Walk for Life West Coast Will Show Pro-Life Movement Enthused Despite Obama
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
January 16, 2009
San Francisco, CA (LifeNews.com) — Organizers of the Walk for Life West Coast say they expect such a strong turnout at the western version of the March for Life that it will show the pro-life community strongly enthused despite the election of abortion advocate Barack Obama as president.
While media pundits and pro-abortion groups may have written off the pro-life community as a result of the elections, Walk for Life co-chair Dolores Meehan says that wouldn’t square with the truth.
Meehan says the election results should not be interpreted as Americans saying they don’t care about abortion or Obama’s strong support of it.
She says other reasons led to Obama’s victory — including economy and electing the nation’s first black president.
"Americans voted for our new president because they do care about justice – they wanted to shut the door permanently on the prejudice and injustice that is a blemish on our history," she told LifeNews.com Friday.
Although all indications make it clear Obama will promote unlimited abortions as president, Meehan hopes he will backtrack from those promises he’s made to Planned Parenthood.
"We hope President-elect Obama will bring the concern for Americans’ well-being that he is showing in tackling the economy to bring justice to women in crisis pregnancies and to the unborn – the most vulnerable of all," she said.
The desire to show strong opposition to Obama’s pro-abortion policies has renewed the vigor of the pro-life movement and Meehan says that’s shown in the indicators making it appear the turnout for the Walk for Life West Coast will be better than ever.
Local pro-life advocates have registered more buses than in any previous year to bring people to the event from other parts of California and the region.
We always have a flood of last-minute sign-ups," Walk co-chair Eva Muntean told LifeNews.com. "I never want to predict turnout, but it is looking big this year."
Last year, crowd estimates were 25,000 to 30,000 for the rally and walk along the city’s Fisherman’s Wharf and Embarcadero.
"This is the 5th year and it has become part of the fabric of the city and the state," Muntean said. "People just plan to come as part of their January."
High school and college students plan to meet at the Walk; families schedule get-togethers for the night of the Walk as friends from around the state and sometimes the country meet each other for the annual event.
Organizers say San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom spoke at a rally blocks away from the Walk during its first year in 2005. Newsom condemned the walk and its pro-woman, pro-life ideas, but now Newsom keeps a low profile since the event has grown.
Likewise, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, which declared January 22, 2005 "Stand up for Choice Day," has chosen to avoid mentioning the Walk so far this year.
And, in a sign abortion advocates may be practicing more of the tolerance they preach, Meehan says the billboard declaring "Abortion Hurts Women," and advertising the walk has been defaced only once.
The walk will take place on January 24. Some 5,000 people participated in 2005, there were 20,000 in 2007 and organizers hope for even more this year.
Related web sites:
Walk for Life West Coast – https://www.walkforlifewc.com
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