As I was walking on campus Tuesday morning, I noticed something particularly appalling: pictures of blood and gore completely assaulting my direct line of vision.
These pictures of bloody fetuses were part of a presentation made by an off campus pro-life organization that was on our campus Tuesday and Wednesday of last week.
I had no choice but to look straight at them, just as the people who put these pictures up want me to have no choice about my rights as a female.
I immediately threw together a poster that stated, "Support a Woman's Right to Choose, or at least research both sides and don't mindlessly listen to propaganda," and stood by this display alone. I contacted over 30 students through texting alone to come to the area to protest this display with me. Around 15 or 20 students joined me later that day.
The next day, there was an entire organized demonstration against this organization with even more people in attendance. Some students disagreed with these actions that were taken, responding with, "Well, they have a right to their opinion and free speech." I, of course, wholeheartedly agree with this. However, both sides need to be taken into account.
I feel that it was University Affairs obligation to the students to ensure that both sides of this controversial issue were fairly represented.
If they must allow an organization on one side of the debate to come to campus, then I do not believe it would be asking too much of them to pick up the phone and invite an organization from the other side. After all, aren't we at a university that supposedly encourages taking in diverse perspectives and thinking critically?
It was also disturbing to me that they did not inform the campus community ahead of time that such a controversial display would be on campus. Apparently, they were unaware that this pro-life organization would be using such visual aids. I guess it never occurred to them to research what display a pro-life organization might be shoving in our faces. (Incidentally, they have since added a clause to the free speech contract that mandates all organizations to send their materials ahead of time for review.)
There is also a clause that says if such an organization is disrupting the learning environment, they must remove the disturbing materials at the least.
By allowing this organization to shove their bloody pictures in the line of vision of students who just want to get to class, the university is not providing a safe environment for all students. Take, for instance, a young woman student who was raped, became pregnant, and decided she needed an abortion. How is she going to feel when she has no choice but to be reminded of this trauma when she is simply trying to get an education? Does she not deserve to learn with the same peace of mind as those who may not be as strongly affected?
Also, consider the attendees of the Children's School. Often, the children are taken near the area where these photos were displayed, yet the Children's school was not warned so that they could know to avoid these areas. Additionally, these pictures do not even represent the truth. It has been revealed that the pictures shown were of third trimester abortions performed in other countries and miscarriages, yet this organization was claiming they were pictures of first and second trimester abortions.
So, not only was it an emotion-based scare tactic designed to be offensive and impossible to ignore, it was completely deceptive.
Last I checked, I didn't see Planned Parenthood in one of Sonoma State's main quads putting up huge posters and plastering pictures up of women dying from illegal coat-hanger abortions or pictures of women being impregnated through rape to scare people into supporting the pro-choice movement. Yet, I feel that this is close to the equivalent of what these organizations are doing.
My biases aside, I am ashamed that our university did not have the foresight to bother to warn students that they may have to see this demonstration first thing in the morning as they walk to class.
Do not misunderstand me- abortion is a reality and we should not live in a sheltered bubble, ignoring all that are the gory and unpleasant parts of such realities.
However, these are very sensitive issues that bring up very deep-seated emotional problems within people and if these avid pro-lifers must grace us with their presence, the school at the absolute least has a responsibility to keep students well-informed of their pending presence and present both sides of the issue to the student body.
As a learning institution, Sonoma State must provide students with the resources to understand both sides and an environment that facilitates constructive learning.
The university is here because of us, and we need to care more about how little we are involved in these important decision-making processes that so strongly impact our community.
Be the first to comment on this article!