Pro-Life Students Speak Loudly Against Abortion on Silent Day

Opinion   |   Bryan Kemper   |   Oct 20, 2011   |   11:00AM   |   Washington, DC

For the past 8 years the third Tuesday of October has been one of the most emotional days of the year for me.  I generally sit by my computer talking to reporters about why I have asked students to give up talking for the day.  In between media interviews, I read stories from students about babies being saved, hearts changing and young people taking a stand for life in this culture of death.

This year’s event was dedicated to the memory of fellow abortion abolitionist Kortney Gordon and her pre-born child Sophy, both of whom were killed the week before the Pro-life Day of Silent Solidarity in a tragic car accident. This past Saturday I was attending Kortney and Sophy’s funeral and wore a button that read, “ I am the pro-life generation”.

My friend Kelsey Hazzard was talking to me about her AbortionSafety.com project when she joked about my wearing the button at my age.  I may be 44 years old but I have had a key role in helping build the “pro-life generation”, as I have been active in youth pro-life work for 20 years.

The “pro-life generation” is not just a term to describe this generation; it is what is happening across America and around the world.  I strongly believe this generation will be the one to usher in a culture of life and bring an end to legalized child killing.  We are witnessing courage, conviction and resolve like never before.  Young people like Korntney don’t just want to fight abortion; they are bound and determined to end it.

I usually wait very impatiently for that first e-mail from a student telling me of a baby saved because of the PLDSS; the first story is always the most exciting every year.

This year as I was reading the reports starting to come in and looking at the pictures, I was intrigued by some of the trends I was seeing. The first thing I noticed was how many pregnant girls were writing in about participating in this year’s event.  Of course, I am not celebrating teen pregnancy, but I was thrilled to hear them talk about why they chose life for their child and chose to be a voice for others.

Some wrote about how someone first talked to them about life and convinced them to keep their child. They knew that their choice for life was important and that they must take a stand for other young girls who are facing teen pregnancy.  They were so passionate about being moms and the choice they made and they wanted to share that joy and passion with this generation.

Another thing that struck me this year was how many first-time participants we had who were taking on this day alone.  I read about how nervous they were as they walked into school not knowing if anyone else would be taking the vow of silence or how their friends would react to their stand.

Many of these kids faced some heavy persecution from both their peers and school faculty as they went through the day.  Students told me about dirty looks, rude comments, eye rolls and outright harassment — and this was from teachers.  They talked about how other students would make comments about how they should have been aborted or how stupid pro-life was, but no matter what they faced they took a stand and shined a light in their schools.

While there were stories of harassment there were also many stories of solidarity and support from unexpected places.  One student told me about how one of the most popular boys in school read her flyer and then joined her for rest of the day.  Others talked about how they brought a whole roll of duct tape to school and by the end of the day it was depleted from the number of kids who joined them.

Many students bring literature and other educational tools to school with them to help educate their classmates with the truth about abortion.  With today’s technology and tools like smart phones and iPads it is easy to show people the truth without using words.  I heard more stories about people changing their minds and hearts about abortion then ever before.

By the time I got the first story about a baby being saved from abortion because of someone participating in the PLDSS I was already emotionally overwhelmed.  Of course I was thrilled to hear this news and knew it was only one of many stories like this to come. I also knew that was not going to be the focus of this year’s wrap-up story.

My friend Kelsey was joking with me when she told me I could be an honorary member of the “pro-life generation”, and even posted a photo online of me wearing that button.  She knows as well as I do that my generation has failed; we have handed down a legacy of over fifty-three million dead babies.

While my generation has some amazing heroes who have taught me and been part in laying the groundwork for the “pro-life generation”, we have failed to end abortion.

Yesterday I saw a glimpse into the heart of the “pro-life generation” and I am so excited to be a part of this movement right now.  I saw a courage that I would have never had at that age — a courage that will change this world. I saw a resolve that blew my mind, a resolve that can accomplish anything — even bringing an end to abortion. I saw character that would make me proud as a parent to see in my children — a character that is surly making their heavenly Father proud.

The Pro-life Day of Silent Solidarity was a day dedicated to one of the most amazing pro-life activists I have ever had the honor to stand next to in battle.  While Kortney has gone on to be with the Lord, her passion, courage and strength shone through the kids that took a stand this year.  I know Kortney would be as excited as I am to see such an amazing new wave of abortion abolitionists who will usher in a culture of life and help end the abortion holocaust.

Those in the abortion industry might want to think about going back to school and finding a new career because yours is going to end.  Mark my words: We will end child killing and abortion will be abolished.

We have posted about 85 pictures of the “pro-life generation” taking a stand during the Pro-life Day of Silent Solidarity at https://tinyurl.com/3dzs5mm

LifeNews.com Note: Bryan Kemper is the president of Stand True Ministries, a pro-life group that reaches out to youth and young adults. He is the author of a new book, Social Justice Begins In The Womb.