Many conservative voters turned the fight against abortion into a focal issue after Roe v. Wade was overturned. Even though organizers maintain that the annual Walk for Life is not a political campaign, thousands of pro-life advocates showed up for the event on Saturday afternoon in San Francisco following President Trump’s reelection.
The Walk for Life in San Francisco started in 2005. Today, twenty years later, Ken Zylker of Martinez recalls the early days.
“We used to walk down–what was it–Embarcadero,” he said. And at the time, it was quite small—perhaps 5,000 people at most. So, yes, the large number of protesters made you feel a little afraid.
How times have changed, boy. Now, only a handful of ardent abortion rights advocates show up to oppose the tens of thousands of abortion opponents at the march.
Kristina Lee of Reproductive Justice SF stated, “We are here again to say you don’t get to just waltz into our city and push your regressive values.” “You know, they’re really fired up because Trump is returning to office and they are hoping to advance more anti-choice.”
In recent years, however, they have waltzed into what was once the bastion of reproductive freedom. However, Dolores Meehan, a co-founder of Walk for Life, stated that its goal was not to cause political division.
“Ours is not a political movement,” the speaker declared. “It’s true, but nobody seems to trust us. Since we’ve never had a politician, we want to be sure that we don’t in any way prevent somebody who is apolitical from stepping forward in case they need assistance.”
Even if they didn’t mean to, abortion has undoubtedly turned into a political hot potato. Although Mr. Trump did not mention it in his inaugural address, he revoked two Biden executive orders on Friday that categorized abortion as healthcare and increased access.
Additionally, there is a liberal blending of church and state because a large portion of the opposition is religious. A prominent speaker at the pre-Walk rally, Sister Deirdre Byrne, a former doctor who became a nun, also spoke at the 2020 GOP convention.
She informed the Republicans gathered that “President Trump will stand up against Biden/Harris who are the most anti-life ticket ever.”
However, she claimed that abortion was a nonpartisan issue at the march on Saturday.
“We must be honest about how wicked that is. This is a conflict, not a political conflict between Democrats and Republicans. “God and the devil are at odds,” Byrne declared.
It sounded really political. However, activist Kristina Lee acknowledged that the abortion rights movement might have been a little too entrenched in its methodology when she was being portrayed as the devil.
“You know, something that has been an issue on our side is the ‘professionalization’ of the movement,” she stated. “You might not be as motivated while you’re working on the movement as you are when you feel like your life is on the line. My siblings’ and my family’s lives are on the line here.
Everyone appears to believe that lives are on the line, regardless of their stance on abortion. Another similarity between the movement and current American politics is that few people are ready to compromise.
Eliot Pierce is a dedicated writer for ChiefsFocus.com, covering local crime and finance news. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, Eliot aims to provide his readers with clear and insightful analysis, helping them navigate the complexities of their financial lives while staying informed about important local events. His commitment to delivering accurate and engaging content makes him a valuable resource for the community.