March for Life Sees Pro-Life Americans Flood Nation’s Capital to Oppose Abortion

National   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Jan 22, 2010   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

March for Life Sees Pro-Life Americans Flood Nation’s Capital to Oppose Abortion

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
January 22
, 2010

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — Americans of all ages and races flooded the nation’s capital today for the annual March for Life to express their opposition to the destruction of more than 52 million unborn children. They carried a plethora of signs ranging from "Defend Life" to "Abortion is Not Health Care" to "Stop Abortion Now."

As she has for so many years, pro-life stalwart Nellie Gray opened the March for Life standing alongside key pro-life members of Congress and longtime advocates.

Congressman Chris Smith has long been regarded as the nation’s top pro-life advocate on Capitol Hill and his speech was well-received.

"For all of us, all human life is precious and sacred and in urgent need of protection. We welcome and deeply respect everyone including the weak, the vulnerable and the disenfranchised," he said.

"We especially admire and honor the extraordinarily courageous post-abortive women who are silent no more. Their voice and witness show the path to reconciliation for all women who have been first deceived, then victimized by abortion," he added.

Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, the head of the Catholic bishops Committee on Pro-Life Activities introduced some of his fellow pro-life bishops.

"Unfortunately, in our culture we have grown into the chains that bind us and hold us fast in a grip of deadly attitudes about human life, about the human person, especially in the moments of his or her beautiful but fragile beginnings and in those vulnerable times of old age and illness," he said.

Marjorie Dannenfelser, the head of the Susan B. Anthony List, a pro-life women’s group, called this year’s March for Life "an impressive and visible sign of a quiet populist reality" where more than 300,000 people are estimated to have attended.

"The numbers marching today are spillover of a movement growing exponentially that has just achieved what no other issue base can claim – helping to bring down the President’s top domestic priority," she said.

"The people marching today from every nook and cranny of the nation represent millions more who find ‘pro-choice’ rhetoric empty of meaning and abortion-friendly policies a violation of their conscience," she told LifeNews.com.

House Republican Leader John Boehner also commented on the March.

"I welcome March for Life participants to Washington and commend them for their continued vigilance, which is needed now more than ever. I also salute the faithful dedication of Nellie Gray, the President of March for Life who has worked tirelessly since 1974 to ensure the voices of pro-lifers are heard in the nation’s capitol," he said.

House Republican Whip Eric Cantor added, “Today, moms, dads and young Americans will brave the rain and cold to highlight our shared belief in the principle that the right to life is universal and not reserved only for the planned."

“As thousands of Americans March for Life, I hope that the President reflects upon his first year and recalls his campaign rhetoric to reduce the number of abortions in America," he said.

In his speech, Smith called Obama "the abortion president" and urged pro-life advocates to counteract his agenda.

"Abortion is a serious human rights abuse, Mr President," he said.

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