This weekend is your annual opportunity to March for Life. Across the country and in Idaho, millions of God-fearing, loving, patriotic, and compassionate Americans will take to the streets to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves. Babies need these heroes, but they truly need the extra measure of heroism from their mothers, who are the only ones who can save them.
Here’s a story and lesson from “across the pond.” It starts with this song, The Soldier, by Harvey Andrews (1972):
The soldier moved towards the bomb his stomach like a stone
Why was this his battle, God? Why was he alone?
He lay down on the package and he murmured one farewell
To those at home in England to those he loved so well
The song is about a young British soldier, Michael Willetts — a reluctant hero. Michael finds himself in the middle of the war with Ireland. Stones, bottles, and petrol bombs are hurled toward the soldiers in the streets, so this soldier takes cover in a train station. He’s in the middle of a crowd of Irish fathers, mothers, and children. These families, full of hate for the British Crown, stare at the soldier in disgust.
While he wishes he were home, he recalls his decision to join the army. It seemed so simple. With high unemployment, little work experience, and relative peace, joining the army made sense. He would earn a little money, see the world, and have experience on his resume once his tour ended.
But the war broke out, he was called to service, and now he’s in the middle of it all. With a gun in his hand and Irish civilians regarding him as a murderer, the scene takes a turn. A bomb (grenade) comes crashing through the window. Fathers and mothers scramble with their children for cover. With only seconds to react, the soldier knows what he must do.
As he waits for the blast, he recalls his predicament once more. He didn’t ask to be here. He didn’t expect war, didn’t want to be in this fight, and he surely didn’t want to die. But, despite it all, he realizes he is the only one who can save the families. He reluctantly — heroically — sacrifices his life for the innocents.
Soldier Willetts’ example is a story of inspiration, perhaps useful for a particular group of potential heroes today.
Many young women, both married and single, find themselves in a similar predicament to the young British soldier. Unwanted pregnancies put these women in the position of being the only deciders between life and death for innocent unborn babies. Whether through poor choices, lapses of self-control, imperfect birth control, or even horrific offenses committed against them, these women are now the only ones who can save the innocent unborn babies they carry.
I’m sure they wish they could be home, back to normal. They may wonder why this is their battle, but the fact remains they are the only ones who can save their babies — despite significant hardships.
There are many willing heroes ready to accept innocent babies into their families through adoption. If only we could encourage more pregnant women to be heroes — reluctant or not — for their babies who have no way to save themselves. Choose motherhood, choose adoption, choose life! March with us tomorrow, March for Life.
Please join us tomorrow at Julia Davis Park at 1PM as we March for Life to the Capitol to show how Idaho stands for protecting the lives of unborn children.
