When I attended the March for Life on May 9th, 2013 I saw a young man, probably in his late 20s, with a sign that broke my heart. I wish I had taken a photo of him, but I remember what his sign said. At the March, there were of course, pro-choice folks out who were protesting our protest. For the most part they were all gathered together in one area, behind a fence and police officers. There were topless woman tossing condoms into the street at us (yes, thank you pro-choicers, we would love to have condoms. I am not sure if you noticed, but we are actually protesting the use of them) and chanting, "Get your rosaries of our ovaries" (this deserves a whole other post, but I would just like to point out that this chant makes zero sense AND does not rhyme.)
Anyway, back to this young man. He was off by himself, and I actually saw him at a few different parts of the March. He was walking with us I guess, but protesting us at the same time. He was totally alone every time I saw him, and I actually felt very sorry for him. His sad sign read,
"Men- Back off.
It's Her Body!"
I think it is easy for us, as pro-lifers, to look at him and judge him for being a coward. Which, I guess he is. But, in his mind he is doing a great thing. See, I imagine this is what he is thinking... that he is helping to free and liberate women for the awful, traditional men who would embrace their fatherhood, and have a say in what happens to the little life they helped create within a woman's body. But, here is the reality, women don't need men to say, "It's your body, so it's your choice. Do what you want." I think that women think that that is what they want because they are often scared and angry in the face of an unwanted pregnancy. But no woman wants the father of the baby she's carrying to not care what happens to her or their child. She wants a man to help her make a decision.
I am fully aware that a lot of times the decision they make together could still end in abortion, and that saddens me, of course. Because, men who have a say in what happens to their child still may not recognize the new life growing inside the woman as a new person, but rather as a blob of tissue. But this is a step in the right direction. At least men would be stepping up and, recognizing the little one as a new life will come.
We need men to care about life. We need men to have an opinion. Especially in this area! We need men to come aboard the pro-life movement, and recognize their fatherhood. It's cowardly to say it's the woman's decision! Did you not have a part in placing that new life there, sir? Yes, yes you did. So you get a say in what happens next (and I hope and pray that that say is one for life!). Our world needs men of courage to stand up for life, and help women instead of 'liberating' them.
Thank you, so, so much for every single man who defends life. You are doing a wonderful, beautiful thing. Thank you for acknowledging your role and your Fatherhood. You are a credit to your gender.
Please join me in praying for this young man...and for all other men who join him in this passive viewpoint of abortion and in their wrongly placed passion for women's rights.
God bless you,
-Emily xo
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