Why Do These People Have Red Duct Tape Over Their Mouths?

Every now and again, individuals may be seen with red duct tape covering their mouths. This unique ritual will once again be celebrated on Tuesday, October 21, by people all over the country — in schools, businesses, on the streets, and in the shopping centers. It’s known as a Silent Siege, or a Pro-Life Day of Silent Solidarity, and it began 10 years ago this month in Washington, D.C., as a group of about 70 people put red duct tape over their mouths in front of the Supreme Court. Each time participants wear the red tape, or red armbands, they are proclaiming their solidarity with the thousands of voices each day who are forever silenced, through abortion.

On Tuesday, individuals who wear the tape over their mouths will be silent, and pray for an end to abortion. Priests for Life Youth Outreach Director Bryan Kemper of StandTrue.com, a pro-life outreach group, says that there are thousands of students who participate in the event, who vow not to talk in order to let their actions speak for them, and for the millions of babies who have been aborted. He says one third of the current generation was conceived but not allowed to be born, and that over 4,000 babies lose their lives each day to abortion in the United States.

The silent activists have flyers that they can print out with information about abortion and why they are wearing the red tape. Some students have broken their silence because someone asked for more information. According to SilentDay.org, there were at least 16 high school girls last year who had been considering abortion. They later decided to cancel their abortion appointments after a conversation that arose because of the tape.

Because one young lady participated last year, she was able to save the life of her own sibling. It was her first year to be involved, and she was excited as she walked downstairs at her home, ready to go to school and be a voice for the voiceless, reports Life News. Her mom saw the red tape on her mouth, across which the word “LIFE” was written. She asked what that was about. The student took off the tape to explain that “she was taking a stand for those being killed by abortion every day in this country.”

“She was shocked when her mother started crying. Her mother then explained how she was pregnant and had an appointment for an abortion the next day. They talked for a while and her mother changed her mind and kept her baby.”

We don’t speak for a day; they don’t speak forever. On 10/21/14, we give our voices for them. #silentday #prolifegen pic.twitter.com/KZJq8gskfm

— Bryan Kemper (@BryanKemper) October 6, 2014

Lou Engle, founder of The Call, was recently interviewed by Bound4Life, another pro-life group known for its “prayer sieges” in front of abortion clinics, where the participants pray silently for the people going in to the clinics and the workers, and for an end to abortion. Engle described where the concept of the red duct tape originated. He said that there had been a 50 days and 50 nights prayer event in Colorado Springs about ending abortion. One of the participants, Brian Kim, had a dream of thousands of young people coming to Washington, D.C., with red duct tape covering their mouth. In the dream, he saw the word “LIFE” written on the tape.

Shortly after that time, Lou Engle made a trip to DC with 70 young people to pray for the election of a pro-life president. They had no idea that they were walking “right into a protest and media frenzy,” where a major pro-choice protest was happening in front of the Supreme Court at the same time, on the first day of the new term. After praying about what to do, Engle said, “Let’s just do the dream.” So while screaming and yelling was going on all around them, the group of 70 “stood silently next to them at the Supreme Court with red Life Tape on our mouths.”

“When LIFE is written on a piece of red tape and placed over our mouths, we are identifying with the silence of the pre-born who have no voice to defend themselves.”

That image was plastered all over the media. That was 10 years ago. The movement is still going strong today.

This year, Kemper’s group has an official t-shirt with the message they want to communicate printed on them.

“Until their voices are no longer silenced, until their blood is no longer spilt, I will stand true. I will cry out. Abolish abortion.”

It is another of Kemper’s organization’s t-shirts that recently made headlines, when the Duggar family wore them. As The Inquisitr reported, the TLC Network blurred the words on the shirts worn by the boldly pro-life family, which read, “I Survived Roe vs Wade, Roe vs Wade Will Not Survive Me.”

Both Lou Engle and Bryan Kemper emphasize that their events are not at all about violence or hatred. The red duct tape is an outward symbol of their silence and prayer in support of unborn babies. Kemper says that the t-shirts are available for this year’s event. However, he encourages people to make their own shirts as well. He gives this reminder to participants, “Please remember to keep the shirts loving and not judgmental; our goal is not to hurt people.” Their mission is simply to be a voice for those whose voice was taken away from them.

[images via Bound4Life San Jose and Silent Day]