In 1974 the first March was held on the West Steps of the Capitol and the numbers have gradually risen through the years. These growing numbers give testimony to the increasing ranks of pro-life Americans and to the importance of the March's work.
Widely considered the most attended annual march in Washington, DC, the March for Life has become the pro-life movement's signature event. The pro-life movement is culturally diverse and is represented by a variety of indivudals of all races, creeds, nationalities, sexual preferences, and spiritual beliefs.
Update 1/23/10:
The March was not very well covered by the mainstream media, and even those who did cover the March were misinformed and seem confused, as demonstrated when at the 3p ET hour of CNN's Rick's List on Friday, host Rick Sanchez started coverage with the statment, "Abortion rights supporters and opponents hit the streets of the nation's capital Friday to mark the 37th anniversary of Roe v. Wade...." followed by "It's the 37th anniversary of the Supreme Court's decision in Roe v. Wade case....both sides being represented today, but it does appear to me, as I look at these signs that - which side is represented the most....Do we know?"
The Washington Times reports "Thousands of pro-lifers storm D.C." and writes 'Organizers estimated the crowd at the March for Life to number at least 200,000. A "virtual" march on Washington, hosted by Americans United for Life at http://www.virtualmarchforlife.com/, attracted 74,925 "avatars" by late Friday afternoon.'
In additionOne News Now and Catholic News Agency estimate 250k to 300k in the crowd at the March for Life, while tthe Washington Post vaguely reports "tens of thousands." In contrast to the 200-300,000 pro-lifers marching, the best the pro-choice movement could come up with was 50-60 counter-protestors, according to National Infozine, a liberal/pro-choice publication, which writes, "A group of about 60 abortion rights demonstrators faced off against a much larger crowd of anti-abortion demonstrators during the annual March for Life, held on the anniversary of the Supreme Court Roe v. Wade decision."
Russia Today of all things that produced the best mainstream news story on the 2010 March for Life
Fallible Dogma, a pro-life Catholic blog, features Pictures and Video from March For Life Dallas 2010
1-22 Marcher has linked to 2 more good person-on-the-street March videos, here and here
The Campus Progress website, a liberal and pro-choice organization, features pictures from the March for Life. While their captions are from their point of view, the pictures capture the diversity and positive attitudes of pro-life individuals at the March.
The March for Life begins this Friday, January 22, 2010 in Washington D.C. There's a lot going on. Specific details can be found at the March for Life website and Life News Site as well as here at my blog below.
Thursday, January 21:
Cardinal O'Connor Conference on Life
8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Georgetown University, Washington D.C.
LSN Reporter Peter Smith will be speaking at 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
See full schedule.
March for Life Convention
1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Hyatt Regency Hotel, Washington D.C.
LSN's John-Henry Westen, Tim Waggoner, Matthew Anderson, Kathleen Gilbert, Peter Smith and Hilary White will rotate their presence at the LSN booth in the displays area on Thursday afternoon and evening and Friday morning and afternoon. Stop by to say hello!
See the above link for more details.
American Life League - Personhood Conference
8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Washington Court Hotel, Washington D.C.
March for Life White House Mini-Rally - flashlight program
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Lafayette Park, Washington D.C.
Opening mass for National Prayer Vigil for Life
6:30 p.m.
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, D.C.
All night prayer vigil to follow. See schedule for details.
Rock for Life Concert
8:00 p.m.
Washington Court Hotel
Friday, January 22:
Human Life International Mini-Conference
8:45 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Washington Court Hotel, Washington D.C.
LSN Editor in Chief John-Henry Westen will be giving a few remarks to introduce HLI's President, Fr. Thomas Euteneuer.
Rock for Life Concert
7:00 p.m.
Washington Court Hotel
Also, LSN's U.S. Coordinator and journalist Matthew Anderson will be at the concert to get the word out about LifeSiteNews.
Giant 2010 Youth Rally and Mass for Life
7:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Verizon Wireless Center - Washington, D.C.
Closing mass for National Prayer Vigil for Life
7:30 a.m.
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington D.C.
Blogs4Life Conference 2010 (Scroll down for more details)
8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Family Research Council Headquarters
801 G Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20001
You can still register to attend in person. Or make plans to view online. Bloggers can live stream the conference on their sites. You will be able to watch the event live here at my blog below:
Here is the tentative speakers' schedule for the Blogs4Life Conference, which even as late as yesterday changed. So it's by no means written in stone.
