By Molly McGurn
GUEST WRITER

This January, I attended the 42nd March for Life in Washington DC with seven other IHA students. We traveled to DC with students from St. Joe’s. Though I knew people who had gone before, including my grandparents who used to go every year, it was my first time.

I did not know what to expect.

We were fortunate to have a beautiful day. Some of the people I spoke with told me about other marches where the weather was ice-cold. That takes a lot of dedication, especially for those who do it every year.

What struck me most about the day was the enthusiasm and behavior of the marchers. We did run into a few pro-choice protesters who were arrested, but overall, the march went smoothly.

We first arrived at the basilica at Catholic University of America, which is absolutely breathtaking. From there we marched to the Supreme Court building, where in 1973, the Court ruled that the unborn child was not a person. I was glad to see a building that had so much history, even if the history of this day is one of the saddest for America.

Over the day I met a few people who have marched for decades and have never given up. They have my admiration. I learned from them too that abortion is not just something they are “against.” These are the same people who volunteer for their church ministries, serve at pregnancy crisis centers and try to help women see there are better choices than abortion.

They are truly pro-life in the full sense of the word, driven by the belief that every single human life is precious.

It is a cause I believe in, so I was glad to be there. But as much as I believe in the cause of life, I know it can be hard. There is strength in numbers, and it was a tremendous experience to walk among tens of thousands of people my age who share my most fundamental beliefs. I plan on attending the march again next year, and I would encourage all my fellow IHA students to do the same.

I know it comes at a tough time in January right after midterms, but it is an opportunity to demonstrate on behalf of the most defenseless members of our society — the unborn — in a way that I promise will leave you more inspired than when you started.