Why do those who oppose war often support free choice while those who are pro-life often support military action?  How can you support war when you are pro-life and how can you support abortion and oppose war?  Both things involve the loss of human life.  Don’t they seem to be mutually inclusive slogans?  Yet they seem to live separate lives at Villanova.  In the month of January there will be two marches in Washington D.C.  The first will be a peace march on the Jan. 18 to oppose the war in Iraq which is scheduled to commence in late January. President Bush and his hawks are scrambling to get a war started before the hot Iraqi spring hits in February, making it impossible to wear those fancy chemical protection suits. The second will be just a few days after on Jan. 22: The March for Life.  These appear to be perfectly matched for each other.  They are both protests to stop the sacrifice of innocent victims of war.But there are a few curious differences.  March for Life is sponsored by Villanovans for Life.  This is a well-established student group that sponsors dinners, meetings, speakers, regular prayer protests at an abortion clinic and the annual March for Life.  There are already several buses reserved for this event and it promises to be a huge affair.  It is even listed on the Villanova web-page! The March for Peace  is another story.  There is a very good chance that Villanova will not sponsor a bus at all this time.  The last two peace marches were poorly attended (20 and 14) and there is a general waning in what little protest spirit there is at Villanova.  There is a student group – Villanovans for Peace – but it is fairly new and is struggling to find its place on campus.  Nothing against those involved, they are determined and resolved, but this is a mission field for those who oppose war.  None of the peace marches made it onto the Villanova homepage, but the organizers of the march did receive some constructive hate mail. Curious.But why dwell on the past?  Seeing as these two causes are so closely linked, why not join forces?  As one of the few stalwart peace-lovers, I would be happy to add my voice to the March for Life campaign.  After all I am the father of four children and could not imagine life without them.  But two of them are girls so I also affirm the right of a woman to make educated decisions about anything that happens to her body.  But that should not prohibit me from being pro-life, should it? And quid pro quo:  Why don’t all the Pro-lifers come on the Peace March a few days earlier?  They would be saving lives by forcing President Bush to investigate more peaceful means of resolving conflict and would add their voice to the growing number of Americans, beyond this campus, who feel that an unilateral unprovoked military strike on Iraq would be counter-productive and actually increase death in our world.  What could be more pro-life than opposing needless war?  Any interest?Timothy Horner is a professor of the University’s core humanities department. He can be reached at [email protected].