Signs of LIFE Part I

One of the many blessings of living in D.C. is the convenience of attending the March for Life. I was struck by how many young people were in attendance. This is an issue that resonates with people of the younger generation.

I took particular interest in the signs. The vase majority of them were very positive, like this sign by a LIFE TEEN youth group from Missouri:



There were one or two gory signs depicting abortions carried by marchers. And there was a large display of photographs of aborted babies. It was very gruesome, but it tells the real story of abortion. However, the display faced inward toward the people marching. Almost as if it was meant to remind us why we should defend human life. However, many people are offended by such displays, and I do not think it is a particularly effective means of changing hearts and minds.

Members of Jeffco LIFE TEEN also carried this sign:



That was one of my favorites. When faced with the murder of innocent children, it is understandable to respond with anger and disgust. But, Jesus calls us to something much more difficult. He calls us to forgive. It is through His Love and forgiveness that the pro-life movement can change hearts.


Some signs were much more personal:



This wonderful little girl marched with her parents and other adopted kids. She was a visible reminder of the beauty of choosing life. Unfortunately, many in her generation were not so lucky.

It is no surprise that this little girl had fair skin. In 2004, according to CDC statistics, a child of a white mother had an 86% of not being aborted. Tragically, the child of a black mother had only a 68% chance of surviving his or her mother's "choice." 75% of mothers of "other" races chose life. For the same year, the abortion rate among blacks was 2.6 times that of whites.

In pro-life ads, we see cute little white babies pleading with pregnant mothers to choose life. Perhaps we should be seeing more ads with cute little black babies.