Young Joon Park |
Co-Editor-In-Chief "The Mount"
Since its inception in 1974, the March for Life has
been growing slowly and attracting many people from all over the nation. This
year, 13 of Mount Michael’s own, including ten seniors, two juniors and teacher
Amy Masek, joined three hundred other Nebraskans in traveling to march in the
nation’s capitol.
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| Omaha Archbishop George Lukas With Young Marchers photo by Oliver Jarosik '16 |
The March itself, an open protest against abortion,
occurred Thursday, Jan. 22, with over half a million people reportedly
participating. “It’s a great thing to see so many people come out for such a
good cause,” senior Alex Hotovy said. The March gained national television
exposure and is a large enough event that it would be hard not to hear about
it. Hotovy was also interviewed on the day of the March itself, and said about
the interview, “I’m just glad to be able to help people see what we think and
let people know why we’re here.”
The Pro-Life movement seems to have had some effect.
Abortion numbers in the United States are declining steadily; however,
Pro-Lifers still believe that there is work to be done. “I believe that, with
time and work, people will gradually come to see our side and that abortion
will be stopped, but for now, this is the best way to show them,” senior Andrew
Whitaker said.
People do not, however, only participate because of
abortion. “I go because I want to stop abortion, yes, but I also love the
atmosphere and the people there,” Whitaker said. In addition to the day spent
out on the March, participants from Nebraska visited the National Shrine of
Elizabeth Ann Seton, the Gettysburg Museum and Battlefield and the National
Holocaust Museum.
The bus rides there and back encompass about
forty-four hours in total, but participants say that should not discourage
people from going. “The bus rides are long, but there is so much joy and
excitement that it’s hard not to have fun, both on the buses and the March
itself,” senior Jonathan Collins said. “Honestly, the bus rides might have been
my favorite part.”
While the March for Life is not for everyone, it has received
overwhelming support, especially in recent years, from all different groups and
denominations. For some people, the March for Life would not be right. But from
the Mount Michael participants, the response was overwhelmingly in favor.
