March for Life
March for Life is an event that occurs annually in Washington, D.C. which peacefully commemorates the tragedy of abortion.[1] The March for Life began in 1974, on the first anniversary of Roe v. Wade (1973). Founded by Miss Nellie Gray, who has led it ever since, she also has a non-profit organization by the same name which provides educational workshops typically the day before the March. Many organizations and groups from across the nation attend the March for Life, for example, Conservapedia has led a group on the March for Life each year beginning in 2009. On Jan. 24, 2011, Conservapedia filled a record 3 buses from a single location for the March for Life.[2]
The influence of the March for Life is approximately 20 times its attendance, as the average person who attends communicates his participation to 20 others.[3] An attendance of 400,000 thereby influences perhaps 8 million persons annually, and during a period of a decade the cumulative overall influence reaches perhaps 40 million persons in a personal way.
The March for Life has grown to participation by about 1 in every 400 Americans from East of the Mississippi River.[4] Additional people from across the nation and out West also travel to attend the March for Life:
| Year | Estimated Attendance |
|---|---|
| 1974 | 20,000[5] |
| 1975 | 50,000[6] |
| 1976 | 65,000[6] |
| 2000 | 100,000[6] |
| 2005 | 200,000[6] |
| 2008 | 225,000[5] |
| 2009 | 300,000 |
| 2010 | 400,000 |
| 2010 | 350,000-400,000[7] |
Photos from 2010 March for Life by Conservapedia
Photos from 2009 March for Life by Conservapedia
References
- â http://www.marchforlife.org/
- â Three buses from one location (other than a school) is a record for the Northeast, but there may be larger groups traveling from the Midwest.
- â Some, such as clergyman, obviously influence far more.
- â The population East of the Mississippi River is estimated to be about 178 million.
- â 5.0 5.1 http://www.catholic.org/politics/story.php?id=31298
- â 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 http://www.marchforlife.org/content/view/13/26/
- â Preliminary estimate based on eyewitnesses. Cold weather 10 degrees below normal in D.C. -- and even colder at many points of departure -- caused some to postpone their attendance until 2012.