By Veronica Buffamante, senior, Christ the King H.S.
The week of Jan. 18-22 was a time for pro-life activities at Christ the King H.S., Middle Village. Throughout grades nine to 12, the goal was to expand students’ knowledge on abortion. We learned historical and factual information, including the landmark Supreme Court case. Our school was scheduled to attend the March for Life in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 22. This is the same day in 1973 that the Supreme Court legalized abortion as a result of the Roe v. Wade court case. Although we were excited to demonstrate our belief in the pro-life movement, Washington was declared in a state of emergency because of weather and our trip was cancelled. There was extreme disappointment because we could only be in Washington in spirit. Luckily, our great teachers, Ms. Carol Bronnenkant and Deacon Paul Norman, organized a replica march at our school.
To prepare for our day, we said a prayer called Celebration of the Sanctity of Life from the Catholic Conference of Kentucky’s Pro-life Committee. Then we watched the movie “Bella,” which showed us the importance of human life through different perspectives. Next, we created posters representing our belief in life and our opposition to abortion. Wearing “life is precious” stickers, we began our march.
While marching around the school, I talked to one of my peers. He was a pro-life advocate, but had some questions. After debating the cons of abortion for about 20 minutes, he explained to me, “I believe in the importance of life, but what if the child has a disorder like Down Syndrome? What if the woman is seriously unprepared? What if she was raped?”
These are some arguments made by people who are pro-choice. I explained to him that every child deserves love. I asked, “Have you ever met a person with Down Syndrome? What makes them different from us? Only the fact that they are labeled with Down Syndrome. They have heartbeats and feelings just like we do.”
Every person God creates, with his or her faults, is unique to our world. If a woman is unprepared for a child, abortion is not the answer! Adoption is the best solution. If you are unable to love a child, let someone else willingly love them. There are lots of support groups, including local churches that provide for the needs of the future mother and baby. As for rape, less than one percent of abortions are done as a result of rape. Dictating life should be left in the hands of God. After this conversation, he thanked me for eliminating his doubt.
After our march, we sat in the auditorium to watch the March in Washington. The most interesting thing I found from the live stream was reading the protesters’ posters. Some said, “I regret getting an abortion,” “I regret giving abortions,” and the most interesting of all, “I am the product of rape.” Someone who is a product of rape advocating pro-life is living proof that a child can be loved no matter what the circumstances are.
Although I was looking forward to marching in Washington for the first time, I had a great time staying at school. We may have been hours away from Washington, but our support for the cause was just as strong as if we were there. This is an experience I’ll never forget because I was able to put effort toward something I truly believe in.
Currently at C.K., we are putting together a Pro-life Committee. We plan to inform others of the severity of abortion and plan events that will help reflect our position. And we look forward to attending the March for Life in Washington next year!