A Man's Role in the Prolife Movement

“The pro-life movement is often characterized as a women’s movement. Is it hard as a man to find your role in this movement?” a reporter asked me at the 2015 annual March for Life. I paused, then responded, “Yes.” Fact of the matter is, my answer to that question is far broader than ’fifteen-minutes-of-fame’ or the capacity to ‘think-on-my-feet’ would have allowed me. The question of what men are to do about abortion and being pro-life has been weighing on my mind since that Thursday in January. Let me first state that suggesting that it is difficult for a man to be part of the prolife movement in no way takes away from a woman choosing to be pro-life. Nothing is more daunting and heroic than a woman choosing to keep her baby. There are many things that make that road difficult for a woman. However that requires the involvement and dedication of men all the more.

While in DC for the March for Life I had the opportunity to listen to many speakers’ experiences with the pro-life movement. One statement that stuck out to me was that men are much more efficient at sidewalk counselling at abortion clinics than women. This was surprising to me. After all, every prochoice friend I have seems to be angry that I even have an opinion on the matter of abortion. But when I consider the big picture, things start to make sense. Many of the women having abortions are abandoned or forced to abort by the men in their lives. They have no support or love. And, in some way, my prochoice friends probably have this resentment towards me for being prolife for the same reason they are prochoice. That is, a rejection of ‘reliance on men’ and putting all of the control (and consequently burden) on women. But the result is more freedom for men to do whatever they want, and more burden for women to bear alone. It seems to me the abortion industry has a goal of turning women into men, stripping them of their greatest capacity. But in the process of women becoming ‘more like men’ we lose true men. What we end up with is women who reject their (beautiful, amazing, *insert awe-filled adjective here*) biological ability to give life, and men who reject their responsibility to care, love and support women the way they were made to be.

When talking about a situation like this, I think St. Joseph is a perfect role model. St. Joseph was betrothed to Mary when she conceived Jesus through the Holy Spirit. Regardless of your religious affiliation, we should be able to agree that the reactions of Mary and St. Joseph to Jesus are the reactions we should all have to the gift of life; that is, love and support. There is no question whether or not Joseph loved Mary. When she told him she was pregnant with the son of God, he was moved to feeling unworthy and afraid. Surely, these are feelings that all new fathers have. It took a dream from an angel and the grace of God to guide him to fulfill his role as a man. And that role is to love and support Mary.

When I go to pray outside of the abortion clinic, there are many interesting dynamics that I see. Something I have noticed that deeply troubles me is that there are often certain people who yell at the women going in or at the clinic workers. They demean them and damn them to hell. This is not how to show love and support to the women in our community. We must offer help. In the midst of crisis help is what they need. As Father Schmitz says, “It’s not us and them. It just us, all of us.” Keeping that perspective in mind, hopefully we do not have people in our ear who tell us we are going to hell every time we sin, thereby disparaging us further into sin. For me, I consider my little sister. If something were to happen to her, if she were raped or she made a bad decision and unexpectedly became pregnant, that doesn't change who she is and it doesn’t change how much I love her. I am actively prolife to show her that’s the way I feel. There are women in our community, maybe even closer to us than that, who do not feel this love. That is a problem. As men, we need to do better. We need to actively show all women our love and appreciation for them. Are we being like Joseph to the women in our lives and in our society? Are we actively living and speaking words of love and support to all of the women in our lives? Every one? I believe firmly that when we answer yes to that question, then we will eliminate abortion.



-Written by Thomas Tresky, Service and Events Coordinator of Choose Life at Pitt

This Is #WhyWeMarch

Last Wednesday marked the 41st anniversary of the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision which legalized abortion in the United States of America.  The government may have called in a snow day that day, but hundreds of thousands of pro-lifers still marched on in support of the unborn.

This year's March for Life was the second March in which I was in attendance.  I could stick with the clichés and call it an 'awesome experience,' but that certainly would be a cheap description.  Last year, my first rally, I saw a generation rise to the occasion.  I saw this same generation this past Wednesday. We call ourselves 'The Pro Life Generation.'  The youth have flooded this event with the mindset that "they survived Roe v. Wade, but Roe v. Wade won't survive them."  They even brought the element of social networking into the March for Life, using the hashtag #WhyWeMarch to help spread the pro life message through Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (I encourage you to check out this hashtag on Instagram... a TON of awesome pictures of The March).

