WASHINGTON – Students from over 30 colleges and universities around the country will be walking across America to promote the value of unborn human life.
Crossroads, a group comprised of students from both Christian and secular colleges, launched its 12th annual cross-country walk last weekend in Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
“There is a lot of anticipation and excitement,” said Miriam Stella, a volunteer walker from Belmont Abbey College in Belmont, N.C.. “We all believe strongly in what we are doing and we know that establishing a culture of life is something that begins at the grass-roots level. It doesn’t get more grass-roots than walking across America, town by town, mile by mile.”
The three-month journey covers 31 states and is expected to attract 250,000 people for the cause.
According to Martha Nolan, director of Crossroads, the goal behind the annual walk is to raise awareness about critical life issues in a non-threatening way.
“Life issues are considered by many to be taboo, but we have found that most people, at the very least, respect the moral courage it takes to stand up for what you believe in rather than recoiling from difficult topics,” said Nolan. “We are not trying to force our values on anyone. We have a very simple message about the sanctity of life, and we have listened patiently to the other side. Now it is our turn to be heard.”
The walk comes as the Supreme Court prepares to hear oral arguments over a case involving the partial birth abortion ban.
The case is Gonzales v. Carhart, and involves a Nebraska abortion doctor LeRoy Carhart, who successfully challenged a similar partial-birth abortion ban enacted by the Nebraska legislature. He brought the challenge to federal law last year, and the Supreme Court is expected to hold oral arguments in the case during the next term.
The Crossroads project is slated to conclude Aug. 12 at the steps of the U.S. Capitol Building, right next to the Supreme Court.
