By VALERIE METREJEAN

vmm008@latech.edu

 

Valerie Hoffpauir and Lisa Thomas, two Tech students, marched in Washington, D.C., along with one and half million other Americans in protest against abortion.

Now 34 years following a very influential decision in Roe v. Wade, many pro-lifers met for conventions as well as the march.

This was Hoffpauir and Thomas’ first time to participate in a pro-life march, and they said it was something they will never forget.

“It was a life-altering experience to see democracy in action,” Hoffpauir, the president of Bulldogs for Life and a senior animal science major, said.

She said instead of being a violent demonstration, the protest was civilized and something she feels America’s forefathers had in mind when pertaining to making change.

Hoffpauir said groups located around the city gathered in front of Capitol Hill. From groups playing drums and trumpets and others chanting, Hoffpauir called it “a very lively protest.”

Thomas, secretary of Bulldogs for Life and a junior education major, was thankful for the opportunity to witness the support and be a part of it.

“People always say they are pro-life [or pro-choice] but I wanted to find out what I could do to support that,” Thomas said.

Though she saw no pro-choice protesters at the march, Hoffpauir knows that pro-life supporters are becoming the minority because the idea of choice has great appeal.

Hoffpauir said the issue behind abortion has created the idea that people have the right to determine which life is more important and she does not believe this is our right to do so. She said she doesn’t base this simply on belief but on science and our Constitution.

“It’s not just a faith thing; it’s a science thing, too,” Hoffpauir said.

“Under what the country was founded on, it is not right to assume that one person’s life is any better or more important that another person. All men are created equal.”

Bobby Schindler spoke about this right of choice for human life in an arena other than abortion in the case of his sister Terri Schiavo, who was also unable to choose her own fate and eventually died after the decision was made to remove her feeding tube.

Hoffpauir said he mentioned that Schiavo was not brain dead like many reports had said and there should have been more considered before removing her tube.

Hoffpauir and Thomas attended the Student for Life of America Convention while at the nation’s capital. Here both Tech students met with other pro-life students from Louisiana and all 50 states.

From this convention, Hoffpauir and Thomas took back with them resources that will help reach all kinds of people and diversify their organization here on campus.

Hoffpauir invites students interested in pro-life to attend two training sessions which will help students learn how to defend pro-life.

The sessions will take place at 7 p.m. today and Jan. 8 in Davidson Hall, Room 113.

Also, a speaker will come to campus to discuss the issues of rape and incest as pertaining to abortion. Bulldogs for Life encourages all students both pro-life and pro-choice to attend this event. For more information on either event, contact Hoffpauir at vlh009@latech.edu.