Pro-Lifers Commemorate 30 Years of Roe vs. Wade

Prayer, Songs, and Speeches

Main Story: Alan Keyes Addresses Pro-Life Gathering at Faneuil Hall

Don Feder Electrifies Crowd

By Ed Oliver
January 24, 2003

1,000 people filled the The Great Hall on Sunday, January 19th.

Close to a thousand people gathered at Boston's historic Faneuil Hall on Jan. 19 to stand in solidarity with the unborn by commemorating the 30th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade at the "Annual Interfaith Assembly for Life."

The occasion was also the 30th anniversary of Mass. Citizens for Life, which is the largest pro-life organization in the Commonwealth. This year, the program emphasized the connection between patriotism and the pro-life movement --freedom and virtue-- with patriotic songs and speeches, appropriately taking place in the hallowed former meeting place for the "Sons of Liberty" during the American Revolution.

Suan Gay, Esq. President of the Massachusetts Citizens for Life

Speaker of the House Tom Finneran declared that the constant presence of the movement vexes the Supreme Court and threatens their precious precedents. "Tear down their precedents, tear down their precedents, " he exhorted. "We will not go away."

Finneran praised the miracle of ultra-sound as a boon to the cause and that noted the shift in public opinion away from abortion.

He chastised his own Democratic Party for doing a fine imitation of the Soviet Union when they barred former Pennsylvania Gov. Robert Casey from speaking at the Democratic convention in 1992 because of his anti-abortion stance.

Attorney Susan Gay, president of MCFL, led off the speakers with a message about religion in political life. Gay, who noted the interfaith nature of the gathering, said that in the end, the struggle will not be between Catholics, Protestants, Jews and Muslims, but between the God loving and the Godless. She said although they were a sorrow-filled gathering, remembering the 42 million-plus children who were aborted since Roe vs. Wade, they are still a faith-filled people with light hearts expressed in song, celebrating life and looking toward the time that God will end the suffering.

Gay called on Catholics who hold public office to remember the precepts of their faith when they form policy and advance their political careers. She read a dispatch from the Vatican to that point and explained that the doctrine of separation of church and state means that we are not to have an established state religion. It does not mean that one hangs up his faith like a hat on a coat rack when he enters political life.

Marie Sturgis, Executive Director of MCFL, brought good news about a recent Wirthlin poll, which shows that nearly 70% of Americans favor restoring legal protection for unborn children.

House Speaker Tom Finneran

Other positive news comes from recent reports that the number of abortions performed in the United States has declined and is at their lowest levels.

Sturgis led the audience in reciting a pledge to recommit and rededicate to the pro-life cause and the overturning of Roe vs. Wade, as well as work on behalf of the sick, dying, aged, handicapped and all those whose lives are not deemed worthy to live.

St. Agatha's Church in Milton received a "Walker of the Year Award" for raising the most money from the 2002 Respect Life Walk.

Carrie Campbell, Harvard University Law Student

The Mount Calvary Baptist Church Choir

Carrie Campbell, a pro-life student at Harvard Law School, said she is convinced that befriending our adversaries and building relationships is really the only way to change their hearts and minds, because the battle lines are drawn and dialogue between the two camps so often degenerates into slogans and bitter rhetoric. Once people get to know you personally and they learn your reasons for being pro-life through conversation, they will not see you as the monster portrayed by the media, and you'll be able to effectively counteract the abortion propaganda.

It seems hard for a young person to make a difference, said Campbell, but students can volunteer at pregnancy centers, stand in front of abortion clinics, form pro-life groups on campus and not be fearful of speaking up in defense of the unborn to co-workers and classmates.

"I've heard it said that you are where you are so that Christ may be there," said Campbell, who challenged people to be a take up the pro-life cause in their own relationships.