remain active. Now is the time to make the change – we've lost the interest of too many and discouraged and alienated even more non-traditional pro-life youth who hoped to find a home for their activism in the pro-life movement.
I think you'll be surprised how many people will come out of the woodwork and how the worldly face of the pro-life movement could change if only we offer an open door - a steadfast community - to those who are normally left out.
Sincerely,
For peace and all life,
Aimee Murphy, Executive Director, Life Matters Journal
