March for Life

I can't believe that I haven't posted about the March for Life today. What a dork. I guess I was distracted. Anyway, it's funny how these things happen, or as a friend of mine says "Christidental" (get it?). I picked up my book by Father Pavone with a quick free second I had before the kiddoes went to bed. I had marked a bunch of pages to post about and lo and behold, I marked the March for Life.

The March for Life, as I'm sure many of you already know, takes place in D.C. It is actually taking place right now, as we speak. Faith and Family Live! is showing EWTN today on their site, where of course, they are viewing the march. It is a time of a peaceful presentation of our First Amendment rights to our freedom of speech. Friends meet, prayers are said, hymns are sung.... The day ends with the Rose Dinner which is meant to honor those who participate in the Pro-Life Movement.

So, Father Frank gives us four insights into what this important event accomplishes:

1. It gives voice to the children. Obviously the unborn do not have a voice. They cannot speak up loud enough to cry out for its life. It's important that we become more heard all the time, not silent.

I would like to reference the old Horton Hears a Who movie. It amazes me the pro-life message that is prevalent in that movie. I haven't seen the new one so I don't know how close it is. But in the old video, the "Who's" to me are the unborn babies that are screaming, but no one can hear. And throughout this video, Horton continuously says "A person's a person, no matter how small." So true. So true.

2. It gives encouragement to our friends in government. Can you imagine what it must be like to be a pro-life Senator right now? I bet they might feel a little alone, a little beat in this arena. This march gives them hope. It tells them that their efforts and voice in Congress does not go unheard. They need to continue to do their job, and we should continue to do ours.

3. It encourages us. Just like those in Congress, I'm sure there are those regular folks on the ground that get discouraged. We always run into ignorance. We run into those that are unwilling to listen to the truth, or just choose not to. It can be very frustrating. This march gives them hope too. They see that there are many others who are supporting their ever-important, life-saving efforts.

4. It trains young leaders. Father Frank says that he got his inspiration from this march when he was in high school. Imagine seeing these people, so devoted to their beliefs and so motivated to save human life. How inspiring that must be to others. To others who are open to hear it anyway. If God has opened one's heart to hearing the truth, this march could change their life forever. And maybe other lives too.

So, tune in to EWTN. Try to watch a little bit of this march. It obviously plays several different roles in the pro-life movement. Maybe it will move you to do something differently too. Become a Warrior Soul.

Did You Know...

Today we celebrate the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. We all know a little bit about his speech, "I Have A Dream." For myself, I know the basics of that speech and what he was fighting for, but I didn't realize some things about Dr. King. Things that we have in common.

As you can see in my profile picture, I'm a white woman. I grew up in a town that was all white. I didn't go to school with anyone black, Hispanic, Puerto-Rican, or anything like that until I was in middle school. This school encompassed 5 small towns, and there was one black family. Then about my junior year in high school, a black family moved in down the road from me and my friend and I hung out with them. I actually ended up in a relationship with their cousin for over a year.

I don't really feel that I can say I can relate with black people. I feel like I don't know them very well and it creates fear because of that uncertainty.

I sat down yesterday and opened my book: The Big Book of Catholic Customs and Traditions. I was looking to see what they had in store for activities that I could do with the kids today in regards to Martin Luther King, Jr. And lo and behold, he and I have similar views. Who knew?

Did you know...

1. ... that Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Republican? National Black Republican Association

2. ... that Martin Luther King, Jr. studied theology?

3. ... that Martin Luther King, Jr. would more than likely spoken out against abortion in this past election? Pro-Life News featuring Alveda King, niece to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

4. ... that Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Baptist minister that deeply rooted his spirituality into his work?

5. ... that Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his "I Have a Dream" speech at the Lincoln Memorial?

6. ... that Abraham Lincoln was a Republican and signed the Emancipation Proclamation?

7. ... that Dr. King and George Washington are the only two American presidents in history to have their birthdays named national holidays?

Did you know these things? How much did you know? I didn't know many and couldn't believe how much I had in common with him. I think society has become more separated since Dr. King's death, not closer together. Yes, we voted in a black president, but that doesn't make us closer. I'm trying to find the right words to explain what I mean. Because we point out each other's differences so much, it creates disjointedness in our country. Women think they have to fight men for power, and other minority groups think they are in a constant struggle with whites. And it's because we don't fully understand each other. I'll be the first one to admit that I don't understand black people. That may sound bad coming out, but it's true and I bet a lot of black people would say the same about whites.

It's because we haven't taken the time to understand each other's side. If we did that, we might find more common ground, as I did when I looked into Dr. King a little bit more. I have always had respect for him for fighting for his people and his beliefs. That took a lot of strength. I don't know what kind of life he must have had to endure growing up and I never will. That creates a little distance. But what I didn't know, and what we are NOT taught, was that we also have similarities. And if I had known this a long time ago, I may not have been as afraid.

So one thing I can learn from today and I hope you all pass this along to family and friends: Knowledge is power, and that knowledge can lead to unity. Ignorance creates fear and subsequently, segregation from each other. I think we still have a long way to go....