Blogs4Life Conference
Parts of what follows may be paraphrased or directly quoted from the speakers present at the Blogs4Life Conference.
This was the first ever Blogs4Life Conference, squeezed into 2 hours between 9:30 and 11:30 in the morning, with a several speakers and a panel discussion lined up. It was hosted at the headquarters of the Family Research Council.
First up was Charmaine Yoest. She introduced the conference and spoke briefly of the rise of blogs, of how they are the “digital bucket brigade” of the 21st century. In days now long gone by, if a fire broke out in town, citizens would band together and form a bucket brigade to put it out. Similarly, in the digital era, citizens band together online and spread news, information and memes, passing them around between one another.
As an example, she presented this poignant 911 call made from an abortion clinic:
Actual Audio (MP3)
Next, Kathryn Lopez spoke via telephone. She had originally been scheduled to attend, but had fallen ill with the flu and thus could only telecommute. She took a few questions:
The thing about blogs is that anyone can read what you’re saying and anyone can write. By increasing the streams of information, we enable many more people to get informed.
How to best get started?
What makes you most effective?
There’s no science to all of this.
Signup for an account with a free hosting service and just start writing. Try to pinpoint a niche that hasn’t already been filled.
After that, Tim of ProLifeBlogs.com spoke about the site he had started, and its primary components: an aggregator of over 500 feeds, a directory of the blogs and a group blog with about a dozen authors. He mentioned his only regret that he hadn’t opened up the group blog to more authors sooner, as he found it an invaluable asset to the community.
After Tim’s talk, Jonathan and Deborah Flora showed a trailer for their 35 minute film about Partial Birth Abortion, A Distant Thunder. You can watch the trailer online if you wish. They spoke specifically of their desire to produce a very high quality film and from the trailer, it looks as if they succeeded.
Finally, LeShawn Barber spoke of her own blogging experiences.
All in all, the conference was very insightful and informative. Perhaps the most was gained out of the minutes before and after, in speaking with other bloggers. Blogs are, in effect, the public squares of the 21st century; they are where America comes together to debate the issues of the day, and they are a resource that the pro-life cause cannot be without if it hopes to turn the tide and win the fight.