Whether fact or fiction, the stories that tend to draw us in the most are ones that reveal how the courage and determination of one individual to overcome huge obstacles can make the world a better place.
That message in J.R.R. Tolkien’s popular fantasy series “Lord of the Rings” is what inspired the March for Life organizers to choose “The Power of One” as the 2017 theme, Catholic News Service reports.
The fictional series contains a powerful, real-life message that every human life has value and potential. Jeanne Mancini, president of the March for Life, said the theme comes from the Tolkien quote, “Even the smallest person can change the course of the future.”
The 2017 March for Life will be held on Friday, Jan. 27 in Washington, D.C. The march typically is held on or around Jan. 22, the date when the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its ruling on Roe v. Wade, which allowed for abortion on demand through all nine months of pregnancy. Organizers said the 2017 march is later than usual because of the presidential inauguration.
Mancini expressed cautious optimism about the in-coming Congress and President-elect Donald Trump, and emphasized that the March for Life is non-partisan. She told CNS that they hope to see pro-life lawmakers pass measures to permanently ban taxpayer funding of abortion and protect pain-capable unborn babies from abortion after 20 weeks.
“It is our hope that in this administration, late-term abortions will be outlawed,” Mancini said.
Here’s more from the report:
As for the pre-march rally on the Washington Monument grounds, Mancini said they’ve invited a few individuals they expect to be working in the Trump White House to address the marchers, but have not received confirmations.
Speakers the organizers have confirmed include Karyme Lozano, a star of Mexican telenovelas; Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York, who is chairman of the U.S. bishops’ pro-life committee, and possibly a Hollywood performer, whom Mancini declined to name but described as “open to our issues. ”
The national March for Life usually draws hundreds of thousands of pro-lifers to the streets of Washington, D.C. to peacefully protest abortion and to call for restored protections for unborn babies. The pro-life crowd tends to be very diverse, but young people typically make up a large part of the crowd.
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A sign of the strong support for life among young adults, about 500 pro-life students from the University of Mary in North Dakota plan to travel cross-country to attend the 2017 march, the Bismark Tribune reports. The university students were chosen to lead the march this year, according to the report.
“You can feel the energy and excitement in the air because many who wanted to go last year elected not to because of the stormy weather and now they are all counting down the days,” university alumna and pro-life leader Anne Dziak said in a statement. “… My fellow colleagues and Mary students will be at the forefront of this massive pro-life rally, leading, chanting and marching for life.”
More details about the March for Life 2017, including a schedule of events, information about traveling and more, are available at MarchforLife.org.
