NINTH ANNUAL PROUDLY PRO-LIFE AWARDS DINNER HONORS ARCHBISHOP MARTINO AND DR. DOBSON

By Don Parker and Dave Andrusko

Heroes. From the opening color guard presentation, which included heroes from the New York and Port Authority police departments, to praises for pro-life heroes in the keynote speeches, the Ninth Annual Proudly Pro-Life Awards Dinner in New York City had a special significance this year.

The dinner is a charity fundraising event for the National Right to Life Educational Trust Fund. Past honorees have included Pope John Paul II, former President Ronald Reagan, Mother Teresa, Sen. Jesse Helms, and Rep. Henry Hyde, among others. This year, the NRL Educational Trust Fund honored Dr. James Dobson and Archbishop Renato Martino for their dedicated, lifelong pro-life work.

Master of Ceremonies Ben Stein noted that many of the men who presented the flag in the color guard were among the police units that saved thousands of lives in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attack on New York City.

But Stein also talked about the heroes of the pro-life movement, those who toil every day to make sure a child has a chance to live. And Stein expressed optimism about the next generation of pro-life activists, as he read a list of colleges attending the dinner.

The list included schools from the Ivy League, the Midwest, and the Southeast; and schools as far away as Stanford.

"To receive an award from the National Right to Life is an honor, indeed. Only God knows how many human beings owe their existence to the work of this organization."
--Dr. James Dobson

National Right to Life President Dr. Wanda Franz brought loud applause with her explanation that "this is the ninth time we are having the dinner, and one of these times in the future we will have a Victory Dinner to celebrate the restoration of the right to life in America."

Humble and gracious as ever, Archbishop Martino, the Holy See's permanent observer to the United Nations, and Dr. Dobson, president of Focus on the Family, spent much of their remarks praising fellow pro-lifers, National Right to Life, and the NRL Educational Trust Fund, which sponsors the annual dinner.

"Through legislative initiatives, lobbying efforts, and the personal witness of all these connected to his national organization, the right to life will remain in the forefront of political, economic, cultural and social discussions," Archbishop Martino said. "I remain grateful for the mission of the National Right to Life Committee, and for its uncompromising role in promoting human life as the treasure that it is."

Dr. James Dobson's busy day saw him present a speech to the Proudly Pro-Life Dinner between appearances on CNN's "Inside Politics" with Judy Woodruff and Fox News Channel's "Hannity and Colmes." His spot on "Hannity and Colmes" was particularly interesting, since he arrived from the dinner still in his tuxedo, and Sean Hannity was able to show the audience Dr. Dobson's crystal pro-life award from National Right to Life.

"To receive an award from the National Right to Life is an honor, indeed," Dobson said in his Dinner speech. "Only God knows how many human beings owe their existence to the work of this organization."

Dr. Dobson contrasted society's sometimes deep concern for human life with the tragedy of abortion. "We grieve over the 3,000 lives lost, and we see the value of human life" in the attacks of September 11, but yet we've allowed 40 million children to be killed by abortion. We fine someone up to $25,000 if they kill an eagle's egg, "but it's not even a misdemeanor to kill an unborn child in the process of being born, perhaps three inches from birth," in a partial-birth abortion.

And while many lives are being saved, he said, the threat to life is growing in other ways, such as infanticide and euthanasia. So-called bioethicists like Peter Singer of Princeton University can now say that "simply killing an infant is never equivalent to killing a person," and still be listened to.

But Dr. Dobson knows that there are those fighting day and night to prevent these evils. "I thank God for National Right to Life," he said.

Dr. Dobson and singer Pat Boone had an interesting connection in remarks during the dinner. The Dobson family adopted as their second child a son, Ryan, and Dr. Dobson was clearly moved as he publicly thanked Ryan's birth mother for allowing him to live and find a good home. National Right to Life Major Gifts Development Director Richard Kimble, in introducing Pat Boone, spoke of the serious accident that befell Boone's grandson, also named Ryan. The fall nearly took Ryan's life, and Kimble said he fully expected Boone would have to cancel a scheduled appearance at the National Right to Life Convention last year to be with his grandson.

Yet Boone spoke at our convention, and then quickly returned home to be near Ryan. "You know my grandson is fighting for his life," Pat Boone had told Kimble at the time, "but you know, we're fighting for life in this movement, and we're in this fight together."

This call to keep up the fight was mentioned by several speakers. "It is absolutely essential that we and our children and grandchildren be involved and do our part," Ben Stein said. " The Right to Life movement is the leader in this fight; we are all supporters and a part of the team. I believe we can win."

"I remain grateful for the mission of the National Right to Life Committee, and for its uncompromising role in promoting human life as the treasure that it is."
--Archbishop Martino

Dr. Dobson and Archbishop Martino join an illustrious list of pro-life stalwarts honored since 1994. That list includes Mrs. Arthur DeMoss, John Cardinal O'Connor, Gov. Robert Casey, Senator Bob Smith, Congressmen Christopher Smith and Charles Canady, Judge Robert Bork, Mr. Virgil Dechant of the Knights of Columbus, Senator Jesse Helms, Mr. Wellington Mara of the New York Football Giants, Mr. Thomas S. Monaghan, Bishop James T. McHugh, Fr. Frank Pavone, and Mr. Lawrence Garvey.

Special tribute has also been paid to Pope John Paul II, Mother Teresa, and President Ronald Reagan.

If there was an overriding theme that ran through the evening, it was a sense of privilege at being a part of the greatest movement for justice of our time.

The great singer, songwriter, and producer of pro-life videos Pat Boone was asked by NRL News why he agreed to serve as honorary chairman this year, and, for that matter, why he has done so much for National Right to Life. He said with simple eloquence, pro-life is "increasingly important to me."

Likewise, Mr. Lawrence Garvey, an award recipient in 2001, when asked about coming all the way from Louisiana, said, "How can you not come?" The comments of Mr. Mike Gilardi perhaps best caught the flavor of many attendees' sentiments. He said he'd "always been a believer in pro-life," and then added, "It's a privilege just to be in the presence of the kind of dedication" demonstrated by Dr. Dobson and Archbishop Martino.

Mr. Fred Scheigert modestly explained that he found the Proudly Pro-Life Awards Dinner a "wonderful time to be together," a unique opportunity to share companionship with fellow pro-lifers. Like everyone asked to comment, he turned attention away from his or her contributions to focus on the work of National Right to Life and people such as the night's honorees.