When Nancy Keenan, then-president of NARAL, attended the 2010 March for Life in Washington she glumly told Newsweek magazine, “I just thought, my gosh, they are so young…There are so many of them, and they are so young.”
One of the groups that deserves credit for starting and maintaining this momentum is Students For Life of America. The group was founded in the late 1970s in response to Roe v. Wade. For 26 years, Students for Life has hosted a national conference in Washington DC, where young people can meet pro-life activists, absorb statistics, and learn leadership skills and techniques of dialogue.
This year will witness the first annual West Coast Students for Life of America conference, subtitled Be the Revolution. The conference will be held on Sunday, January 26, at San Francisco’s St. Mary’s Cathedral, the day after the Walk for Life West Coast. The conference “…features morning, afternoon and evening sessions with national pro-life speakers. Topics include prolife apologetics, how to start and lead a pro-life outreach, your rights on campus, dispelling the top five myths about abortion, and how to transfer your campus and community through revolutionary strategies.” The conference speakers include: David Bereit, founder of 40 Days for Life; Josh Brahm of Right to Life of Central California; David Hacker of Alliance Defending Freedom; Bryan Kemper of Stand True; Kristina Garza of Survivors; Georgette Forney of Silent No More; pro-life Dr. Mary Davenport; and Anne Morse of the Population Research Institute.
California Catholic Daily spoke with Casey Tesauro, the West Coast regional coordinator for Students for Life of America. Mrs. Tesauro is now in her second year with Students for Life.
Tell us about your work, Casey.
“As West Coast Regional coordinator for Students for Life of America, I work with pro-life student groups in CA, AZ, and NV. I am currently working with over 100 groups, with over 80 in CA alone. Students for Life of America has over 800 groups nationwide and believe in equipping the students to lead effective pro-life movements in their own schools and communities. “
Are you still in school?
I graduated from Azusa Pacific University in 2010 with a degree in Family and Child Psychology.
What on-campus challenges do you experience?
“Wow, well the challenges range from students disapproving of our point of view, to administration blocking group recognition, to schools not wanting to take a “political” side on abortion. I think we have seen and heard it all between our entire staff, BUT there has been very little we have been unable to work through. Our students are determined and are all willing to stand for LIFE and end abortion no matter what!”
We understand Students for Life will have a big banner at the end of both the Walk and March.
“We want everyone to continue from the walk and fight to end abortion in their own cities. For this reason Students for Life of America will have a banner towards the end of the finish line that will say, ‘You walked for life, now you are ready to abolish abortion.’ At this sign our Students for Life of America team will be handing stickers to every walk participant. The sticker will then lead people to a website where they will find activities and ways to engage in their local pro-life movement…or maybe get the pro-life movement started! We are hoping this will encourage people to keep up the fight and be the revolution in their hometowns.”
To learn more about the Be the Revolution conference, visit https://studentsforlife.org/2014westcoast/
THE TIMES THEY ARE A CHANGIN!!!!!! PRAISE BE TO GOD.
This is wonderful news. I had no idea there were so many active pro-life young people or that they are so well organized. God Bless them.
CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH:
Article 3. Social Justice
III. Human Solidarity
The principle of solidarity, also articulated in terms of “friendship” or “social charity,” is a direct demand of human and Christian brotherhood. (Cf. John Paul II, SRS 38-40; CA 10)
An error, “today abundantly widespread, is disregard for the law of human solidarity and charity, dictated and imposed both by our common origin and by the equality in rational nature of all men, whatever nation they belong to. This law is sealed by sacrifice of redemption offered by Jesus Christ on the altar of the Cross to his heavenly Father, on behalf of sinful humanity.” (Pius XII, Summi pontificatus, October 20, 1939; AAS 31 (1939) 423 ff). [1939]
WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER: YOUNG AND OLD, MALE AND FEMALE, RICH AND POOR.
FIGHTING FOR GOSPEL VALUES, RIGHT TO LIFE, AND DECENCY.
This is encouraging. I look at this young lady and I am thankful for her and others who live their values. Its tough for them, they need to always feel that they have some kind of support. That is important. God bless her and others.
EWTN carries the ‘March for Life’ in Washington DC on Jan 22, and the ‘Walk for Life West Coast’ on Sat Jan 25.
https://www.walkforlifewc.com/
(EWTN can be found on cable TV, on android devices, and on the internet.
Check their schedules for times if you can not attend in person, since hundreds of thousands attend in Washington DC – and have been significantly ignored by the secular media. Last year there was over 300,000.)
Abortion is murder of the most innocent for the convenience of another.
‘ ENDOWMENT for HUMAN DEVELOPMENT ‘ should be shown in every high school biology class – the truth about that “BLOB” of tissue as stated by the abortionists.
Everyone is entitled to the truth.
https://www.ehd.org/movies.php?mov_id=44
https://www.marchforlife.net/
Due to lack of participation, this website will close after this year unless more people participate and upload their photos of March for Life.
Thanks for letting us know. Lets keep this in our prayers.