Monroe County residents, students attend March for Life in Lansing

LANSING — Hannah (Biniecki) Loop, director of marketing and public relations for Lenawee Christian Ministries in Adrian, said she was “deeply impacted” by the number of high school students and young adults who attended the first Michigan March for Life at the state Capitol on Nov. 8.

Loop, who grew up in Maybee, attended with 45 middle and high school students from Lenawee Christian School.

“One of our students, Selah Clymer, had recently torn her ACL and meniscus, yet she insisted on doing the entire march with her injury,” Loop said. “The commitment this next generation has to pro-life advocacy really struck me and was contrary to the narrative the media will lead us to believe. Our young people are, in fact, passionate about being pro-life, and it was evident by the immense crowd and loud cheers at the march.”

She was inspired to see almost 100 people from Monroe County at the rally, including her alma mater — St. Mary Catholic Central High School in Monroe — that brought 17 students and two teachers from its Respect Life Club.

“There were many schools in our area who were representing life, and it helped our students see that they are not alone in being pro-life,” Loop said.

Elizabeth (Terrasi) Giarmo also was impressed by the students present.

“It’s a testament to the commitment of our youngsters in the upcoming pro-life generation,” Giarmo, an Ida mother and wife, said. “It’s common to see older folks and adults, but this wasn’t the case. There was a good variety of all age groups, male and female alike.”

Active with planning the Monroe Walk for Life in May, Giarmo said she was most impressed by the enthusiasm of young men.

“Their loud cheers brought joy and laughter,” Giarmo said. “The current cultural narrative tells us that men have no right to speak out on ‘women’s issues.’ But they certainly do. A pro-life man’s support for women and advocacy for life has a positive impact on women and the future generation of the unborn. Women who feel supported by men with family values are much more likely to choose life even in difficult circumstances.”

The 1.2-mile march took place on the one-year anniversary of passage of Proposal 3, a constitutional amendment that enshrined abortion rights in the Michigan constitution, and just a day after a similar amendment was approved by voters in Ohio.

Alex Elliott, a teacher at Holy Ghost Lutheran School in Monroe, led a group of 10 students to the march. She called the experience for students “eye-popping” and said many thanked her for arranging the trip.

“When I was in eighth grade, I was so blind to the” abortion issue, Elliott, 23, said. “It was good for teenagers to see what’s going on around us. They don’t realize how bad things are … they’re the generation that’s going to make a difference.”

Elliott said the keynote speaker — Genecia Davis — resonated with her and people 30 and younger with her personal story of having multiple abortions. Davis, a mother and wife, started a post-abortive ministry called “Shame Free” to be a voice and engaging platform for women who were stuck in shame, but didn’t want to stay that way. Using the power of social media, Davis said she created content to uplift women with creative storytelling and use those stories to compel them to take the first step in their healing journeys.

“I began to point women to resources that helped me and soon became known as the ‘post-abortion coach’,” she said. “I soon realized there was a gap on social media of pro-life women with my background and personality helping women with such a taboo topic, in an engaging, modern, non-judgmental way.”

Elliott said Davis was encouraging that “even if you had an abortion, there are so many things you can do and are still loved by God and that he cares about you.”

Robert Burke, president of Monroe County Right to Life, was one of 56 people who rode a bus to the capitol. He and his wife, Michelle, and James Jemaa from Petersburg helped carry a banner for the chapter.

The march was an “infusion of hope, grit, fortitude and determination to move forward in our efforts to promote a person's right to life from conception to natural death and build a culture of love and support for mothers, fathers and families,” Burke said. “But to do so with a firm commitment to expand our vision and plans and to ‘fight like heaven’ until our state is no longer divided on the most fundamental of all human rights — the right to life."

During the rally that preceded the march, Right to Life of Michigan President Barbara Listing announced her organization was one of 16 plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed in federal court challenging key elements of Proposal 3 on constitutional grounds. The legal complaint asserts that the proposal’s vague, extreme language paves the way for dangerous, unintended consequences for Michigan citizens. The announcement drew cheers from several thousand onlookers that spread far beyond the Capitol grounds.

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Provisions in the Michigan amendment “threaten legal protections for pregnant women seeking health care, the rights of physicians to care for patients, and the rights of parents already under attack on many fronts,” Listing told the throng. “At issue is also the sweeping disenfranchisement both of Michigan voters and of the authority of the Legislature in the days and years ahead. Today, our message to all Michigan citizens now at risk from this extreme measure is — we stand with you. The plaintiffs in this case stand with you. Thousands of Michiganders here today are standing up for your rights.”

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Monroe County residents, students attend Michigan March for Life