Pro-Life advocates gather for the annual Walk for Life rally outside of the Capitol on Saturday. KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

Alyssa Johnson – Jan 27, 2024 – Lincoln Journal Star

My cmnt: As the LJS tends to lean Left (like on its side lying down) everywhere in this article where they use the pejorative anti-abortion I’ve replaced it with Pro-Life. The Left, as taught by Lenin and others, always tries to take control of the language and refuses to use descriptive terms for itself and what it stands for. So rather than calling themselves pro-abortion they choose to call themselves pro-choice. And conversely instead of using our own self designation, as they grant to every insane Leftist group and cause, they call us anti-abortion rather than Pro-Life.

My cmnt: Similarly we see the Left refer to the wild, anarchist BLM and Antifa riots, here accurately described by Victor Davis Hanson, as “mostly peaceful protests” that occurred in the “summer of love”. The actually peaceful protestors who were being ushered into the capitol bldg by the capitol police on J6 are termed insurrectionists by the democrat-media complex and blamed on President Trump who neither incited nor participated in nor was even at the capital bldg. While real insurrectionists who now disrupt “official proceedings of the government” while protesting Israel’s measured response to being viciously attacked in an act of war by Palestinian Hamas terrorists are called peaceful protestors.

“We are in a dangerous revolutionary cycle. But the threat is not so much from loud, buffoonish one-day rioters (My cmnt: And planted federal agents and FBI stooges) on January 6. Such clownish characters did not for 120 days (in the summer of 2020) loot, burn, attack courthouses and police precincts, cause over 30 deaths, injure 2,000 policemen, and destroy at least $2 billion in property – all under the banner of revolutionary justice.“

My cmnt: So while Pro-Lifers support the sustaining and protecting of innocent life (i.e., the unborn, babies, the sick, the aged, etc.) the pro-choicers support the sustaining and protecting of guilty life such as rapists, murderers, rioters, habitual criminals, illegal aliens and communists. Even illegal aliens, which is an accurate term, are re-termed migrants, and their unborn children illegally in our country but born here are termed natural citizens instead of what they actual represent which is anchor babies.

My cmnt: And the latest misuse of our language is the term “gender affirmative care” which is actually the sexual mutilation and chemical castration of minors. And when we have very precise terms such as “woman” they pretend to not know what a woman is.

Nebraskans bundled up for the 50th annual Nebraska Walk For Life on Saturday in downtown Lincoln.

Hosted by Nebraska Right to Life, the event began at 10 a.m. at the Capitol. The group of around 1,500 anti-abortion advocates started the morning off by opening with a prayer followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and the national anthem sung by University of Nebraska-Omaha student Katelyn Glinsmann.

This is the second event since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, ending federal protection for abortion rights and sending the issue back to the states. It marks the first rally since Gov. Jim Pillen signed a 12-week abortion ban into law in May.

Since the reversal of Roe v. Wade, Sandy Danek, president and executive director for Nebraska Right to Life, has been asked many times why the walk hasn’t been moved to the warmer weather in June. Danek said lives were lost because of the decision of Roe v. Wade on Jan. 22, 1973, and it’s important to honor the babies that have been aborted since then.

“More than 65 million of our precious little babies have been slaughtered,” Danek said. “We have to honor them. We have to honor that their lives have been lost, that their lives have had meaning and that every one of us have been affected by them not being with us here today.”

A large range of ages were in attendance Saturday morning to which Danek said that they inspire her each and every year by being present.

“You are the heartbeat of this movement,” Danek said. “We’re going to need you in a big way this year.”

Local and state officials, including Pillen, Lt. Gov. Joe Kelly, Sens. Deb Fishcher and Pete Ricketts, Rep. Mike Flood and Nebraska Auditor Mike Foley, spoke at the Capitol.

While sharing their joy at the large group of attendees present, they also shared their concerns over a ballot initiative that seeks to enshrine the right to kill an unborn child (i.e., an abortion) until fetal viability into the state’s constitution.

Gov. Jim Pillen addresses a crowd of pro-life advocates during the annual Walk for Life rally outside of the Capitol on Saturday.KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

Pillen asked each person in attendance to think about their mother and to think about the gift of life each mother gave and share hope with young girls present at the rally.

“I think it is incredibly important that each of us this year spend more time bragging about our mothers,” Pillen said. “If we brag about our mothers, there is no way on earth that every young girl growing up won’t understand that the greatest gift of life is to be a mother and choose life and choose love and walk it every single day.”

Pillen closed his speech by noting the petition, which if successful, would place it on the ballot in November.

“We have to be together no matter the circumstances because we have to win the ballot,” Pillen said. “We have to make sure that we do everything we can in this state to make sure that we save as many babies growing in mothers’ wombs as possible.”

