February 2010 Newsletter
Posted By cmbuuck on April 5, 2010
The National March for Life—Vicki Layman…The National March for Life in Washington D.C. is held each year to protest on the anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe vs. Wade decision legalizing abortion in the United States on January 22, 1973. The local Allen County March is held for the same reason, and members of our Fort Wayne Chapter of Lutherans for Life have marched in this one for years, as well as fellow Lutherans from CLHS, the seminary and local Lutheran churches.
Last year, seven of our members traveled to D.C. for the National March, and this year, four of us were able to attend, Judi Hapke, Patty Hunter, my husband Bob, and me. The State LFL of Virginia has families who are willing to take in Lutherans who make this trip. The family we stayed with was a lot of fun and made us feel so welcome.
Our main concern was the predicted weather for the day we left – freezing rain from here eastward. We left at 7:30 a.m., and the rain had not reached Fort Wayne yet. The MapQuest we had steered us around the storm area. We had sun most of the day and didn’t run into sleet until Virginia. However, the next morning (march day), there were light clouds, the sun came out at times, and the temperature warmed up. Saturday when we drove home, it was partly cloudy with no precipitation. We thanked God for the weather blessing.
On the 22nd, we attended a service with Communion at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Alexandria, Virginia. Rev. John T. Pless from the Fort Wayne seminary gave an excellent sermon. This was followed by a hearty brunch. Then we headed for the rally that precedes the march at the National Mall at noon. Approximately 2:00 p.m., we slowly began moving out for the march as there were about 300,000 or more people gathered.
Our leader, Dennis DiMauro, had passed out song sheets, and we Lutherans began singing as we fell into line, and we sang throughout the march. There were 160 plus Lutherans there. (Lutherans for Life joined with LCMS Life Ministries, led by Maggie Karner, and other Lutheran groups).
If others sang, I wasn’t aware of it, but we did hear a Hispanic band playing songs with a lively rhythm. When they came near us, I saw that they were mostly young people (children, teenagers and young couples with families). They are our hope to carry on in our place and bring an end to abortion.
When we finally reached the Supreme Court Building, the march came to an end, and the various groups disbanded. What else could we do? It was disheartening to see police officers occupying the steps of this building of justice. Just as in our local march, I prayed that many people who saw us this day thought about why we were there. I have always considered our marching in the local marches was not primarily a protest but a witness of our belief in the sanctity of human life and that life is a gift from our God.
Use of Webcam by Planned Parenthood…Planned Parenthood of Greater Iowa is using a webcam to give the dangerous RU-486 drug, which induces chemical abortions, to walk-in-patients, reports Iowa Right to Life. Women come for the chemical abortion and, instead of consulting an abortionist face-to-face; they face a screen connected to a person somewhere else in the state via web cameras.
In addition, Planned Parenthood does not follow FDA Protocol for RU-486. Planned Parenthood gives women a single RU-486 pill, instead of the three recommended by the FDA. Then, the dosage of the less expensive Misoprostol, which expels the baby, is increased. Additionally, one of the FDA-recommended doctor’s visits is cut out of the process.
The chemical abortion has been shown to be responsible for over 600 adverse effects and is the direct cause of at least thirteen deaths since its introduction to the western world, according to Dr. John Wilke of Life Issues Institute. (American Life League, Sept. 12, 2008, as cited by Abby Johnson at the Allen County March for Life, Jan. 30, 2020)