Check out this poster and let me know what you think. I’m still kinda’ going through my thoughts on this.
Jill Stanek seems pretty outraged by it.
I spotted the above graphic on the Holy Angels Youth Group website (out of Chagrin Falls, Ohio).
Although the graphic was certainly well-intended, it bothered me.
The annual March for Life is scheduled on or near January 22, the anniversary of the infamous U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion throughout all of America in 1973.
Although the M4L website states it is “the collective effort of grassroots prolife Americans to assure that our state and federal laws shall protect the right to life of each human in existence at fertilization,” I think clearly the March is by-and-large a huge demonstration taking a stand against abortion.
Particularly for the above graphic to state the March is to make a statement “against the death penalty,” and to even list it first – before abortion – offends me.
On the one hand, not putting abortion first does bother me. But I’m also for a consistent ethic of life. I’ve got to think about this one a bit. The thing is, to put it bluntly, it feels a little hippie to me. I know that sounds crazy but it just feels a little like what a pro-life poster the Nuns on the Bus would put up (if they were actually pro-life.)
The thing is, I know there’s a good number of people who are not opposed to the death penalty who are anti-abortion. And while I don’t agree with the death penalty I do believe they’re coming to their stance from an honest perspective that I respect.
I think the poster is attempting to get a different crowd to the March for Life. And that’s good. But if it dilutes the message at all it’s certainly problematic.
I’m interested to know what you think. I haven’t made up my mind yet.
