Dear Zeke, (We both know that’s not your name but I don’t want you to catch any flack for this column)
I overheard your professor tell you that participating in the March for Life was a waste of time; people have been doing it for years and nothing changes.
He caught you flatfooted and me as well.
I’m writing to apologize for not stepping in when I should, though I don’t know that you’d appreciate “Mom” fighting your battles especially when you were trying to beat a hasty retreat out the door.
Who needs a potentially nasty confrontation with a professor who holds your grade in his hands?
I wanted to let you know that the professor is wrong about the impact of events like March for Life.
March for Life is a significant contribution to the pro-life movement and there is an air of change slowly sweeping the country, contrary to the opinion of your professor.
Changes in state and federal law may be slow in coming but the battle being fought and won by the pro-life movement is not so much a legal battle as it is a battle for the hearts, minds and souls of the American people.
I believe that events such as March for Life and 40 Days for Life, among others, serve to keep the issue alive and prompt people to consider where they stand on the issue of abortion.
March for Life attracts mostly young people like you. And, according to LifeSiteNews.com, this year’s march attracted one the largest crowds in the history of the event, with over 300,000 participants.
Just as significant as the numbers is the fact that young women represented the largest demographic.
Pro-choicers, in contrast, numbered less than a dozen according to the website.
Your professor is wrong about how nothing has changed. Change is an ongoing process and March for Life is one of the catalysts of change.
The march serves to bolster the courage of pro-lifers and galvanizes them to continue the fight.
How else to explain that more people consider themselves pro-life today than in years past?
The news media can ignore and distort the impact of March for Life, but the fact remains that there were over 300,000 witnesses to the event and one of them was you.
I have told my children that each generation of our family should be better than the one before.
That is also true for the human family.
In an environment permeated by cynicism and apathy as evidenced by our professor, you and other young people like you have picked up the torch that so many of your elders have tired of carrying.
But, your youthful energy and hope in turn renew our energy and our hope.
You are the future of our country, the future of our Church.
I have confidence in your ability to persevere and continue to improve on the efforts of those who came before you and to correct their mistakes as well.
Professors are not always right and on this point, your professor is absolutely and spectacularly wrong. Your participation in March for Life is supremely important.
Your willingness to give of your time and money to fight for the cause of the unborn and others whose lives hang in the balance assures me that there is nothing to fear.
With your enthusiasm and persistence, hearts will continue to change and the laws will soon follow.
Thank you and God bless you!
Laurie Ghigliotti is a senior from Atchison, Kan., and is majoring in Journalism and Spanish. She can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
