This Saturday, January 18, the biennial “Arizona for Life March & Rally” will take place in Phoenix. This year’s event will be headlined by Abby Johnson, author of “Unplanned,” and Ryan Bomberger, Emmy Award winner and author of Not Equal: Civil Rights Gone Wrong.
For the second year in a row, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey will address the expected crowd of over 10,000 pro-life Arizonans from across all walks of life and faith.
The march begins next to Cesar Chavez Memorial Plaza and ends at Bolin Memorial Park adjacent to the State Capital.
The Arizona Life Coalition is hosting the event. Arizona Life Coalition members, Ashley Trussell and Mike Phelan, Director of Marriage and Respect Life diocese, discussed the event, the myths surrounding the prolife movement, and its growing popularity with KFYI’s James T. Harris this week.
Phelan credited Governor Doug Ducey with signing legislation leading to Arizona being recognized twice as the Pro-life state of the year. Ducey will be the only politician to speak at the event to maintain the focus on protecting life at all stages and prevent further politicization of the issue.
Dispelling Myths
Organizers have been battling back the narrative that the pro-life issue is political. For them, it is strictly a moral and ethical issue and has absolutely nothing to do with partisan politics. Phelan told Harris that the event is anything but political and as evidence offered that groups like Feminists for Life, and the Crisis Pregnancy Center will participate in the rally.
The issue is being sold as a political issue everywhere, however including pop culture. Harris asked Trussell about her take on Michelle Williams’ endorsement of abortion during her acceptance speech at the Golden Globes. Trussel said her first reaction was that “she was more sad for her,” referring to Williams. “She has traded something priceless for something fleeting and it’s very disheartening.”
According to their website, “the Arizona for Life March and Rally is a celebration of life designed to inspire, educate and activate the already strong pro-life community in Arizona. It is hosted by a community of organizations dedicated to the sanctity of human life.”
Keynotes With Real Experience
Abby Johnson is the subject of the 2019 movie, Unplanned. Johnson, a former Planned Parenthood Clinic Director, is the founder of And Then There Were None, a ministry which has helped over 400 workers leave the abortion industry.
Founder of the new nonprofit, Life for Unborn Children (LUC), Olivia Lillmars, believes the Roe decision is outdated and needs to be revisited due to advances in medical technology. She is also encouraged with the current generation being described as pro-life. She said, “with every abortion a life is destroyed, and a child dies.”
Next week is the 47th anniversary of the landmark decision and since then, numerous groups have taken stances on both sides of the issue.
The Silent Scream is one of the first instances where the graphic effects of abortion are played out for all to see.
More recently a group in England put together a modern and more graphic video showing the products of an abortion.
More recently a group in England put together a modern and more graphic video showing the products of an abortion.
Since the Roe v. Wade ruling in 1973, over 60 million human lives have been snuffed out in the United States alone. This is the equivalent to the population of the 95 smallest countries combined.