Thousands of Students Observe Pro-life Day in Silence
Despite being yelled at, insulted, and ridiculed, many students participating in the worldwide pro-life silent protest on Tuesday described their experience as "amazing."
Thousands of students worldwide from over 4,500 campuses participated in the Pro-Life Day of Silent Solidarity by lending their silence in protest of abortion.
"I used the silent time to pray to God for Him to help us find answers and solutions to stop abortion," wrote Jessica McLean from Columbus, Ind., in a report posted on the Silent Day website.
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Students were also encouraged to wear red duct tape labeled with the words "LIFE" over their mouths or wear red bandanas on their arms during the protest and pass out flyers to those asking why they were silent.
In many locations, the protest gained momentum as more students became aware of the cause.
"People also started joining in during the day as they found about it from the flyers," wrote one student named Josh.
"Before I thought it'd be so hard and everyone would make fun of me," wrote another student named Lindsey, "but about 15-20 decided to join me and told me they felt the same way."
On Tuesday, traffic to the Silent Day website by Stand True Ministries, the group sponsoring the protest, was so high that it had to be temporarily shut down.
"We were getting around 500 hits per second," the ministry's founder, Bryan Kemper, told The Christian Post.
Some students said they were surprised that people who they wouldn't expect to be pro-life also took part in the event.
Others noted that while some students disagreed with their opinion, they said they respected them for standing up for their beliefs.
But not all the participants received encouraging responses.
At East Brunswick High in New Jersey, Chrissey C. said the principal made a public announcement to the school banning participation in the protest. Even though she along with 20 other students argued before the principal and the vice principal of the school, they refused to allow the day of silence since they had not registered the event.
In another report, one girl who identified herself as Carolyn was confronted by a fellow Christian along with a group of girls who felt abortion was a mother's choice. Since she didn't want to break her vow of silence, Carolyn said she could only endure their insults and respond to their questions by writing on paper.
"[I]t just makes me want to weep to think of things my generation thinks [are] okay," said Carolyn.
Pro-life supporters off campus also observed the protest and took their message to their local communities.
One girl, Paige, said she and other girls who were homeschooled went around their town passing out flyers.
Natasha Martin, 25, who says she runs an online pro-life group, helped changed the mind of a young pregnant girl considering abortion while shopping at a local Walmart.
According to Martin, the girl's boyfriend left her and her parents wanted her to have an abortion.
But after Martin spoke with the girl about abortion and referred her to some websites to research abortion, the girl later called Martin with a change in heart.
"She was crying and told me there was no way she could ever do that to her baby and she was going to keep it!" reported Martin.
"I couldn't believe it. Never in my life has anything like that happened."
Commenting on the silent protest, Kemper said, "If just one person is alive from this … it would be worth it."
He also reported that Stand True Ministries will soon send email encouraging students to take part in the next pro-life event – the 35th annual March for Life event in Washington on Jan. 22, 2008.
Stand True Ministries will host the 5th annual Pro-Life Day of Silent Solidarity on Oct. 21, 2008.