Now, The Pro Life Generation means business. It isn't a bunch of teens and young adults who fight for life because their moms and dads told them it's the right thing to do.  It also isn't a phase that 'us kids' go through when we are trying to find out who we are, or a movement that will be looked upon in 20 years when we are older that will be seen as cheesy and out of style.  The Pro Life Generation is a lifestyle, a culture, that lives to defend the defenseless, recognize our gift of life, and restore this culture of life to our nation and the world.  Our mission statement is simple, and reads something like this: "Life and love, unconditionally."

As I watched our generation of young lifesavers walk, I realized what the Pro Life Generation was truly all about.  We walked in a POLAR VORTEX through the streets of our nation's capital on a day when US leaders thought it was too dangerous to go to work.

THAT is a strong message.

We didn't walk through that weather because we blindly believed in the rights of the unborn from what we were told,  we MARCHED down Constitution Avenue on a mission to save and defend the defenseless.  The cold didn't matter.  There was something bigger than ourselves happening that day, and even if we saved one life through our example, it was more than worth it.

The Pro Life Generation left DC that day and began spread the fire in our hearts throughout the nation, using the breath of life as our fuel.

Dr. James Dobson summed it up pretty well at the rally:

“Look at the young people who are here! You are the hope of the future, and together, we’re going to win this fight!

Here is a video that I took of the March when it first got going, just to give you a feel for what it was like for those of you who were unable to attend.  Please ignore my squinting face halfway through.

Roses for Life

Last Thursday, more than 700 people throughout the day were confronted about the pro-life message at the Roses for Life event.  It truly was a breathtaking display, at least for me, as 150 roses beautified the William Pitt Union lawn.  Through the morbidity of abortion, the Roses for Life offered a peaceful remembrance for the unborn, and inspired hope for a pro-life future.  Many passersby, and even myself, would glance upon the field of roses and realize just how many babies were denied the right to life per hour.  One child per hour is one too many, let alone almost 150.

The Roses for Life event was truly a peaceful and hope inspiring display for all to see.  The slogan of "You Matter" brought a sense of realization to many, as people rarely hear that they matter just for who they are in today's society.

 Understanding that each and every one of us matters is the first step in defending the right to life of others.

You Matter

NEVER LET GO

What else could you do?

Escorts and bubble zones

Blinding mothers from the truth.

Distractions surround your every move

while in the silence of the womb

your beautiful son or daughter coos.

Their lives have meaning and they yearn

to experience the life you have given them.

They have no guilt and no shame

but for some reason they are to blame

for being the inconvenience that brings you here today.

If there is but one thing I can say

to show you there is another way to live

in less than 9 months you will believe

that every pain and uncomfortable night’s sleep

was worth the decision it took to keep

the gaze of your little one,

which, once wrapped in your arms

will never let go of your heart

-Elizabeth Ciccocioppo

Being Pro-Life

             Underneath the fundamental basis of life, lies love.  This very love holds society together.  Without this fundamental element of the human spirit, families and friends would not make sense.  There would be no reason to sacrifice, to give, or to come to the aid of another.  Love is at the root of all things that humans hold as good.  Now, this type of ‘good’ is fulfilling, and not to be confused with a pleasure sense of good.  Compassion, affection, forgiveness, and sacrifice, just to name a few ‘good’ values, can all be dissected into their simpler components.  One will find that love is shared in the structure of all of these.  Noticeably, love is found in high concentrations in actions or values that shape and maintain relationships.

            Without relationships, the human race is lost.  Families no longer would exist, causing a world of people living for their own interests.  When one thinks of the greatest punishments in today’s society, besides death, solitary confinement will likely come to mind.  A state of exile is not natural to a human being.  Thankfully, love bridges the gaps from person to person, and forms bonds that give a person more to think about and care for than merely him or herself.

            Connecting and building relationships is actually what the Pro-Life movement is about.  Being pro-life is a way of loving.  It is feeling affection and compassion for others.  It is making every person feel as if he or she is wanted.  It is knowing that everyone has a meaning and is greater than any odds.  Being pro-life is means being an example of one who loves, and one who especially demonstrates the love a father and mother have for their children.  True love is an inseparable bond that conquers all obstacles any person may face.  Being pro-life is letting people know of this love, in order that every person alive and who is to come can witness and contribute it someday.