Hi John,
Today, I feel hopeful. Energized. Ready for real change.
Just a few days ago, I returned home from Washington, D.C., where I had the incredible opportunity of being a part of the national March for Life and meeting with national pro-life leaders.
As I walked among the tens of thousands of pro-life people who converged on the National Mall for the 52nd annual March for Life, I was struck by the sense of momentum.
“One, two, three, four, Roe v Wade is out the door!” marchers chanted. “Five, six, seven, eight, now it's time to legislate!"
After decades of hard work, volunteering, protesting, praying, and providing support for moms and babies, we now live in a country where...
- Roe has been overturned
- Dozens of states have laws protecting the unborn
- Our new presidential administration has already freed imprisoned pro-life advocates, stripped funding for overseas abortions, and signaled a willingness to defund Planned Parenthood, the biggest abortion corporation in the country.
I want to share three personal takeaways from my time in D.C.:
- Showing up is incredibly important. Often we can feel bogged down with all the possible ways we could get involved, but don’t overthink it! Do what you can. Show up. Pray outside an abortion facility, join a local right to life chapter, or be a part of the national or state March for Life (ours is in May!)
- We’re on the right side of history. We want equal protection for all innocent human life without regard for race, gender, ability or disability status, location, size, or stage of development. History will look back on the pro-life movement as a principled human rights struggle. It will not look kindly on the barbaric practice of legal abortion.
- There is power in the conviction of even one person. Sometimes, all it takes is for one person to be courageous enough to stand up for what’s right. To fully commit to his or her values. That passion can inspire others and mobilize an entire generation.
I also want to thank you for the incredible things we've accomplished together:
Participating in the March and hearing the incredible talks by people like Lila Rose and Vice President J.D. Vance was so motivating.
It was also deeply energizing and encouraging to meet with pro-life leaders from National Right to Life Committee and Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, who were so moved by hearing about the work that pro-life Oregonians are doing to protect the rights of the most vulnerable in a state as radical on this issue as ours.
“This is really impressive," our national counterparts told us when I shared with them about the ways our staff, volunteers, pro-life partners, and ordinary Oregonians are engaging in the political sphere, distributing pro-life resource guides to abortion-vulnerable families, and spreading the pro-life message through year-round grassroots advocacy.
"It's amazing you're able to accomplish this in a state like Oregon," they said.
I felt so proud to share everything we have accomplished together as a pro-life movement in Oregon.
The momentum has really picked up, and I feel so motivated and reinvigorated to advocate for life this year. I hope you do too.
Today and always, I am so grateful to be a part of this incredible human rights movement with you.
Because everyone deserves an advocate,
Sharolyn Smith
Political Director
