The Coalition for Life at Dartmouth held a short candlelight vigil on the Green on Friday night to protest the 26th anniversary of the 1973 Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision, a landmark case which legalized abortion in the United States.
Twenty-five protesters -- mostly Dartmouth students -- formed a circle in the center of the Green to reflect on how they believe the Roe vs. Wade decision has impacted the country and the campus.
"We're just here as a statement of a kind of solidarity and support for all the millions of babies who have lost their lives through the tragedy of abortion and also for all the women who have been wounded through abortion," Anne Devlin '99 said Friday. "Just to show that there's a lot people out here who still really value life in all its forms."
Devlin added that "children are not the only victims" of abortion, citing a lack of support and resources for pregnant women at the College as a major problem.
"I don't really feel like this place offers women who might get into pregnant situations a whole lot of options," she said.
Michael Philpy '02 referred to the Roe vs. Wade decision as "the travesty that our government has produced," and said he hoped for an eventual reversal of the decision.
"By these type of rallies all over the United States on this day, we are keeping Roe vs. Wade in the spotlight," Philpy said, expressing hopes that people will contact their representatives in Congress, and eventually, end abortion in the United States.
The protesters huddled together to listen to an opening address written by Conor Dugan '00, an article by Dr. Jason Roberts and a poem titled "At The Crossroads: No Man Can Serve Two Masters," by Megan Reeves, which deals with the "life or death" dilemma of a pregnant woman.
A Pro-Life Fact Sheet -- issued to all protesters after the rally -- emphasized some statistics about abortion. Dugan's address made use of these facts, stating that "over 38 million children have lost their lives to abortion" since the 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision.
The protest did not seem to attract many spectators, and Holly Kuebler '00 admitted the pro-life voice is in the minority at Dartmouth.
