When Roisin Caulfield and Peter Murphy stumbled into the post office, they looked like neglected plants. A bit wilted, as if some drinks and a little sunshine would do them good. Of course, jet-lag and road weariness will do that to a body. And they had just been subjected to much of it...with more to come.

Visiting Stateside from Dublin on a fund/awareness raising mission for their pro-life activist group Youth Defense, the pair had just arrived in Chicago and were visiting Milwaukee, Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia. One blustery morning -- the night after landing from overseas -- had already seen them commute from the Windy City to Beertown to do a radio spot. Then they were off that evening to another meeting. Understandably, they looked a little dazed. 

Although they both had basically just slept since arriving, they had already formed an impression of the States. Murphy was a little more nonchalant, he had been here before. "D.C. -- you know," he said, as if D.C. was only 50 miles from Milwaukee. But Caulfield was still a little bit wild-eyed saying sweetly, "Everything is so BIG here." Perhaps that winter day was also little more biting than they were used to, as well, since they were reluctant to part with their heavy jackets.

American pro-life activists are stereotyped in a few ways which are defied by this pair. Both were young, but old enough to have made up their own minds, which defied the concept that some of those in the movement were old-timers or brainwashed-kids. Also, they work as a soft-spoken man/woman team, defying the idea that men were the primary controllers of a woman's issue. They certainly weren't of belligerent , often a hurtful assumption regarding pro-lifers. 

The main point of the couple's American visit was simple. They sought funding and political support to stop the legalization of abortion in Ireland, pointing out that Ireland was the last country in the Western world where abortions weren't performed. This status was being seriously threatened, they said, adding what they called "the high ethical standards and courage" of the Irish Medical Council as only barrier against abortion in Ireland now. The Youth Defense organization did not believe that to be enough, according to Murphy, and was currently embroiled in a legislative battle over what will be the legal status of the procedure. As Caulfield said, "To me, the most significant thing we can get across is really the urgency of trying to get people to be aware of our situation and to support us in any way at all."

Both said that their families were proud of their work and even joined protests. However, each became involved with the Youth Defense group on their own. Murphy joined after seeing a leaflet about the group. Appropriately, through his involvement he met his wife. They have a baby boy named Cathal. Caulfield, on the other hand, just heard the word "marriage" and protested, "I'm not married -- I'm single." Obviously the pair still can find humor in the face of dealing with their serious topic on a daily basis.
 
 

For more information on the Youth Defense organization and affiliated projects, call 353 (1) 873 0463 or use its Web site at www.youthdefense.ie.