A Sacramento mother of twins took it upon herself to organize a march around the state capitol this week to protest a legislative proposal (SB 24) that mandates California’s public university health centers start providing students with (RU-486) abortion pills as a basic health service. Despite being a policial novice, Michele LaMonica’s march drew over a hundred people and media coverage from three television stations and National Public Radio.
LaMonica’s pro-life passion stems from her own near-abortion experience at a Sacramento clinic 12 years go. Single and pregnant, already raising a teenager by herself, and with unsupportive parents, LaMonica thought an abortion was her only option. After an ultrasound, the abortion clinic confirmed her pregnancy, but failed to tell her she had twins. After scheduling the abortion, she started having second thoughts. When a second ultra-sound revealed her twins, and when the boys’ father said, “I want my babies,” LaMonica changed her mind.
Now years later LaMonica beams with joy regarding her decision and is distressed with how state legislators are pushing college students to see abortion as the easy answer to an unplanned pregnancy.
Michelle LaMonica with her twin-12-year-old sons.
“Despite all the hardships, I experience a love with my kids that I never knew existed,” LaMonica said. “I have felt the unbridled joy of being my twins’ mom – greater than any other experience in my life. They love me so much and voice it. They are so grateful. Their older sister is very close to them. Today their father and I are very supportive of our twins. We successfully co-parent. I am grateful that he is their dad. I have been self- employed for 13 years. I love being the CEO of my company.”
LaMonica, with over 100 pro-lifers clad in matching yellow tee-shirts, marched around the capitol several times chanting “No on SB 24.” A large contingent of marchers came from Saint Mary and St. Joseph Catholic churches in Vacaville. Half a dozen members of “Students for Life” also attended. Their leader, Northern California Regional Coordinator Nick Reynosa gave a passionate speech to the crowd before the march began.
“For too long pro-life Californian’s have been ignored and hidden,” Reynosa said. “Well they can’t hide us today and they will hear us today.” He went on to describe SB 24 as “the most extreme public funding of abortion in this country.” (watch the speech below)
LaMonica explained her opposition to SB 24 saying, “Instead of education, support, empowerment, and embracing our young adults, this legislation teaches them that human life is disposable. … There is no moral accountability. It teaches them that a baby is a burden and cancer to be removed rather than part of their family, a human being to be loved and cared for. I oppose SB 24 because it is physically, emotionally, and mentally damaging to the mother, father, and a helpless unborn baby.”
SB 24 is now in the hands of the chair of the Assembly Appropriation Committee Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez and the other committee members. Call their offices and tell them to vote no on SB 24.
