Wow, what a day! Over 3,000 people gathered in Baton Rouge on Saturday, January 22, for the first-ever Louisiana Life March. The message was clear; it is time to create an abortion-free Louisiana by changing both the law and the culture. This event took place on the 38th anniversary of the controversial 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision, Roe v. Wade, which made it legal for abortions to be performed in the United States. It was both an honor and a blessing to be able to take part in this historic march and for CWA of Louisiana to be able to help sponsor it.
Friday, January 21, Heidi Harper (CWA of Louisiana Legislative Liaison) and I loaded our car with brochures, books and CD’s to hand out to the march; we had no idea of what to expect; she had never been to Baton Rouge, and I had only been once! I must say, God is an awesome provider. We had a great hotel room; our table was easy to locate and I can honestly say the entire event went off without a hitch! We made many contacts, meeting everyone from possible new CWA members to well known leaders in our state!
The speakers were amazing and kept the audience captivated. They included Sen. David Vitter, Dr. Richard Land, Fr. Shenan Boquet and Michelle Durand of Tears to Treasures Ministry. When Michelle finished speaking, I don’t think there was a dry eye to be found! She was only 14 when she had an abortion, and her life took a big downward spiral; you can hear her speech on YouTube; it is definitely worth the time to locate it and listen to it!
After the march, I was invited to the Governor’s mansion for lunch; I am still in awe of the whole experience! Mike Johnson, former Alliance Defense League attorney, updated us on the legislation and lawsuits involving abortion clinics in Louisiana. Bruce Greenstein, the Secretary for Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, spoke of his dedication to close down the abortion clinics in the state; he assured us he wouldn’t give up. He is forming a panel to discuss what we can do as a state to stop abortions, and he invited any of us who were interested to join him, Heidi is interested in doing that, so we should be getting updates from her concerning their progress!
Gov. Jindal also spoke; we are so blessed in Louisiana to have him as our governor. He told us stories about his children and the bond that his wife has with them; he gave us many reasons why he is 100 percent pro-life from the moment of conception. His gave us both biological and Scriptural reasons for his beliefs; it was a privilege to be able to hear him speak in such a casual atmosphere and to learn first hand how closely he holds the sanctity of life to his heart. Gov. Jindal is sincerely interested in building a better Louisiana for our children. Aside from all of the great things he has done for the pro-life movement, he has also signed a proclamation which CWA of Louisiana gave to him declaring his support in the fight against pornography in Louisiana. We displayed the Proclamation at the Right to Life March, and I have a long list of people who want a copy of it. Concerned Women for America contacted his office in October of 2010 and requested that he sign a proclamation written up by the White Ribbons Against Pornography campaign. After explaining the importance of this proclamation and how important it was that Gov. Jindal support it, his aide agreed to look it over and present it to the governor. Gov. Jindal not only read it, he took the time to re-write parts of it in his own words, so that it would truly be a proclamation from him and signed by him. We are very impressed with his dedication to the families of our state.
The signing of the Proclamation against Pornography, the Encourage-A-Legislator Program and the Right to Life March are only a few of the events and programs that Concerned Women for America sponsored or lead last year, and we have so much more planned for 2011! Of course, to continue our work and to continue making a difference in the State of Louisiana and across the country we need your help, we need prayer warriors, volunteers and donations.
This was a very exciting experience for me and for Concerned Women for America of Louisiana, because we were able to see first hand where God is working and are so blessed that He allowed us to join Him. I hope you will consider becoming a part of our organization; we champion family over feminism, value truth more than tolerance, and overcome politics with prayer.
If you are interested on getting more information on Concerned Women for America of Louisiana, please visit our website or call me, the contact information is listed below. I am looking forward to hearing from you and working beside you as we get our country back on track with the Judeo-Christian values on which it was founded!