Eight California Catholic Bishops Join Dr. Alveda King and 25,000 Pro-Woman Pro-Life Activists for 4th Annual Walk for Life West Coast
'The Walk for Life West Coast in San Francisco continues to be a galvanizing event for people of conscience who seek social justice for all of our citizens, born and unborn.'
–Black Genocide founder Dr. Clenard Childress, Walk for Life West Coast 2008 Speaker
Contact: Karen Hodel, 415-287-4101, media@walkforlifewc.com
SAN FRANCISCO, January 15 /Christian Newswire/ -- San Francisco Archbishop George Niederauer and seven fellow California Catholic bishops will join Dr. Alveda King, niece of great civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, to lead an expected 25,000 people as they walk along San Francisco's waterfront proclaiming "Abortion Hurts Women" in the Fourth Annual Walk for Life West Coast, Saturday, January 19, 2008.
Dr. King is one of three featured speakers at the event which kicks off with an 11 a.m. Rally at the lawn area of Justin Herman Plaza, at the foot of Washington Street and The Embarcadero. The Walk begins at noon and proceeds along the waterfront, ending at Marina Green.
Dr. Alveda King, Pastor Dr. Clenard Childress Jr., and saline abortion survivor Gianna Jessen are featured speakers at the Walk, which is held each year on the Saturday closest to the anniversary of the Supreme Court's January 22, 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling. This year the Walk also falls two days before the federal holiday to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday. Childress is a Baptist minister and founder of BlackGenocide.org.
"If the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is to live, our babies must live. Our mothers must choose life," said Alveda King. Ms. King lost two children to abortion and is also mother to six living children. Her father was slain civil rights activist A.D. King, and their home in Birmingham, Alabama, was bombed during the earlier civil rights struggles. "The greatest injustice we face is the denial of the right to life. Without life, no other rights exist."
One of the most compelling stories is that of Jessen. "I was aborted and I didn't die," said Jessen, who has cerebral palsy because of her 17-year-old biological mother's attempted abortion. "We need to get back to valuing human beings based on their intrinsic value rather than on whether or not they fit into our plans or whether or not they serve our purpose."
"Women are being hurt every day by the abortions that take their babies' lives," said Walk organizer Dolores Meehan. "We are here to reach out with compassion and support."
For the fourth year, resources for unplanned pregnancies and abortion recovery will be available at the Information Fair held at the Walk's conclusion on Marina Green, in sight of the Golden Gate Bridge. Last year the Walk drew more than 20,000 participants, predominantly from the Bay Area, but with substantial groups from throughout California and the western states.
