Julie VanHoose along with Dave Ferrell and Jim Warnock work to arrange 400 white crosses in the lot adjacent to Holy Redeemer Catholic Church.
Those stopping at the stop light at Gallia and Offnere streets will likely notice a symbolic monument of sorts in the lot adjacent to Holy Redeemer Catholic Church.
Along with a large sign, are 400 white crosses.
Each of those crosses represents 10 babies who never made it into this world.
The memorial is called the “Field of Innocents” and it is sponsored by the Scioto County Right to Life, an organization that works locally to educate the public on pro-life issues.
Many churches and pro-life organizations around the nation set up similar displays to help convey the death toll abortion takes — roughly 4,000 unborn children a day.
“One day there will be a monument for the unborn, but until then we stand as that monument,” Julie VanHoose, treasurer of Scioto County Right to Life, said. “The reason that we have chosen this time to put (the Field of Innocents) up is that there is a national campaign called 40 Days for Life.”
According to its Web site, 40 Days for Life is a focused pro-life campaign with a vision to access God’s power through prayer, fasting, and peaceful vigil to end abortion in America.
The 40 Days of Life Campaign takes place twice a year, once in the fall and once during Lent.
“During the 40 days of Lent we’re partnering with the worldwide 40 Days for Life campaign...,” VanHoose said. “Its an ecumenical faith-based element. Its inviting people of faith to join in that 40 days of prayer and fasting to bring an end to abortion.”
This is the second year that the Scioto County Right to Life has put up the Field of Innocents display. On top of that, the group held its second annual March for Life locally on Jan. 17 and sent a bus with nearly 50 people from the Portsmouth, Waverly and Chillicothe areas to Washington, D.C. for the National March for Life, which was attended by about 300,000 people.
“This is the biggest genocide that has ever taken place on America’s soil...,” VanHoose said. “There have been more babies killed (via abortion) than in all of Amerca’s wars combined.”
Pro-life groups claim that more than 50 million babies have been killed by abortion since it was largely legalized with the 1973 Supreme Court decision in Roe vs. Wade.
To learn more about the 40 Days for Life campaign, visit www.40daysforlife.com; and to learn more about Scioto County Right to Life visit www.sciotolife.org or join the organization’s group on Facebook.
JOHN STEGEMAN can be jstegeman@heartlandpublications.com
The Pro-Life political groups and their leaders talk about the subject before every election, but after the election they never seem to get anything done about it. That makes me think that pro-life candidates are using this issue to get votes, then forget about it once they are elected.
We had a pro-life President for eight years. He talked about it during campaigns, but never did anything to change it. Doesn't that make the pro-life movement feel used?
In addition, how many pro-life people support the death penalty? You can't be truly pro-life if you support the death penalty. Pro-life isn't just for babies.
Frankly, you should be trying to work with legislators instead of erecting effigy cemeteries. Fields of crosses won't change laws, and it seems fanatical. I'll obey the law, no matter what it is.
Citation: Finer, L.B., et al. 2005, Reasons U.S. Women Have Abortions: Quantitative and Qualitative Perspectives. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 37(3): 110-118.
Pro-life groups only look at the women who abort just because. Not at these cases where it should be deemed necessary or at least up to the woman or child. It's not right to deny every single person the right to abortion. It's a constitutional right and should be kept that way.