Hello everyone and happy Christmas vacation!

Hopefully exams went well…. and now you are all able to relax and enjoy some fun time back at home.  This email is just to let you all know that this January UWF Students for Life will be taking a pro-life pilgrimage to the Washington D.C..  We will march with 400,000+ other young adults like you in the annual March for Life!  This will be UWF Students for Life 2nd trip up there – you can look at our pictures from last year’s trip here.

There is still some space left for any students still interested in coming – so if you want to come we need you to respond to this email by December 20th.  Since our group is applying for a grant to take this trip, the cost of the trip will be very affordable.  So, to save your spot please reply with the following:

Include:

• Full name
• Contact phone number
• UWF year (freshman, sophomore, etc…)
• Why you would like to come

Trip Details:

• Leave January 21st
• Return January 24th
• Saturday we will do sightseeing in the Capitol
• Sunday we will attend the Students for Life Conference, church services available
• Monday we will march to the Supreme Court building with 400,000+ young adults

If any of you watched C-SPAN as I did all Sunday, you would have seen an outrageous riot on TV between both sides of the debate.  Of all things I could have likened to this event, Roe v. Wade came to mind…  January 22nd 1973, the day murder of innocent unborn children was legalized nation-wide. I wonder what Americans my age and older must have felt?  This historical case was an abuse of power, just as today’s ruling was.  Abortion throughout all 9 months of pregnancy was legalized by 7 un-elected Supreme Court judges.  Watch this movie below to visualize the significance.

Like the historical Roe v Wade ruling in 1973, today, a bill was passed that will force YOU to fund elective abortions.  In addition, it will also force YOU to buy health insurance.   It will cost YOU and YOUR children freedom, add incredibly to our tremendous national debt, and cost jobs that are already scarce right now.

Here is what our Congressman Jeff Miller had to say:

After over a year of trying to ram through a trillion dollar government takeover of our health care system, Nancy Pelosi and the majority party waited until the middle of the night to take one of the most important votes in history.  This bill was written behind closed doors using backroom deals to buy enough votes to pass, and puts the future of our great country at great risk.  It does nothing to protect the sanctity of human life, will not lower health care costs for the American family, cuts Medicare by $500 billion, and raises taxes on middle-class Americans.  I strongly denounce the passage of this bill and will work for its swift repeal.

As the UWF Students for Life president, I ask you all to pray for our nation and get active in making your voice heard.

We have rights as American citizens.  If we sit back and let others take our freedom away, that will be our fault.  In case you hadn’t noticed, the health care bill won by only a 7 vote margin.  That means if Stupak coalition (a specific group of pro-life Democrats) would have held out, stayed strong, and voted against the bill, it would not have passed. Many times, you may not feel like your one vote or one word makes much of a difference.  In the case of today’s vote, it is easy to see how each person is vital to upholding true social justice for all human persons.

Our country has taken one large step in the wrong direction.  Instead of working for a bi-partisan solution to reform health care, Congress has assaulted our freedom with this health insurance mandate that will cost MORE human lives through tax-dollar funded abortion and severely handicap our economy. These same congressmen need to hear what a big mistake they have made, and those that have stood up against the tide to do what is right need to also hear our appreciation.  Please write your representative.

Stay tuned for further updates.  We will not go down without a fight.

Belated Christmas wishes in February

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas break!  Yes, I do say “Christmas break” rather than “winter break” because that is the reason for the break; the reason why we have always had our school semesters designed to break around the month of December.  During this time, we acknowledge if not praise the powerful and historical story of a baby born of one simple young woman.  A woman who encountered very difficult circumstances, but at the same time trusted in God’s providence … and then gave birth to a King who would redeem all mankind.  This is the hope we bear as pro-life students: that each human life has infinite worth and potential!  Regardless of your faith background, I hope at least this hope-filled recount touched your heart during a wonderful several weeks off from school!

March for Life wrap-up

Following our break, UWF Students for Life made its first-ever trip to Washington D.C. to get a taste of the super large pro-life march.  This year, we had an estimated 400,000!!!  90% being young people – abortion holocaust SURVIVORS – taking a stand against the unjust ruling of Roe v. Wade and the other degrading rulings that mark our history!

We saw great numbers of college students, such as the group from Notre Dame numbering in the HUNDREDS.  We saw highschoolers, middleschoolers, kids, toddlers, babies, young parents, and even a couple older parents…  If anyone tells you that the March for Life is for senior citizens, they have not set foot NEAR the March for Life!

To find out more about our experience, come to our first UWF Students for Life meeting this February 24th (Wednesday) from 7PM-9PM in the Commons Room 225.

Also, don’t forget to check out our pictures from the March on our website!  We will definitely be going up to the March for Life next year, and with many more people.  Start saving up now and thinking about who else might like to go, and I will do my part to keep you posted about trip planning.

Upcoming Events:

1. 40 Days for Life (February 17th-March 28)
2. First meeting: February 24th, Wednesday 7-9PM Commons Rm 272
3. Panhandle Run for Life opportunity March 27th
4. Tentative Movie night: “Bella” 2nd week of April

More details to come….

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Happy Valentines Day, etc…

Bernadette Ensley

Those who would like to go to the March for Life with the UWF Students for Life group will be carpooling together in a caravan.

We will begin our drive up to the Capitol Thursday morning at 6AM and arrive in Arlington, Virginia around 9:30PM.  The driving will be shared so that no one gets drowsy and we will stop to stretch our legs from time to time.  We will get lots of restful sleep Thursday night at our hotel and wake up refreshed to march the 6 hour-long March for Life, which begins at the mall and ends at the White House.

There will be speakers at the White House and people from all over the world marching alongside us!  We will hear accounts from women and men who have suffered the agony of abortion, leaders speaking out against abortion, and maybe even the account of some people who have survived abortion.

Saturday, we will have time for sight-seeing and relaxation before our trip back home on Sunday.

$$$: The cost of the trip per person depends on the type of car they travel in and the number of people sharing a room.  The cost of round-trip carpool transportation will be anywhere from 45-70 dollars.  The cost of lodging will be around 20-30 dollars a night per person, with four people to a room.

RSVP: If you would like to come, you must email me by January 10th to come on the trip.  Please respond as soon as possible!

When: The plan is to leave in the early morning on Thursday, January 21st and return either Saturday the 23rd, or Sunday the 24th.

How: We’re looking at renting a charter bus to get everyone there.  Sleeping accommodations are still undecided, but we’re considering staying at a local church to lessen costs.

Cost: Early estimates are $100-$150 per person (not including meals).  This depends greatly on how many people will come and where we stay.  This price will go up if less people come or we stay at a pricey hotel.

If you’re interested in coming, please contact us.  We’ll keep you updated as we figure out the details.  We really hope everyone takes advantage of this opportunity to literally take a stand for life.

Hope to hear from you soon!