LIHUE — Diana Honjiyo believes the unborn should have a right to live. “I realize that from conception there is life and it is a person, a baby,” she said Thursday. “Just because they don’t have a voice, that doesn’t
LIHUE — Diana Honjiyo believes the unborn should have a right to live.
“I realize that from conception there is life and it is a person, a baby,” she said Thursday. “Just because they don’t have a voice, that doesn’t mean that they’re not a person. They’re a soul.”
Honjiyo was one of about 20 people who stood along Kaumualii Highway in front of Kukui Grove Center holding signs and waving to passersby to protest abortion on the 42nd anniversary of Roe v. Wade — the Supreme Court’s ruling that legalized abortion in the United States.
Many held signs with statements like “Abortion isn’t a form of health care,” and “Honk for a pro-life generation and try adoption.” Supporters honked their car horns or flashed a thumbs up as they drove past the two-hour demonstration.
“I feel very sad and embarrassed,” said Deacon Kin Borja, who was also at the protest. “A lot of the people say, ‘Why do you guys bother?’ The reason we bother is that, in our great country, we’re pushing 58 million babies. In our world, we’re pushing 1.9 billion babies terminated and aborted. Now, if that’s nothing to be sad about, then I don’t know what is.”
Some people at the Lihue mall shared similar comments.
“I think they shouldn’t have done that,” said Kauai resident Thomas Alvarez about the Supreme Court’s decision to legalize abortion. “If I was thinking of my girlfriend having an abortion, it would bother me, it would be on my mind all the time.”
Lillian Lucas, president of Pro Life for Kauai, has organized these events since 2002.
“I’m totally against abortion. They have punishments for people who commit crimes, but they allow this?” she said. “It’s against God’s commandment ‘Thou shall not kill,’ and this is killing and they’ve proven that.”
Protesters also offered advice on methods other than abortion.
“There are alternatives to abortion and my platform is adoption,” said Honjiyo. “That is for those who can not conceive of taking care of one (baby).”
Sen. Mazie K. Hirono issued a statement in support of a woman’s right to choose on the anniversary date.
She stated she believes in and supports women’s rights.
“It’s been a hard fight, but we’ve come a long way since I was in college to expand and protect women’s health care rights,” Hirono said. “Today, because of the Affordable Care Act, women have access to critical preventative health care services like contraception and mammograms and are not penalized by insurance companies simply for being a woman.”
Despite abortion’s legality, protesters said that they will continue to protest until it’s no longer legal.
“It’ll never be right,” said Lucas. “Next year, God willing, we’ll be there.”
