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This edition of the Life Issues Forum is available in English and Spanish, and has been posted to our website.
The Life Issues Forum is a bi-weekly column by Pro-Life Secretariat staff addressing the latest issues on the culture of life. Columns may be reprinted as they appear here (in full and without alteration) without further permission.
In Christ,
The Pro-Life Secretariat
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LIFE ISSUES FORUM FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Reflections from the Sidewalk November 16, 2018
Tom Grenchik
I was praying the rosary recently on the sidewalk outside of a
very busy abortion center in the Washington, D.C., area, where I live.
The building, a seedy-looking structure that used to be a convenience
store, is located on a busy, divided thoroughfare. Three lanes of
traffic head in one direction, and three lanes run the opposite
direction. With a major intersection a half block away, heavy traffic
often backs up at the red light. Some drivers pretend not to notice the
peaceful folks praying or offering pro-life assistance to the mothers,
fathers and family members heading into the abortion facility. Some
drivers give encouragement, and some will occasionally shout a profanity
or give a "thumbs-down."
The sidewalk is in such a busy location, one really must tune out
much of the noise to pray with any concentration for the mothers heading
into the abortion facility.
During one of the green light cycles when the cars began to
move again, a driver yelled out "Black lives matter!" as he sped off. As
his comment sunk in, I realized that his words were both prophetic and
challenging. Most of the mothers heading into the abortion facility were
black. Most of the children who would die there that day were also
black. Their lives have incredible significance to all of us outside the
abortion facility who were offering prayers and life-affirming
alternatives. To those doing business inside the abortion center, little
mattered other than the money.
The abortion industry itself admits that, in the United States, the abortion rate for black women is almost five times that for white women. While every abortion is a tragedy, we should ask ourselves why black children are dying so disproportionately. Why are so many black women abandoned to, and victimized by, abortion? Why has the disproportionate rate of abortion among black women been so ignored by the media, policy makers and abortion advocates? From the child in the womb to her strong and courageous mother, every life matters. But do I really act accordingly, as the driver proposed? Am I supporting or volunteering at my local pro-life pregnancy care center, maternity home or prenatal care program? Do I work to alleviate poverty, as many women cite lack of financial support as a reason for seeking an abortion? Am I regularly praying for those in great need? Am I working to address racial disparity in its many forms? Now, every time that I return to pray outside that abortion center, I am reminded anew that all black lives matter, and I recommit myself to ensuring their right to life. |
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Tom Grenchik is the Executive Director of the USCCB Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities. For more information, visit www.usccb.org/prolife.
