Pro-Life Demonstration on Campus PART II: My Take

I didn't plan on writing this half three weeks later, but apparently that's what is happening...

The student reaction to this event was mostly over-the-top. Basically, there were three reactions:
1) Agreement
2) Ambivalence
3) Bitter disagreement

Those who agreed did so rather peacefully. They were the once who were talking to those who set up the display. That's it. Discussion. The rowdiest these people got were writing on the "free-speech" board that stood nearby. The idea of this board was to allow anyone the opportunity to say whatever they wanted. Which, as you'll see shortly, may not have been the greatest idea. Anyway, the pro-lifers basically posted things like "What if Jesus was aborted" and gave information and statistics about how abortions have hurt the mothers.

Students who did not care one way or the other made signs saying "free hugs" and wore viking helmets. Yes, you read that right. Some also showed up with guitars and sung about planet earth, since it was, in fact, Earth Day. They were fun, although kinda annoying. On the one hand, thanks for coming and trying to keep things mellow. On the other hand, there are giant pictures of aborted fetus and dead bodies from genocide 15 feet from you. Their free-speech board comments were along the lines of "come see Footloose" as such and such a date. They crossed the line, though with things such as: "they look like gummy bears" (referring to the aborted babies) and "Mary was only a virgin if you don't count anal." Really, at this point, you probably don't deserve free-speech. I'm not saying it should be taken from you, but you don't value it and really aren't responsible enough to deserve such a wonderful thing.

Finally, we come to the pro-choice folk. Their free-speech board comments were mostly profanity-laced, but at least had a point. The vocal pro-choicers, though, just seemed incredibly unintelligent. One comment (read with ditzy valley girl accent): "I'm okay if they call it murder, but not genocide. That's just offensive." Okay, let's go through a little lesson here. If you're okay with murder, you need to be okay with genocide. Genocide is "the deliberate and systematic extermination of a national, racial, political, or cultural group" (dictionary.com). Abortion is absolutely deliberate and, since you've already acknowledged that it's murder, it's certainly an extermination. Obviously it's not a national, racial, or political group, but let's look at the definitions of culture: "the behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a particular social, ethnic, or AGE GROUP." Culture can refer to an age group. Abortion is directed to those who are unborn, which is technically an age group. Therefore, genocide is completely an accurate term for abortion.

In addition, there was a small group of girls who will never have to worry about getting an abortion who began to cheer when the display started to be deconstructed. You know, as if they had something to do with it.

The next week I was walking to class with three friends, all of whom are liberal, and all of whom know I'm conservative. One looked over to where the display had been and said, "isn't it nice walking to class without having to look at dead babies." One of my friends (probably the one who is most cognizant of me being the only true conservative among our class) looked for my reaction, which was probably just eye-rolling. But this was genuinely the overall feel of a large section of students: I don't want to see this. Well guess what, if you are pro-choice, you need to see this. This is what that choice is. The choice to abort involves fetus ending up in pieces. The choice to abort results in ending a life. I don't exactly wake up in the morning hoping to see the destruction of human life, but you know what? We are a visual society and to fully comprehend something we often need to see what is going on.

If nothing else, I think The Center for Bio-Ethical Reform reached its mission, which was to get people talking. It certainly did that. I don't know if my method of discussing this topic would mirror theirs, but I do see a place for it, and I'm glad they were on campus.

Pro-Life Demonstration on Campus PART I: What Happened

Yesterday I was on campus a littl earlier than I needed to be. My internship started at 10am, but I scheduled to meet with my advisor at 8am to discuss courses that I need to take for next year. We wrapped up around 8:30 and I started heading across campus to the department where I am interning. I knew I'd have some spare time so I figured I'd pull out a book (A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller) and find a spot somewhere along The Green, which is a stretch of grass that slices through a number of academic buildings. Imagine The Mall in Washington D.C. on a much smaller scale.

While walking under the brick archways to enter The Green, I noticed some minor construction taking place. Somewhere near the middle of the stretch of grass, pipes and posters were being assembled. Leading up to this were bright orange signs reading "Caution: Genocide Pictures Ahead". At this point I had a strong inkling on what I would be seeing. Before I reached Pro-Life display, a former professor and current "higher-up" at the University came walking away from the set-up and asked if this was something I was interested in (most of my professors have at least an inkling of my faith). I responded yes and he continued on expressing rumors he had heard about a counter-protest right around noon. My lunchbreak that day was noon, so I quickly realized where I'd be spending it.

The adminstrator was obviously busy, so he went back to his office and I continued on to the exhibit which was being setup by The Center for Bio-Ethical Reform (. The presentation included three sides facing sidewalks, then an open area facing the open space of grass. Each side of it large pictures including babies in the womb, aborted babies, and body parts of the deceased babies, as well as images from the genocides in Rwanda, the Holocaust, and lynchings of African-Americans. I met a man named John who was a gentleman from the area who was volunteering to help the organization prepare this demonstration. He explained who the group was and how they were invited on campus by the Pro-Life Vanguard. It's a traveling exhibit that goes from college to college, with their next stop at Temple University on Monday and Tuesday of the following week. My univesity was allowing them to be present on campus, but restricted them in not allowing them to present a large-scale speech. I found this fairly reasonable. I gave John the heads up on the counter-protest, but he seemed pretty nonchalant about it; surely he's used to such groups coming up, but he appreciated the shared knowledge of a time frame.

Not too much seemed to be going on at this time. I found a spot away from The Green to read before heading over to my internship. I would come back around noon and then would pass it a second time when I left for the day. My second post will discuss my obersvations and reflections from the affair.