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Celebrating Independence

By Laura Kizior

Building a culture of life is a daily goal. Here are some ways to celebrate America’s independence, culture-of-life style:

Pro-life Independence Day party

  • Are you marching in a local parade? (Do you have a cool pro-life T-shirt to wear?) Carry a pro-life sign to show you stand with moms and preborn babies.
  • Write an extra verse to one of your favorite patriotic songs (“My Country ‘Tis of Thee,” “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” “America the Beautiful,” “God Bless America,” etc.) that explains why freedom extends to preborn children and why each of us has a duty as Americans to protect the vulnerable.

Here’s an example to get you started (to the tune of “My Country ‘Tis of Thee”):

Our God in heav’n did give
The right for all to live–
In liberty!
Lord, guide our president,
And all our government.
Protect all children sent
This is our plea!

Pro-life American history

  • Read aloud the poem “Barbara Frietchie” by John Greenleaf Whittier. Discuss how Barbara Frietchie demonstrated her beliefs through nonviolent action.
  • Read George Did It by Suzanne Tripp Jurmain. When the colonists asked George Washington to be president, he said no. Even great men like George Washington can be a little nervous about standing up for truth. Discuss how we each have a duty and responsibility to stand up for preborn children and how we shouldn’t let a little nervousness stand in our way.
  • If you were Patrick Henry arguing to defund Planned Parenthood, what would you say? Rewrite Henry’s “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” speech to express your pro-life beliefs and perform for family members.
  • Abraham Lincoln spoke out against slavery. Read this thought-provoking reflection from Priests for Life on why we should not stay silent about abortion.
  • Ronald Reagan was president many years after Abraham Lincoln, but he fought another battle against injustice—abortion. His book Abortion and the Conscience of the Nation was the first time a sitting president wrote against abortion. Older students should read this book. Discuss the following questions:

How does abortion personally affect each one of us? If you devalue even one human being—born or preborn—you diminish the lives of all people. As Mother Teresa said, “The greatest misery of our time is the generalized abortion of children.”

What other Supreme Court decision does the president refer to that “denied the value of certain human lives”? Dred Scott Decision

Who alone has the right to give and take life? God

What is the duty of the law? The law needs to respect the God-given right to life and must protect all human beings.

What was the case of “Baby Doe” from Indiana? Baby Doe was an infant with Down syndrome who needed a simple operation in order to be able to eat. A federal judge ruled that the child should starve to death because the testifying doctor claimed that even with the operation Baby Doe would have a “minimal quality of life.”

What did President Reagan do about the ruling against Baby Doe? He started a directive that no federally funded hospital would be allowed to deny life-preserving care to a child with handicaps. The president affirmed that we do not have the right to pick and choose whose life has value and whose life does not have value.

Which cause is the most important in order to preserve freedom in America? Ronald Reagan said it best: “There is no cause more important for preserving that freedom than affirming the transcendent right to life of all human beings, the right without which no other rights have any meaning.”

Want more pro-life patriotic lessons? Check out our Pro-life Citizenship digital download or learn about pro-life American heroes like Nellie Gray and St. Damien of Molokai. Find these and other pro-life lessons at our online store!

On July 4, we celebrate our nation’s independence from England—our birthday as a nation. We look forward to the day when we can celebrate humanity’s release from the oppression of abortion and the evils of the culture of death.

Laura Kizior is a content developer for American Life League’s Culture of Life Studies Program which emphasizes the culture of life as an integral part of every academic discipline. CLSP is dedicated to helping students become effective communicators of the pro-life message. Sign up for our e-mail newsletter to see how we can help you foster a culture of life at home and in school.