Since Roe v. Wade was overturned, abortion advocates in seven states have petitioned ballot initiatives, all of which have won. Ricketts said the line has been drawn in Nebraska and the fight will go on to protect the babies.

“The other side has money, but we have our spirit, our sweat, and our toil and with the help of God, we will defeat this ballot initiative here in Nebraska and set the tone for the rest of the nation,” Ricketts said. “We need you to get involved.”

Saturday’s keynote speaker was Melissa Ohden, a survivor of an abortion attempt, who last spoke at the event 13 years ago. Since then, Ohden has reconnected with her birth family and said she forgave her birth mom for what she did.

Prior to leaving the Capitol, the group closed with a prayer before turning to the pink and blue balloons that were released into the sky while the sound of a baby’s heartbeat was played over the speakers.

“The pink and blue balloons represent so many millions of unborn babies as well as their mothers and fathers,” said Patrick Reese, the Nebraska Walk for Life emcee.

Sacred Hearts Knights of Columbus members Jode Poley (from left) and Bob Finley release blue and pink balloons during the annual Walk for Life rally outside of the Capitol on Saturday.KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

Participants walked from the Capitol to the Nebraska Union where Ohden spoke again. Booths were set up in an adjoining room showcasing a variety of services and anti-abortion advocates.

Sarah Louise Peterson was at the Sidewalk Advocates for Life booth for her second year. Peterson said her group is the opposite of protestors and promotes a peaceful, prayerful and law-abiding presence on sidewalks outside of abortion facilities. 

“One thing about today is to be able to celebrate life, celebrate that babies in the womb. Pre-born babies, are special, are valued, they’re just as important as people outside of the womb,” Peterson said.

Steve Zach from Omaha was among the group and was passing out a “Nebraska Pro-Life Directory” he created which encompasses a list of counseling, health, housing and legal services for mothers. He began handing out the papers 40 years ago when the list only contained two places for mothers to go.

“Nebraska’s embracing life,” Zach said as the list now fills an entire page.

Dr. Katherine Penny, a pediatrician in Omaha, attended for her first time and brought her 7-year-old daughter Isabella to participate in the walk.

“We just hope to change hearts,” Penny said. “If we can plant seeds and change hearts then that’s a win.”

Several abortion-rights advocates gathered by the Capitol and the Nebraska Union.

Among them was Jackson Meredith from Lincoln who said he wants to remind Nebraskans that they are out here too and care about the abortion issue.

“These folks want to pretend abortion wasn’t a thing before Roe v. Wade, which it was,” Meredith said. “Roe v. Wade didn’t create or enable abortion, it just brought it out of the back alley with scary implements.”

My cmnt: The above statement by Meredith is a typical misrepresentation of Roe v. Wade. This horrible piece of law was then and is now and will always be bogus. It was created by judicial fiat out of whole cloth as the so-called “right” to an abortion is not in the Constitution and had never been in the Constitution.

Photos from the Pro-Life Rally

Sandra Nateras Castillo kneels in prayer and “to make reparations for abortions and all of us sinners” during the annual Walk for Life rally on Saturday in Lincoln.KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

Fifteen hundred pro-life advocates march down S 14th Street during the annual Walk for Life rally outside of the Capitol on Saturday.KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

One thousand and five Hundred persons gather and listen to speakers during the annual Walk for Life rally in front of the Capitol on Saturday in Lincoln.KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

Infanticide-rights advocates protest behind a barrier set up to keep them separated from pro-life advocates during the annual Walk for Life rally on Saturday in Lincoln.KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

Sacred Hearts Knights of Columbus members Jode Poley (from left) and Bob Finley release blue and pink balloons during the annual Walk for Life rally outside of the Capitol on Saturday.KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

Sen Joni Albrecht of Thurston speaks to a crowd of anti-abortion advocates during the annual Walk for Life rally outside of the Capitol on Saturday.KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

Members of the Phi Kappa Theta fraternity at UNL stand shirtless in the cold is support of the annual Walk for Life rally outside of the Capitol on Saturday.KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

Lennie Kuszak of Ord carries a flag that reads “God is pro-life” during the annual Walk for Life rally outside of the Capitol on Saturday.KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

Sisters Mary Kolbe (from left) and Mary Vianney bow their heads in prayer during the annual Walk for Life rally outside of the Capitol on Saturday.KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

Steve Zach, from Omaha, carries a wooden crucifix during the annual Walk for Life rally held outside of the Capitol on Saturday.KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

A priest carries a rosary during the annual Walk for Life rally outside of the Capitol on Saturday.KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

Hundreds of anti-abortion advocates listen to Sen. Joni Albrecht of Thurston acknowledges members of the crowd during the annual Walk for Life rally outside of the Capitol on Saturday.KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star