Choose Life Rally Draws Large Crowd of Supporters and Brings Out Media

Pro-lifers from across the state, as far away as Charlotte and Asheville in the west to Wilmington in the east, converged on the Legislature today for the Rally for the Choose Life License Plate.

The program included remarks by the primary sponsor of the legislation, Rep. Mitch Gillespie (R-85). Rep. Gillespie explained what prompted him to introduce the Choose Life legislation when he was first elected and he promised that as long as he served in the legislature that he would continue to file the bill until it is heard. Joinng him on stage and speaking briefly were Reps. Ric Killian (R-105) and Pat McElraft (R-13).

Russ Amerling, the National Director for the Choose Life License Plate, brought a national perspective to the debate over the efforts to have a vote on the Choose Life License Plate.

Bishops Peter Jugis and Michael Burbidge, from the Roman Catholic Dioceses of Charlotte and Raleigh respectively, attended the Rally.  Bishop Jugis, with Bishop Burbidge at his side, addressed the crowd, asking all Catholics in the state to write and visit their legislators on this issue. 

Bobbi Meyer, the State Director of the Carolina Pregnancy Care Fellowship, introduced the next 3 speakers: Nicole Jackson, a volunteer at he Pregnancy Care Center in Rocky Mount, NC; Wagner Fields, a former client at the Pregnancy Care Center in Greensville, NC; and Gwen Gilbert, a former client at the Pregnancy Care Center in Washington, NC.

Dorothy Yeung, the last speaker, read a statement from the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) expressing their solidarity with the efforts to get a hearing for the Choose Life Plate. ADF indicated that they would "evaluate the group's legal options in the event that the legislature continues to deny pro-life persons their right to free expression."

When the Rally was over, volunteers took Choose Life Packets to each of the legislators' offices. The crowd was encouraged to visit their particular legislators' offices before they returned home.

Press packets were distributed to the members of the press who covered the event and the ADF statement was distributed also to the members of the press in the legislative press room.