Fletcher and Jane

^{GAP Makes Return Visit to the University of Georgia}

Above: Our location on Tate Plaza guaranteed a steady flow of pedestrian traffic.  Below: A sidewalk debate between pro-life and pro-abortion students.

Great location.  We set up the GAP display on Tate Plaza, which is adjacent to both the Tate Student Center and the primary bus stop at the center of campus.  We had lots of pedestrian traffic both days of GAP.

Experience vs. argument.  Mick Hunt of Life Advocates is one of the most articulate people ever to defend the pro-life position.  A UGa professor told Mick that he agreed with our position, but criticized our method because the display offered a “singular shocking experience” rather than “persuasive argument.”  Mick replied that one could not conduct meaningful philosophic discussion without having the facts, and the facts in this case are shocking.  Mick further explained that shock value “provides a singular experience that has a lasting effect.”

A call for intolerance.  Josh Weiss, freshman in pre-journalism, wrote a letter to the Red and Black (R&B) in which he demonstrated his contempt for the First Amendment:

Fellow students, let us not tolerate acts from any group who force us to see such indecent material…

In his letter, he describes the pictures as vile, indecent, and horrific.  This demonstrates that the pictures are educating Mr. Weiss, despite his resistance to the new information.  We pray that Mr. Weiss will one day listen to his own words and realize that abortion is vile, indecent, and horrific.

A call for tolerance.  Although not a supporter of GAP, David Clark (Chief Copy Editor for the R&B) showed more tolerance for freedom of expression, as well as a greater understanding of social change:

You don't have the right to remain unoffended!  You don't have the right to kill the offensive or offenders, you don't have the right to demand that the sacreligious or stupid or shocking or anything be removed from your eyes without you first simply making the effort to ignore it.

So I absolutely welcome the pictures of dead babies, lynchings and mass extermination.  I appreciate the fact that these folks are being forthright and true to what they believe.  I'd rather hear what these protesters truly think than to hear some Washington politician dance around the subject all the while attempting to undermine the constitutionality of abortion.
After all, if getting rid of abortion is what you want, by all means, sing it to its most offensive to the heavens and to all of us non-believers.  That's the nature of liberty.

Above: Pro-life students at UGa offer resources to women who are post-abortive or who are in a crisis pregnancy.   Below: Students study the pictures from the main campus bus stop.
Professors sometimes bring an entire class out to see GAP and give some related assignment.  Here, Fletcher explains the genocide comparison to a women’s studies class.

Can you repeat that?  When the subject of abortion comes up, the average IQ in the room goes down by about 40 points.  Rational people become confused and incomprehensible.  Brian Blackwell, junior in finance, wrote to the R&B:

Some would claim that showing these pictures provides a level of realism which might make the matter more personal for a passerby thereby achieving consideration by that passerby. However, I can guarantee you that in doing so you sacrifice a society's level of integrity by displaying socially irresponsible images in a public, and therefore fragile, forum.

No, we can’t figure out want it means, either.  But as confused as Mr. Blackwell is about our posting of the pictures, he has learned a lot about the subject portrayed by the pictures.  He now knows that abortion is an act of violence that kills a baby.  It may be some time before he can articulate that knowledge.  In fact, he may never admit to it, but he knows.

Other comments.  For your reading pleasure, here are some of the comments that we heard at GAP or read later on the R&B website, www.readandblack.com:

I saw this display my freshman year and at that time I considered myself pro-choice but after seeing your display, I completely oppose abortion  (female student)

I’m Jewish and I think you all are disgusting for comparing abortion to the Holocaust.  It’s not a people group and it is not systematic.  I just want to spit on you.  (female student)

I thought I was pro-choice but these are hands and feet.  You shouldn’t be able to do that.  I thought it was just tissue.  (female student)

This is horrible.  I can’t believe it’s allowed.  (male student, almost crying)

I think this is really effective.  You shouldn’t get use to these pictures.  (female student)

I'm glad it was brought out into the open to make everyone aware of how horrible abortion is.  (female freshman)

I challenge pro-choice advocates to spend a week with my family. Then we'll see if you have the cold heart to go to the kids' Dekalb County preschool and tell them it would have been OK if someone had ripped them up and thrown them away.  (female freshman with adopted siblings)

This is not free speech. It's hate propaganda against women.  (letter to R&B by Mandy Key)

Ms. Key,  why do you hate views that are not your own?  You appear to have issues tolerating diversity on this campus.  I suppose free speech is only free speech when it's something you agree with, right?   I'm pro-choice [but] I think [GAP] was successful in informing people what an abortion really is.  If you're offended by it then maybe you should consider it “art.”  Oh wait, [we] can only have "art" that offends right-wing, conservative values, right?  (anonymous posting in response to Ms. Key)

Thank you!  Thanks to all of you for your prayers and financial support.  You are making a huge difference in the lives of others, including the preborn and the already born!

To arrange your automatic monthly bank draft to support our work:

1. Download and print the Electronic Gift Transfer Authorization:
http://www.abortionno.org/...GiftTransferSE.pdf
2. Fill out the form.  Make sure you designate the gift for "CBR Southeast"
3. Enclose a voided check or deposit slip bearing the account number of the account we should draft.
4. Mail the Transfer Authorization form and a voided check (or deposit slip) to CBR Southeast, P.O. Box 20115, Knoxville, TN 37940.

Please pray that God will raise up others to help you support this life-saving work!