September 24, 2026
When politicians come to campus asking for support, students deserve more than carefully crafted talking points. They deserve the chance to ask tough questions, especially about the most pressing human rights issue of our time: abortion.
That is exactly why Students for Life Action joined forces with Bears for Life, Baylor University’s pro-life student organization, on Wednesday, September 16, to protest outside a campaign event featuring U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico.
From 6 pm to 7:30 pm, pro-life advocates gathered to make their presence known. Roughly a dozen Bears for Life students stood alongside more than 20 members of the Waco community, sending a clear message: candidates seeking higher office cannot expect to avoid scrutiny on abortion.
Unfortunately, Talarico tried to avoid just that.
Originally, Students for Life Action and Bears for Life planned to demonstrate at the entrance to the event. However, Baylor police informed protesters that Baylor’s restrictive free-speech policies prohibited demonstrations that had not been approved in advance by the university. Even students were not permitted to hold pro-life signs.
Undaunted by the setback, students and community members relocated to the nearest public sidewalk and continued their peaceful protest. Baylor students were determined to speak up for preborn babies and hold elected officials accountable for their positions on abortion.
Then came another surprise.
Pro-life students and community members intended to attend the campaign event after the protest. However, the public event announcement failed to include information about the required registration process. Without tickets, pro-life voices were effectively shut out of the event, raising questions about whether meaningful public participation was ever truly the goal.
Only a handful of Bears for Life students successfully entered the event, and what they reported back was deeply disappointing: there was no question-and-answer session.
Instead, Talarico spent the evening discussing broad populist themes and ideas that attract widespread agreement across the political spectrum.
While those topics received attention, one issue remained conspicuously absent: abortion. As elected officials and political candidates seek greater influence, voters deserve transparency about where they stand on policies that impact the lives of preborn children and their mothers.
Even though Talarico elected to dodge one of the most pressing human rights issues of our time, one would expect that his populist narrative would lead him to allow students to ask questions about his values, strategies, and stances. But the students never received the opportunity.
Without a Q&A session, attendees were denied the chance to challenge the candidate, seek clarification, or hear his views defended in a public forum. That is particularly troubling on a university campus, where free exchange of ideas should be encouraged rather than avoided.
The Pro-Life Generation is not afraid of difficult conversations. In fact, we welcome them. Our movement regularly engages opponents, answers challenging questions, and debates about abortion in public because we believe the truth is on our side. Public officials should be willing to do the same.
If a candidate wants the support of voters, especially young voters, he should be prepared to answer direct questions about abortion and explain his position openly. Avoiding the issue does not make it disappear.
That is why Students for Life Action and Bears for Life took a stand on Baylor’s campus. The purpose of the protest was simple: to ensure that abortion, the greatest human rights abuse of our time, could not be pushed aside in a political campaign.
The Pro-Life Generation must continue doing the same. Whenever politicians seek votes, we must insist that they answer for their abortion voting record and defend their positions publicly. Preborn babies have no vote and no voice, but we will speak for them.
