When one thinks of a summer road trip, they rarely associate the term with a week of pro-life activism in a state halfway across the country. But for about 55 young people from Students for Life of America —including me — that’s exactly what their summer road trip was like.
After boarding a bus in Arlington, Va., on July 7, SFLA picked up students in Tennessee and Arkansas—as well as Dallas, Texas—as they made the cross-country journey to Austin.
Once the bus arrived Monday afternoon, we immediately got to work assisting various pro-life organizations advocating for House Bill 2, legislation that bans abortions after 20 weeks and requires doctors to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals.
Prior to our arrival, the bill had already passed the Texas House and gone before the Senate in a special session, but an 11-hour filibuster by Democratic state Sen. Wendy Davis stayed a vote.
Undeterred, Gov. Rick Perry, R-Texas, decided to call a second special session, and pro-life and pro-choice advocates made their way to Austin. It was then that SFLA decided to sponsor a bus trip due to the overwhelming response of students looking to get involved and assist pro-life organizations with getting the bill passed in the Texas capital.
Students met with Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, R-Texas, and former Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., who was in town to show support for the legislation and stood on the front lines of pro-life activism. Throughout the week, many served as a silent witness for life at an abortion clinic, while others headed to San Antonio to counter a rally hosted by Planned Parenthood.
Those with the organization volunteered with groups such as Texas Right to Life and Texas Alliance for Life as protesters descended upon the capitol armed with tampons, human excrement and maxi pads in an effort to sway lawmakers to vote against the bill.
As the Senate vote neared, we were ordered by the Texas Department of Public Safety to evacuate the main rotunda of the capitol building, as the situation was deemed too dangerous for pro-lifers. Our group then went to state representatives’ offices to hide out until the atmosphere calmed.
The students’ fight for life offered no shortage of controversy. After using the showers at the Austin YMCA earlier in the week, the facility’s management informed us we wouldn’t be allowed to use them again, as pro-choice employees and members had complained.
Thankfully though, as word about the ban spread, Texas House members paid for hotel rooms for Thursday and Friday night, providing us with a place to bathe.
And our hard work paid off. House Bill 2 passed the Texas Senate shortly after midnight Saturday and headed to the governor.
As SFLA’s bus departed Austin on Saturday morning and returned to Virginia more than 24 hours later, we could claim a victory in Texas.
