March for Life seeks to "speak truth in love"

A crowd of over 50 people set off from Rock Springs City Hall Saturday morning, making their way up C Street. They were led by three members of the Chariots of Light on their motorcycles and a side-by-side with a wooden sign surrounded by flowers reading "Sweetwater County March for Life." 

At the front of the crowd, men held a large banner with a picture of a baby that read "Children are a Gift from God." Behind them were members of the Knights of Columbus carrying banners for the organization, and after that came the rest of the crowd - men, women, children, even dogs, many of whom were holding signs with messages like "Pray to end abortion," "Jesus forgives and heals," and "Adoption is the loving option." 

Before the crowd set off, Rock Springs Mayor Max Mickelson addressed them. 

"Thank you, everyone, for coming to exercise your rights to speak for what you believe in," he said. 

Mayor Mickelson noted that while thinking of America's history and progress, he knows there is still room to grow and improvement to make, but he believes "the overall tone has been one of progressing from wrong to right. And part of how we make that happen is what you all are doing today," he continued, "so I very much appreciate you taking the time to express that and to take charge of that right and to ensure that we all move into a better and more perfect union." 

Before getting on his motorcycle to lead the march, Pastor Gene Emerson from Restoration Ministries also spoke to the crowd and prayed for the event. He shared the lyrics of a song called "Little Ones," which asks the question, "Who will stand up for the little ones?"

"That's what we're doing today," Pastor Emerson said. 

Other local pastors and clergy members spoke at various points throughout the march, including Deacon Luis Hernandez, Father Bill Hill and Pastor Mechell Williams. Each speakers shared thoughts on the harm of abortion, scripture passages, and prayers.

Eventually the march made its way to Inside Connection, the pregnancy resource center located in the historic nurses' building by the old county hospital at the top of C Street. Before having a free lunch of hamburgers and hot dogs cooked and served by members of the Rotary Club, the crowd gathered one more time to hear remarks from Inside Connection's Executive Director Kim Seymour.

"Here we are, a year later from the overturning of Roe v. Wade," Seymour began. "It's very exciting that for 50 years we marched for that, and it was not in vain. You guys planted seeds, and now we're seeing a harvest."

Seymour noted that in the year since Roe v. Wade was overturned, there have been 25,000 fewer abortions, as well as 61 abortion mills that have closed. Twenty states have also enacted pro-life laws, including Wyoming, and thirteen states have completely banned abortion.

Seymour also pointed out that while the Wyoming legislature did pass two pro-life bills, those bills are on hold because of a judge in Teton County and pro-choice groups across the state. 

But, whether or not laws change doesn't mean hearts have changed, Seymour said. 

"We have to change the hearts of our culture, and we do that by speaking truth and speaking truth in love," she said. "We need to speak truth in love to these women and these families. And that's what we do here at Inside Connection. We do that by offering them their options in love. We offer them their first ultrasound where they are able to see the life on ultrasound. We do that through our parenting classes. We do that through our post-abortion support. Because regardless of their decision, we need to love them where they're at. We need to support them."

Another resource Inside Connection offers is a new "Beyond the Birth Program" and benevolent fund, Seymour explained. This is specifically designed to help women who are considering abortion because of factors like not having enough resources, wanting to finish college, needing daycare, and other situations. 

"If they choose life, we will help support them not only before and during their pregnancy, but after as well," Seymour said.

Seymour also noted some of the specific "truths" Inside Connection wants to share about abortion, specifying: "Abortion is not healthcare. Miscarriage is not the same as an abortion. An ectopic pregnancy that needs treatment is not the same as an abortion. Life begins at conception and every life has purpose."

As the crowd sat on the grass outside Inside Connection, eating their lunch and spending time talking together, Seymour reflected on the march, saying she was "excited to see a good gathering," especially since there were several other events going on the same day. 

While she has participated in March for Life events in the past, Seymour said this is one of the first years she'd been directly involved in the planning. 

"Usually it's Knights of Columbus that organizes it and gets it going and Sweetwater County Right to Life," she explained. While those groups were still very involved in organizing and hosting this year's event, Inside Connection also stepped in to help.

Seymour explained that previous marches have taken place in January, and last year's event was in March, but both timeframes left the participants fighting the Wyoming weather. So this year it was decided to have the march in June, which is Life Month, and specifically to have it on June 24, the one-year anniversary of the overturning of Roe v. Wade. 

When it comes to the purpose and benefit of doing a march, Seymour said it's not necessarily a protest and is not intended to "cause any more vitriol" than what's already out there. Instead, it keeps people in the pro-life movement informed and involved. 

"To just stand for life, and to stand for truth, and to do it in love" is the purpose of the march, Seymour said. "We're going to do what we can to let people know we still are standing for life and we're still in the fight, because there's still a lot that we can do."

When it comes to Inside Connection, the past year has been an important one. It's been a little over a year since the organization moved into the historic nurses' building, and they've been expanding programs and services to help their clients ever since. 

"Abortion-minded clients have come in and said 'thank you, thank you for not making me feel pressured and thank you for walking me through all my options,'" Seymour said. 

She pointed out that one of the main purposes of Inside Connection is to help women make informed decisions, rather than making decisions because they feel like they have no other options and they feel hopeless. 

That mission remains the same, even when it comes to the impact of being one year post-Roe v. Wade, Seymour said. 

"People have asked us here at Inside Connection how that Roe v Wade decision affected us, and it really didn't, because we're here regardless," she said. Whether or not abortion is legal, they will continue offering their services, she explained, because "there's still women who need our help."