Can You Lose Your Voice?

I am writing this note to ask you to pray about participating in this event. Before you decide, let me share with you my story.

The Pro-Life Day of Silent Solidarity this year is Tuesday, October 21. High school and college students across America and Canada will take a vow of silence for a day in order to respectfully protest abortion, show God’s love to women who are suffering from a previous abortion and mourn for the over 50,000,000 of our generation who have never had a voice.

I didn’t find out about Pro-Life Day of Silent Solidarity until my senior year of college. Actually, I randomly stumbled across the website online. After reading about it, the idea got inside of me, and I really felt convicted to participate. After all, it’s college, and there are always plenty of stranger protests for sillier causes.

I had plenty of excuses not to do it. Of course, I am a BIG talker, and knew I would struggle to keep out of my friend’s conversations. (It was an election year, I might add!) And, what was worse, it being a Tuesday, I had a class in which round-table discussion was required for my grade.

As far as I knew, I was the only person at UCO who participated. I didn’t tell anyone I was participating, because I was afraid they would think it was silly and a political stunt. So, I had no one to hold me accountable.

I went to the Pro-Life Day website and found resources to help me in my pledge. There were index cards I was able to print and hand out to my friends and professors explaining why I was not speaking that day. I saw where other students were wearing red bandannas or red duct tape with the word LIFE printed in black across their mouths our around their arms. (I opted for an armband.)

Generally, when I showed my cards to people, they nodded and smiled and spoke to me without expecting a response, or trying to “trick” me into speaking. One of my professors still required that I write down my discussion comments rather than speak them out loud, but that was fine.

My biggest moment of fear came when I went to my afternoon class. It was taught by the Dean of Women’s Studies. For those of you still in high school, that’s code for “local rep recruiting for militant feminism.” Prior to the start of class, as usual, I approached her and smiled and handed her my card. She glanced over it quickly, looked at my armband, smiled back and nodded. She said, “Okay, thank you.” And I sat back down. That was it.

I made it through the day. And maybe only a few people saw and understand why I was wearing an armband with LIFE on it, or why I was unusually quiet. But at least it was those few, rather than none.

I ask you, if you feel any prodding at all, please go to http://www.silentday.org and look at their information. They have stories of past participants and pictures and resources to encourage you.

I know some of you go to Christian school and some of you go to public school. You may think, "I go to Christian school, I don't need to do this." Or, "I go to public school, I might not be able to do this." Your experience may be different from mine. You may encounter some opposition or antagonism, you may be afraid of people's reactions, but I promise you, if I can do it, you can do it.

Can you lose your voice for a day - for those who will never have one?