Abortion survivor Gianna Jessen speaks at annual Lincoln Day celebration

The following article has been edited to correct the number of years Kristi King has been president of the Cape County Republican Women's Club.

Abortion survivor and pro-life advocate Gianna Jessen spoke on a range of topics Friday at the 49th annual Lincoln Day celebration.

Writer and Southeast Missourian columnist Adrienne Ross of Cape Girardeau began the evening by telling the crowd the event was "to be the best one" they've had, which she said was because of the evening's theme: "America Returns to God."

"When you turn your faces on God, how can it not be the greatest," Ross said.

In keeping with the theme, Shawn Wasson encouraged the crowd to "pray for the leaders," no matter who they voted for in an election.

Jessen, a speaker, writer and singer, was welcomed to the podium by State Rep. Donna Lichtenegger, and was helped stand on stage because of her inability to balance herself for an extended period of time.

"When you have 'crazy balance,' you never know what your balance is gonna do. The logical solution for most people is 'just sit down,'" Jessen said. "But, here's the thing: I don't read a Scripture that says, 'Having done all to sit down.' I read a scripture that says, 'Having done all to stand.'"

Jessen has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy as a result of a lack of oxygen to her brain from an attempted abortion; was in the foster care system; and is now traveling the world speaking about her experiences. She has been to Italy as a guest speaker and is planning trips to Ireland and Brazil.

She addressed the issues of abortion, equality, not "settling" by waiting for your God-given spouse and the importance of her relationship with Jesus. She also took a stance against the recent trend of "women emasculating men," and she explained her journey from being aborted to now.

Jessen turned 41 years old Friday, and explained she is alive for a reason, has a purpose and was saved from her abortionists in 1977 who "just couldn't kill her." She said it would be a dishonor to God to not simply stand and say, "Thank you."

Jessen said she "was saved by the power of Jesus Christ," and he is her "favorite" because of it. She said she strives every day to honor God by honoring all men, since everyone is "made in the image of God."

Originally scheduled speaker Alveda King, the niece of late civil-rights activist the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., had to cancel because of an injury.

State Rep. Kathy Swan also spoke, detailing her progress of successfully passing 14 pieces of legislation during her career by "putting people first," and "doing the right thing," which she said has been her focus since being elected in 2012.

Jim Roche presented the Pachyderm Tough Tusk Award to William R. Swan, explaining the award is not merely given, but "you earn it."

Swan said, "I just want to say thank you very much, to everybody. I appreciate it."

Scott Clark presented the Bill Emerson Public Service Award to Rust Communications chairman of the board Gary Rust, saying it was "an honor" to present the award, being the recipient last year.

Rust spoke of his early days entering politics as a conservative in a Democrat-heavy society, "but now people think of Cape Girardeau as a strong Republican area."

Rust accepted his award and said he was grateful to be part of the political atmosphere over the years. He said all his experiences have been helpful to him, and he hopes he has been helpful to others as well.

It was also announced Friday evening Kristi King would step down from her four-year tenure as president of the Cape County Republican Women's Club to pursue "full-time ministry."

The Lincoln Day celebration was sponsored by the Cape County Republican Women's Club and was held at the Arena Building in Cape Girardeau.

jhartwig@semissourian.com

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