8:30 - 8:35a Jill Stanek, emcee introduction
8:35 - 8:45a Kristen Day, Democrats for Life
8:45 - 9:00a Joseph Farah, WorldNetDaily.com
9:00 - 9:20a PANEL: "Hosting a winning pro-life blog, " American Life League's Katie Walker and ALL's Pro-life Blog Contest winners
9:20 - 9:33a Carol Clews, Executive Director, Center for Pregnancy Concerns, Baltimore, MD
9:33 - 9:35a Kristin Hansen, VP of Communications, Care Net
9:35 - 9:45a Marjorie Dannenfelser, President, Susan B. Anthony List
9:45 - 10:05a Rep. Michele Bachmann Todd Akin, R-MO
10:05a - 10:15a Break
10:15 - 10:25a Charmaine Yoest, Ph.D (pictured right), President and CEO, Americans United for Life
10:25 - 10:45a Rep. Jim Jordan, R-OH
10:45a - 11:05a PANEL: Emerging Online Technologies, Molotov Mitchell, Illuminati Pictures; Peter Shinn, President, Pro-Life Unity; Founder, Blogs for Life; Krystle Weeks, Web Editor, Family Research Council
11:05 - 11:15a Tony Perkins, President, Family Research Council
11:15 - 11:30a David Prentice, Ph.D, Senior Fellow for Life Sciences, FRC, StemCellResearchFacts.org
Lutherans for Life worship service
9:00 a.m.
Immanuel Lutheran Church
1801 Russell Road
Alexandria, VA 22301
Rally for Life
12:00 p.m.
National Mall and 7th Street
Washington D.C.
March for Life
1:00 p.m.
Washington D.C. National Mall
See details and route map.
Silent No More Awareness Campaign - testimonies
4:00 p.m.
Steps of the Supreme Court, Washington D.C.
Immediately following the March women from the Silent No More Awareness Campaign will be giving testimonies of their experiences with abortion.
International Culture of Life Awards Reception
Honoring Arizona Congressman Trent Franks
4:00 p.m.
Special invited guests - Congressman Chris Smith and many others
Phoenix Park Hotel, Across from Union Station
520 North Capital St. NW, $40 per person donation
Information and to register on line
March for Life Rose Dinner
6:00 p.m.
Hyatt Regency Hotel, Washinton D.C.
At least four of the LSN team will be there.
Saturday, January 23:
Students for Life of America National Conference
8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
The morning's events will include a series of speeches from representative of Operation Outcry, Silent No More, and Alliance Defense Fund.
Pryzbyla Center, Catholic University of America, Washington D.C.
More information
American Life League Training and Activism Week - Rock for Life
9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Washington Court Hotel, Washington D.C.
Speeches about pro-life activism.
For More On the Schedule, Go Here
EWTN To Air 2010’s Historic “March for Life/Walk for Life”
Pro-life people won’t want to miss any of EWTN’s pro-life shows in January. Highlights include:
“March for Life 2010:” On the East Coast, Doug Keck (Host of EWTN’s “Bookmark”) will anchor the Network’s live coverage with Fr. Joseph. They will be joined in studio by EWTN Radio Hosts Jim and Joy Pinto. In Washington, D.C., Teresa Tomeo (host of EWTN’s daily radio news and feature program “Catholic Connection”) and EWTN Series Host Damon Owens will interview the newsmakers and pro-lifers from around the country.
Solemn Vigil Mass for Life airs 6:30 p.m., Jan. 21 (live); Solemn Mass for Life airs 7:30 a.m., Jan. 22 (live); March for Life 2009 airs 11 a.m. Jan. 22 (live) and encores 10 p.m. Jan. 22.
“Walk for Life West Coast 2010:” On the West Coast, Father Mark and Doug Barry, hosts of EWTN’s “Life on the Rock,” will cover the walk whose fabulous speakers include former Planned Parenthood Clinic Director Abby Johnson; UCLA Student Activist and Filmmaker Lila Rose; 40 Days for Life National Director David Bereit; Silent No More Speakers Irene Beltran and Georgette Forney, and Jim Garlow, a San Diego-based evangelical pastor. In addition, Rev. Clenard Childress, director of LEARN and BlackGenocide.org, a speaker since the Walk’s inauguration in 2005, will rally the walkers.
Airs 1 p.m. Jan. 23 (live) and encores at 9:30 a.m. Jan. 24.
Other Information:
Down syndrome advocates will March for Life again in 2010
Families of children with Down syndrome will walk together for the 2nd year in a row at the March for Life in D.C. on January 22, 2010.
KIDS (Keep Infants with Down Syndrome) was formed by Eileen Haupt and Leticia Velasquez, parents of children with DS, for the purpose of gathering families to walk together in the March for Life, raise awareness of the tragically high abortion rate of DS babies, and to share the joys that their children bring into their lives....
Abby Johnson featured on Focus on the Family radio shows today and tomorrow
In conjunction with the 36th anniversary of the US Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision, former Planned Parenthood employee Abby Johnson will be featured on Focus on the Family's radio programs today and tomorrow. This show will air on 2k radio outlets in the US and will also be available for online listening.
To learn more about today's broadcast - and find a station you may listen on - click here.
For tomorrow's broadcast of the second half of the discussion, click here.
If there's no station near you - or you just don't have a chance to listen - recordings of both programs will be posted after they are broadcast here.
If you're not able to attend the March for Life in person, you can join the over 42,000 Americans represented in the Virtual March for Life.
While I won't be able to go to D.C. this year due to financial constraints, my thoughts will be with those marching, especially my post-abortion friends in Silent No More Awareness, and I will be representing myself at the March through the Virtual March for Life
H/Ts to Jill Stanek and Big Blue Wave Canada
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