Fighting for Life in Fort Lauderdale
Written by Liam Martin
Since its founding in 1844, Hillsdale has been committed to defending the rights of all Americans. As both a Christian institution and a college dedicated to the American tradition, defending life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is integral to the mission of the College. This past Christmas, several Hillsdale students decided to take that commitment to Florida’s campaign trail to support the pro-life cause.
The trip was organized and funded by the Susan B. Anthony List, a pro-life organization that seeks to end abortion through lobbying, education, and campaigning for pro-life candidates. Ben Kennedy, ’24, serves as an SBA List campus ambassador at Hillsdale, and led the effort to recruit other students.
The classmates he recruited each had their own motivations for going. According to Joseph Perez, ’24, “The decision to go was easy for me since I care about the issue and want to be more involved.”
“I thought it was an exciting chance to do something good and important—helping to save babies—and going to Florida with some of my close friends was the icing on the cake,” Lucy Fernandes, ’24, added.
The students spent most of their time knocking on doors in the Fort Lauderdale area. In particular, students focused on the issue of late-term abortion and campaigned for the reelections of Governor Ron DeSantis and Senator Marco Rubio.
“We were there to give facts and receive opinions,” Joseph clarified, “but by doing so, we aimed to open voters’ opinions to the facts. Also, I got to use my Spanish skills, which was really fun.”
“It was just a lot of conversations with people, hearing their pro-life stories and sharing ours,” Ben added.
One such conversation, according to Ben, was with a pro-choice voter. When she argued that women ought to have the right to control their own body, Ben agreed, but replied that “my right to swing my fist around ends when someone else’s face begins.” She laughed at the joke, but started to engage more with his arguments, he explained. After discussing the fact that the unborn can feel pain, as well as recognize their mothers’ voices, she agreed that unborn babies are in fact people, and told Ben that she would be voting for DeSantis and Rubio in 2022.
Reflecting back on the experience, the students found the trip meaningful and eye-opening.
“I think it was cool to see that people from both sides of the aisle were appalled by how extreme the pro-choice movement has become on abortion,” said Ben. “What we are campaigning for is stuff that most people can unite behind. Whether people were totally pro-life or pro-choice, they were willing to consider them as candidates in order to protect babies at advanced stages and after birth.”
“I am confident that I helped make a difference, but even more convinced that I need to do more pro-life work in the future,” explained Joseph.
Hillsdale has always believed that education is more than just book knowledge; it includes every aspect of human life and serves a higher purpose. Pro-life activism and self-sacrifice are among many examples of Hillsdalians taking the principles of the College and acting on them for the good of the community.
The SBA List is recruiting for similar trips for Spring Break 2022 and multiple throughout the summer, ranging from three to seven days. Flights and meals are covered, and a $500 stipend is given to each volunteer. Students interested in volunteering with the SBA List can contact Ben at [email protected]. Those interested in other outreaches of the SBA List can visit their website, https://www.sba-list.org/.
Liam Martin, ‘25, is a native of rural Ohio and plans to major in History. In his free time, he enjoys coffee, Shakespeare, Latin chant, and debating politics and religion with whoever will listen.
Published in January 2022