Thousands of pro-lifers from across the United States flocked to Washington D.C. on Friday amidst very cold weather and the threat of the mild Omicron variant to wage a battle for the unborn since "equality begins in the womb" and "every person matters."
40 Days For Life Founder David Bereit said "the crowd was on fire, realizing that a post-Roe America is on the horizon." While CBN News reported that March For Life organizers estimated a minimum of 50,000 people filled the streets of the nation's capital. CBN News also highlighted that the huge crowd and the event's speakers underscored the unborn deserves to be treated equally like any other human being.
As previously reported, this year's March for Life theme is "Equality Begins In The Womb" that the organization's Education and Defense Fund President Jeanne Mancini explained applies to the unborn being "often overlooked for they cannot speak for themselves."
One of the event's speakers, 36-year-old Down Syndrome Advocate Katie Shaw, stressed that babies--"with disabilities or not"--deserve "equality in the womb." Shaw disclosed that her parents discovered she had Down Syndrome when her mom was five months pregnant but they didn't adhere to the doctor's recommendations to have her aborted. Now, she is a testament to "equality starts in the womb."
"I have Down Syndrome. I am happy to be here today in the fight for the dignity of human life for all unborn babies diagnosed with a disability or not. I believe equality for you, me, and everyone started in the womb. It started on the day of conception when God gave us our soul. I am proud to be here to March to show the world that people with a disability or not need to have a chance to show the world of God's plan for them. They need a chance to have a wonderful life," Shaw said.
Shaw's statements were echoed by the various speakers who relayed powerful messages and testimonials like that of Bible In A Year Podcast Host Fr. Mike Schmitz, the event's main speaker, who emphasized that "every person matters. Every life matters."
Catholic News Agency reported that this year's turnout was closer to the usual size of the March For Life crowd, that has been called as the "largest human rights demonstration in the world," unlike last year's gathering that had a virtual counterpart.
But what makes this year's event extra special, Mancini said during the rally, is the possibility that the United States Supreme Court will overturn Roe v. Wade through the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization case whose decision is to be released this June.
"We are hoping and praying that this year, 2022, will bring a historic change for life. Roe is not settled law," Mancini revealed.
March for Life, whose first event was held a year after Roe v. Wade was implemented by the Supreme Court in 1973, is said to be a "great witness" on the "sanctity of human life," according to Fr. David Yallaly, a priest who attended the event with Chicago-based Crusaders for Life.
"There are still a lot of people here. It's great that people still made the sacrifice to come out. It's a great witness to the message of the sanctity of human life," Yallaly said.
