Pro-Life Avatars Head to Washington in First-Ever Virtual March for Life
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
January 15, 2010
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — Hundreds of thousands of pro-life advocates will take to the streets of the nation’s capital next weekend in the March for Life. But the majority of Americans who are pro-life now have an option on how to join them that doesn’t require planning a trip across country.
Americans United for Life is sponsoring the first-ever Virtual March for Life that allows pro-life advocates to create an avatar — a likeness of a man or woman that they can "send" to the March for Life in their place.
AUL explains the concept at its new web site VirtualMarchforLife.com:
"Now you have the opportunity to march online, alongside your fellow pro-lifers – even if you can’t be in Washington," the site explains. "It will only take seconds, sign up, select your own ‘avatar’ and then invite your pro-life friends and family to participate as well. It’s the best way to ‘be there’ even if you can’t be there."
The web site allows a chance to input a person’s contact information and join the people are virtually marching. Marchers then have a chance to share their virtual march participation with friends and family via email, Twitter or Facebook.
A map overlay allows marchers to see the collection of people heading to the Capitol and to find their own avatar marching with the masses.
Charmaine Yoest shared with LifeNews.com the genesis behind the new idea.
She said the March for Life, every year, "has literally brought millions of people to our nation’s Capital over the years, but millions more have been unable to take part and stand for life. Until today."
"With a health care bill that includes taxpayer funding for abortion hanging in the balance, this is an important, historic moment to get the attention of politicians in Washington. In this critical moment, every American must be heard regardless of where you are," Yoest added. "Hundreds of thousands of Americans are coming to Washington, DC to join the most important March for Life in history, and you can be there through the Virtual March for Life."
The national pro-life group has released a companion video promoting the virtual march and, as is the case in a new video from a coalition of other pro-life leaders concerning the real life March for Life, AUL is tying the virtual march to the health care debate.
AUL is hoping to show elected officials, through the virtual march, just how many pro-life advocates oppose the health care bill because of the massive funding contained in the Senate version and expected in the final version of the bill.
"So much is at stake in this moment. How many more lives will be lost if the Congressional majority rolls back existing law that protects life and protects us from having our tax dollars used to fund abortion? Please stand and be counted among those who are marching for life and please ask everyone you know that doesn’t want their tax dollars to fund abortion to join us ," Yoest concluded.
Related web sites:
See the AUL video at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9EcrVpX6c8
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