On Jan. 22, a crowd of around 400,000 - the majority of them young women - gathered from all over the United States and some from as far away as Canada and Europe at our nation's capital. Some made this annual pilgrimage by plane, others by car, and some, like me, charted red-eye buses from New England, while a group of 35 elderly women from storm-plagued Louisiana embarked on a more-than-24-hour bus journey to reach the National Mall in time for the march, which kicked off at noon on Jan. 22.
This year's march marked the 37th anniversary of the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion in the United States.
' In the last two years the total number of abortions since the 1973 decision climbed above the 50 million mark; the current number is around a staggering 52 million. That is more than 38 times the number of all American lives lost in all wars fought since our country's founding.
What struck me most about the march this year was not the number of dedicated pro-lifers on a mission, although this has been one of the biggest turnouts so far in the history of the march. In fact, more people turned out this year than last year despite a positively gloomy weather forecast of snow, sleet and rain (fortunately the precipitation stayed away). It wasn't the elderly in walkers or the toddlers pushed along in little red wagons 'hellip; no, what stuck in my mind wasn't their dedicated presence but what wasn't present: reporters and protesters.
It is easy to be complacent when your side is up, and with our nation now under the leadership of the most pro-choice president America has had, even those few fervent pro-choice protesters chanting 'my body, my choice' were nowhere to be found. The media, which historically have understated the scope and effect of this annual march, were notably underrepresented as well. In fact, the lack of media coverage of this event has been nothing short of astounding. Just a few months ago the Balloon Boy made headlines for weeks, but when nearly half a million people gather at the mecca of our country for a cause they believe in, they can't even make the last page of a national newspaper, let alone a mention in the top five pages of a Google search result in a recognizable paper or journal (a single photo in the Washington Times appears half-way down on page five).
This begs the question: Where were CNN, NBC, ABC and even FOX? Aside from Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN), a Catholic network, no other recognizable media names could be seen. Are they so unwilling to devote so much as a nod to the largest annual gathering of pro-life supporters in America because they disagree, or because it simply isn't newsworthy?
But despite the lack of media attention, there was a renewed sense of strength and determination among marchers this year. Many were still fired up over the recent election of Scott Brown to fill the Massachusetts Senate seat formerly occupied by the late Ted Kennedy.
I myself was fortunate enough to be able to tour the Senate office building the morning before the march and to attend a caucus hosted by Massachusetts Citizens for Life, Inc. Walking through the enormous Hart building, I overheard several senators discussing the recent special election. Some seemed wary of the newcomer from the Northeast, but most just laughed him off. The whole scene reminded me of a movie I had seen recently called 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.' The plot centers on a down-home, relatively unknown man going up against impossible odds who gets the chance of a lifetime to make a difference in Washington. Now Senator-Elect Brown will get his chance to make a difference. The election of Republican Brown breaks the Democratic 60-seat hold on the Senate, giving Republicans back the filibuster power, which will likely be used to halt the health care bill.
Brown has been very vocal in his opposition of this and any health care bill put before him that would include tax-funded abortions. Despite being aware of the obvious consequences, President Barack Obama seemed determined to give Brown his due by delaying the Senate vote on the health care bill until the new senator is sworn in next week, a move I would deem respectful, courteous and just.
I think this country and its media could stand to take a page out of President Obama's book; he is willing to hear out the opposition - why aren't we?
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Jaclyn Thomas a senior majoring in chemical engineering. She is chair of Jumbos for Life.
