personal stories
Painful and Disorienting: The Shooter of Two National Guard Members
by Brian Carroll I don’t believe that Rahmanullah Lakanwal drove from Washington state to Washington DC, and then to within two blocks of the White House, only to fire on two young members of the West Virginia National Guard. I do think the accusations about who did or didn’t vet Lakanwal miss the point completely….
Political Passing in Washington, DC
by Rosalyn Mitchell What does it mean to pass politically in Washington, DC? To walk through the historical suburbs and think, “Wow, the lights hit in a certain way, the fall leaves against the colonial red brick. How serene.” To me, it felt surreal. Is this America, detached from the strain of data, the…
Maryland March for Life 2024
by Christina Yao Pelliccioni On Monday, March 11, Maryland had its annual March for Life. It was the first time I had gone since COVID started, and the first time I brought my husband and son along. In fact, it was the first time I had gone since I had gotten married or had a…
What Just Happened!?! Becoming Consistent Life Despite Myself. Part 1
by Thad Crouch There I am. Army infantry veteran and a Louisiana State Trooper scholarship recipient because I’m the criminal justice major with the highest GPA at McNeese State. It’s halfway through the spring semester. I’m staring at my raised hand, thinking, “What Just Happened!?!” The professor asked who was against the death penalty,…
Life as a Pro-life Progressive
by Lisa Stiller Even as I type the words in that title, I realize how redundant they really are. Because to me, being pro-life is part of being progressive. Being progressive means protecting all life. Being progressive means putting the needs of the most vulnerable, lower income people first. Being progressive means rejecting all violence….
An Example of Why the Peace Movement is in Deep Trouble
by Rachel MacNair Ego and Anger Richard Rohr, OFM, is a Franciscan Friar, a prolific author, and founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation (CAC), a CLN member group. One major point made by CAC is that if we take action on nonviolence without contemplation, there’s a danger we’ll bring in ego-centered thoughts and…
Women’s History Month: Jane Addams
Jane Addams is a notable follower of the consistent life ethic (before the term was coined). We offer a lengthy book excerpt, a shorter book excerpt, and a note from the exhibits at Hull House Museum. Condensed excerpt from ProLife Feminism: Yesterday and Today, pp. 120-126 The Nonviolent Power of the Maternal Body Politic: Jane…
My Trip to Pakistan
by Rachel MacNair I was invited to speak at the International Conference on Peace, Conflict, and Violence: Challenges and Resolution Strategies, held November 29-30, 2017 in Lahore, Pakistan. While there, I was also asked to give guest lectures at four different universities; I did two on psychological theories of why nonviolence is effective, and two…
The Frustrations of Being a Consistent Life Activist
by Lisa Stiller I recently attended a rally in support of the people in Charlottesville, Virginia. The previous Saturday a “Unite the Right” rally protesting the removal of statues of Confederate figures had erupted into violence, as one participant plowed his car into a crowd of counter-protesters, killing one and injuring many. Many Confederate…
The Reynolds Family, the Nuclear Age and a Brave Wooden Boat
by Jessica Renshaw Note: This is the text of Jessica’s talk at the June 17, 2017 Ban the Bomb March in Los Angeles. I want to tell you a story—a true, personal story. (To save time, I’ll just tell you I’m 73!) I was one year old when nuclear bombs were dropped on Hiroshima…