Florida Catholic | March For Life

DAY THREE | 01.21.08

Politics of life

Pro-life congressman pays visit to Miami high school group during their visit to nation’s capital.

Published: 01.22.08

Despite three pro-life presidents since 1980, it seems little progress has been made politically in the fight against abortion.

U.S. Representative Chris Smith, a Republican from New Jersey who co-chairs the Right to Life Caucus, admitted as much when he spoke to high school students from the Archdiocese of Miami Jan. 21.

But there is a good reason, he said. “We are in a struggle against a very, very determined foe. This movement on the other side is so vociferous, it never stops.”

He listed a series of pro-life bills that have not made it to the floor in the Democrat-controlled House. He listed pro-life laws that have not been reversed because of the threat of a presidential veto.

“The Senate has never been pro-life,” and the House has gone back and forth, but is now a few votes short of a pro-life majority, Smith said. “We have to use all kinds of strategies to get our legislation passed.”

New Jersey Congressman Jim Smith (Rep.) spoke Jan. 21 to the Miami high school students who went to the March for Life in Washington, D.C.

New Jersey Congressman Chris Smith (Rep.) spoke Jan. 21 to the Miami high school students who went to the March for Life in Washington, D.C.
ANA RODRIGUEZ-SOTO | FC

Smith was elected to Congress in 1980 at the age of 27. He said he considers the pro-life movement a fundamental aspect of defending human rights, be it those of political prisoners in Cuba or those enslaved by human traffickers.

“It’s all interconnected,” Smith said. Yet abortion “is the only human rights abuse that has the audacity to call itself a human right. It is the ultimate oxymoron in my view.”

Asked what young people could do to make a difference in the fight for life, Smith suggested that they connect with a local pro-life organization and add their voices to those lobbying for a particular law to be passed.

He mentioned they could work as interns for politicians and perhaps take up jobs as chiefs of staff to elected officials — or get elected themselves, as he did. They also could pursue careers in journalism to inject a pro-life viewpoint into the media.

“I believe the more the message gets out, the more our culture will be transformed into a culture of life,” he said.

He compared the pro-life battle to the Cold War, which to everyone’s surprise ended peacefully and seemingly overnight, partly due to prayer and the hard work of people on the inside, such as Poland’s Lech Walesa and Pope John Paul II.

“(Communism) just crumbled almost overnight because it had such a poor, crumbling foundation,” Smith said. “My belief is that the abortion culture, if we pray, if we fast, if we work hard, it will implode. The legalization of abortion will not stand the test of time. But it’s up to us.

“You’re here. It’s great,” Smith told the teens. “But continue it. Just keep pushing. Because we’re going to win. It’s a matter of when, and not if, this house of cards will topple.”

For teen, life issue is personal

Arnold Bonomo, 17, a student at Palm Harbor University High School in the St. Petersburg Diocese, came to the March for Life with members of the youth group of St. Luke the Evangelist Parish.

The group of 26 teenagers and their chaperones arrived at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception at 1 p.m. — the Mass for Life began at 7 p.m. — and managed to get one of the best seats in the massive church: just right of the center aisle, about 20 pews away from the sanctuary.

A group of 26 youngsters and chaperones from St. Luke the Evangelist Parish in the Diocese of St. Petersburg arrived 6 hours early for 7:00 p.m. Mass and were rewarded with a close-up view of the Mass for life at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Seated at the end of one of their three rows was Deacon Cesar Peña, a seminarian from the Archdiocese of Miami.
ANA RODRIGUEZ-SOTO | FC

Laura Ray, 19, who attended St. Petersburg College, said she went on the pilgrimage because “I thought it would be a good experience. It’s not something you can do too often.”

Looking around at the basilica, filled wall-to-wall with people, she said she had never been in a church “so large or so full.”

Taylor Gunn, 15, a student at Palm Harbor University High School, said she was impressed by “all these Catholic people coming together to stand up for life, to make a big statement.”

“This is pretty much the best thing I’ve been to,” said Gregory Cutrone, 18, a member of St. Luke the Evangelist Parish.

Arnold, however, was the most adamant as to his reason for going to Washington.

“I believe in this cause. It’s important to me,” he said, adding that, along with his two brothers, “I was adopted.”

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Visit the PHOTO GALLERY FOR additional photos from the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center.

DAY ONE | DAY TWO | DAY FOUR

Politics of life

For teen, life issue is personal

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