Protest, counter-protest – Let’s say it a better way

I was walking around campus Wednesday, and I saw someone handing out fliers to people near Shafer Street. I ended up getting one of these fliers, thinking it was something about a local concert or a coupon to one of the local campus stores.

What I actually ended up getting was something completely different. The anti-abortion pamphlet was entitled “The American Holocaust Photo Display,” and it showed pictures of aborted fetuses at various stages of development. It was one of two pamphlets being handed out by the Life & Liberty Ministries group.

I practically stopped where I was walking and felt tears welling up in my eyes, as well as a growing sense of feeling sickened and disheartened at what I was seeing. I understand abortion is a very controversial subject for many people, but this was definitely going too far.

As I looked away from these gruesome pictures and read the text, I learned how the Life and Liberty Ministries Group sees abortion as murder, and there is never a pretty picture of murder. The pamphlet also mentions how it wants to end the censorship of these pictures so people can see the actual result of an abortion.

This was my first time seeing an aborted fetus, and I have to say that it did get its point across, but it didn’t have to go about it in this way. I also took notice of the saying that was placed on the back of the pamphlet – “When something is so horrifying we can’t stand to look at it, perhaps we shouldn’t be tolerating it.”

I realize this group is completely against abortion and wants to show their feelings against it, but if they were having trouble looking at these pictures themselves, why would they think others would not feel the same way?

The group answers this question by saying they are being a witness for the ones (aborted children) who can’t speak for themselves. They are also asking people to repent for their sins since the people who go through having an abortion or who conduct the abortion are committing murder and breaking one of God’s laws.

As I put the pamphlet in my book bag, I headed toward the Komen Breast Cancer Tour. The tour was very informative, having three booths set up for cancer awareness and how to properly do a breast self-exam. It was one of the few times I was actually attracted to a breast cancer promotion for its content and theme, and I really needed something positive to lift my mood after reading that pamphlet.

While I was there, I saw before me a huge picket sign of an aborted fetus with the word “abortion” in large letters going down the side. It was held by an 8-year-old kid. I heard someone yelling at the top of their lungs how much God loves you and wants you to live – or something along those lines. It was obviously someone from Life & Liberty Ministries “preaching the good word to the heathens on the college campus,” as they would put it.

By the time I was leaving the Breast Cancer Tour group, the anti-abortion group had left. I guess they either went on to another part of campus or were escorted away by the university police. Either way, I think they could have gone about saying what they wanted to say in a different context.

I myself am against abortion, and that stems from my own morals and life decisions – not from the basis of politics, my family or my faith. I am Christian, but I do not base the justification of my social or political standards or way of life on my religion.

I believe that if someone wants to say something and has the right to express what they want to say, they should. But if you are going about it in a way that seems to push your beliefs onto someone else or has to use offensive or gut-wrenching material, you are seriously going about it in the wrong way.

The same point could have been made if they had placed the same 8-year-old kid in a suit with a clean haircut holding a sign saying, ” I want some friends to play with. Please stop abortion” or even a sign saying, ” I want a little brother or sister. Please stop abortion.” I know I would have reacted better to something like that as opposed to the dead fetus pictures.

I disagree with the group saying you have to show a dead body to stop someone from committing murder. If your family brings you up properly and teaches you that murder is wrong in a proper, non-traumatizing way, then a dead body wouldn’t need to be shown.

I know that I’ll probably be having nightmares after seeing the pictures I saw. Wonderful to know when you have tests coming up.

Danielle Moss can be reached at ytwithlove@hotmail.com