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March for Life 2020
I went to my fifth March for Life Friday. The process was pretty much like previous years. We started with an early morning Mass, took a bus to Washington DC in four-plus hours, and found our way to Constitution Avenue, roughly parallel with the Washington Monument. We made our way into the crowd, proceeded west toward the Capitol, made a right onto First Street just passed the Capitol, and ended at the Supreme Court, two blocks in from Constitution Avenue. The distance is perhaps a mile. This time, it was so packed that we stood still for about an hour before the march started moving for us. Once we entered the crowd, it took us about two and a half hours to reach the end, including that hour of waiting.
This year, there was a special speaker. For the first time ever, as everyone probably knows by now, the President of the United States attended in person. No, I did not get to see President Trump speak. Most of the speakers at the March are in the morning. Those of us who travel that same day to Washington usually miss them. The bus from Staten Island, NY, usually gets to Washington around noon and then has to make its way down to the Mall. The prominent speakers have all spoken by then.
Every year it seems to be more packed. I don’t know if it had to do with the President showing up, but it felt like it was the largest crowd I have ever seen the March have. My hunch is that the size of the crowd had not much to do with President Trump attending. He only announced it a day or two before. People who attended had to make their plans weeks before.
OK, here are some pictures.
Let me say, there was lots of true and deep support for President Trump. When Donald Trump was first elected, the pro-life movement was skeptical. They voted for Mr. Trump out of expediency. For whom else could they vote? No one else took our cause.
But now, Donald Trump has won them over. The feeling across the board was of true devotion to the President. No one cared about his indiscretions. He is truly a Pro-Life hero. There were “Make America Great Again” hats everywhere. In our very group, there was an 80-ish-year-old nun who went out of her way to buy a MAGA hat and wore it the whole time. And she did it with the most pleasant smile I’ve ever seen a woman have. There were lots of pro-Trump signs.
Oh, I should recount this, too. There was an enterprising street seller of hats who had the best sales pitch chant: “Don’t become a Democrat/Buy yourself a MAGA hat.”
There was lots of rosary praying as we marched—the marchers had to be 80 or 90 percent Catholic. There were lots of chants: “We are the pro-life generation” and “We love babies, yes we do/We love babies how about you?” I always get a kick out of the chants. For some reason, I didn’t encounter as many bands and music as I have in the past, but here was a good one.
Some more photos. Here’s a nice photo of the March heading toward the Capitol.
As I reach the top of Capitol Hill, I like to look back on Constitution Ave. and see the crowd behind me. It stretches as far as you can see and there had to be more than an hour’s worth of crowd ahead of me.
And finally, the end at the Supreme Court.
How fitting someone with a MAGA hat walked by.
Published in Domestic Policy
Pictures posted small size. If someone can tell me how to adjust the size, please do and I will edit it.
Click on the edit button of your post. Then click on the Revert to Draft button. If you click on each photo it should allow to select a size for each photo. Usually 300 should be large enough for photos in a post, although you can try up to 600. Click on the Update button when you are done. Repeat the process until you’re satisfied with the result.
By the way, thanks for marching, and representing those of us that couldn’t go to DC.
Thank you Doug. It worked.
Anytime friend
Thank you Manny for the first person account of this event. We are often told by the MSM how minimal and insignificant these pro-life ( and now Pro-Trump) events are. It reminds me of the trump rally we tried to attend in Pittsburgh, and were confronted with unimaginable crowds. if you arrived after 10 + hours pre event, you had no chance of getting in. Yet everyone was upbeat, happy, friendly, they didn’t care if they got in, They were. they were There. They were part of something much larger. And they loved it. How wonderful you were able to participate in this march, with the unabashed support of the President.
Thanks Manny.
I shudder at the thought of doing it even once. So many people. Glad you and the others are out there.
One complaint of Trump going is that instead of Trump being one of many speakers at the rally, the March for Life was transformed into a Trump Rally.
You were there; I wasn’t. What did you see?
No it was not transformed It was no different than past years. Maybe the crowd was bigger but like I said above he only announced he was attending one or two days before. People had to make plans for this weeks in advanced. Everyone I spoke to was thrilled Trump attended.
Thank you Nohaaj and thank you all who commented.
Manny, one of my goals is to get to the March For Life. Next year? Ricochet meet up? (Remind me, people, because I’ll forget).
Anyway, I’m so glad you were there. Thank you.
Gary. Really?
Trump is the first, after so many supposedly pro-life presidents, to actually show up and speak at this thing. And you’re going to complain about that? Truly?
I wouldn’t call it fear, but I’m not a fan.
That would be great. How far do you live from DC?
I’ll excuse him. He’s got a psychological issue when it come to Trump. He probably missed his meds this morning. ;)
Heh, that would put her 500 miles away from home.
Long trip.
Good. I had visions of Trump speaking at the CIA, or before the Boy Scouts. I am glad to hear that my fears were not realized.
After Trump at the CIA and before the Boy Scouts, I was concerned. I am glad that my concerns were not realized.
Thanks Manny! Thank your marching in the support of life and thank you for sharing that with us. Revival or bust!
Far…but I get down that way for other things, so why not this?
I think I remembered. You’re in Massachusetts, right? I’m sure there are buses. If you contact a local Catholic Church, they may know where the nearest bus is leaving from and the information to sign up. It would save you the drive and it’s a lot cheaper than driving on your own.
Now you’re putting ideas into my head…I think Aer Lingus do direct flights to Washington…
Glad you got to attend Manny, and glad that you had a great experience. I was worried when Trump announced his participation as Trump+pro-life tends to bring the worst out of the left. I’m glad to hear that everyone was safe and nothing out of the ordinary happened. I may be morbid, but I tend to avoid crowds this large because in today’s decaying society, you never know what kind of lunatics will show up. That may be cowardice on my part, but sadly it is cowardice based in reality.
Thank you for doing this!
One year I went, I met a woman from Switzerland there just for the March. I believe I posted that on Ricochet too.
Edit: It was last year’s march. Go here and you can read about it. I had better video clips last year.
You’re welcome, and I understand.
That is a great answer and challenge question for all of us.
I believe a chaplain for the Maine Game Wardens needs to live in Maine, but I may be mistaken
Oh is it Maine? I knew it was in New England. Maine is a bit far for a day trip to DC.