Connections are one of the most valuable parts of the human experience. Last January, I got to experience this firsthand while attending the March for Life in Washington, DC for the first time. For those unfamiliar with Penn State Students For Life’s normal plans, we have historically taken a bus down with other PSU students and members of a local church, marched during the day, and driven back at night. Altogether, this provided me with plenty of opportunities to realize how wide spread the pro-life cause really was.
The March for Life is a great experience to realize the size of the pro-life cause. A full Beaver Stadium on White Out is an overwhelming and large crowd. However, this is miniscule in comparison to the throngs of citizens who converge yearly on our nation’s capital, all clamoring for the same goal: An end to abortion. You can easily see at this event, that no matter who you are or where you are from, YOU have a spot in the pro-life movement. Besides being part of the Penn State family, we are part of a larger group, who only ask our politicians and leaders to respect the right to life of all people in the United States, regardless of age or size.
Additionally, for Penn State students, the March for Life is a great opportunity to meet a number of new students, who you already have a core value in common with. I know firsthand that it can be scary to talk about being pro-life on a college campus, but here, you can meet students from all different majors and organizations who share a basic fundamental value with you. This is can be incredibly beneficial in not only finding like-minded friends, but also establishing connections and associating with individuals on campus who will help you become more involved.
This year the experience will certainly be markedly different than previous PSU experiences. This difference does not mean that the previous benefits aren’t there. While we can’t have a full bus, we will look to organize smaller, more intimate and personal car rides. While we might not converse and shake hands with as many individuals in DC, we will support one another with our presence. However, most importantly, we will, as always, put pressure on politicians to end the culture of death currently plaguing our society. The incoming administration has stated that they seek to expand access to abortion, which could be literally deadly to millions of helpless, unborn babies. This time of crisis is the time to come together and fight for what really matters, and I hope to see you at the March! For any questions on the March or how to get involved, please contact Lauren at (lxs5580@psu.edu) or me (Vince) at vpbirch@gmail.com.