LINCOLN (SNR/NRTL) – More than 2,000 participated in the annual Nebraska Walk for Life in Lincoln Jan. 18, marching from the State Capitol, seven blocks to the UNL Student Union.
The turnout, while down from previous years, was remarkable due to the weather: a temperature of 14 degrees and winds over 20 miles per hour.
At the capitol, nine state senators were present, including Senator Suzanne Geist LD 25, who spoke about about her LB 814, “Dismemberment Abortion Ban.” Senator Joni Albrecht spoke about opposing LB 872, a bill introduced to try to repeal the Abortion Pill Reversal law that she sponsored last year.
Also present were Governor Pete Ricketts and Lt. Governor Mike Foley, U.S. Senator Ben Sasse, 1st Dist. Congressman Jeff Fortenberry, and 2nd Dist. Congressman Don Bacon.
Participants heard from Tommy Taylor, Jr. a financial planner from Lincoln who talked about the pain of being a post-abortive father; Alexa Birkel, a teacher at St. Michael School in Lincoln, and Mary Buckley, RN of Papillion, about choosing life as a single, unwed mother while in nursing school – today her son is pastor of an Omaha church. Emcee was Sandy Danek, president of Nebraska Right to Life.
At the Student Union, the keynote speakers were Jennifer and Jeff Christie of Virginia. They spoke about choosing life for their unborn baby who was the result of Jennifer being violently raped while on a business trip six years ago.
“Is he (Joshua) a reminder?” Jennifer asked in their talk. “Yes, he is a reminder that women can be stronger than their circumstances. He’s also a reminder that beauty can come from darkness.”
Jeff was a supportive husband and father from the time they learned that the rape had resulted in pregnancy.
“This baby is a gift,” he told Jennifer.
