Kelly Hicks speaking with young women about the painful truth of abortion.

Kelly Hicks was discussing the question of rape with two female students at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU), when another young woman overheard and interrupted.  She wanted to talk.  Normally, Kelly would ask her to wait her turn, but something moved Kelly to give the young woman the floor.

She cried as she told everyone that she was raped in 8th grade.  It was very traumatic.  Then she described going through with the pregnancy and choosing adoption for her child.  Already bold, GAP strengthened and inspired her to do a school project on abortion.  She wanted to reach out to victims like herself.

As you might imagine, everyone within earshot was speechless.

“Stop the genocide of Harambe.”

A few of our more disturbing encounters at Middle Tennessee State.

A slave to sodomy.  A very polite young man made a shocking admission.  Because of his sexual encounters with multiple men, he said, “I go to Planned Parenthood 2 or 3 times per month for STD testing.”  To speak with us, he skipped class and endured not a small amount of hazing from, we assume, some of his sexual enslavers.  Rejecting their manipulation, he stayed with us for an hour.  Please pray for this young man.  Very sad.

Science jumps the shark.  He said the preborn is not human because it doesn’t have a soul.  “I have researched this extensively and written papers on it; I know for a fact when the fetus gets a soul.”  Jane told him, very nicely, as only Jane can do, that he was full of baloney.

Better off in the human chop shop.  A young woman became more and more belligerent as she talked.   She was sure that

• late term abortions are done because the mother is going to die,
• women are making thoughtful, deliberate decisions when they abort,
• the 8-week skeleton does not show differentiated cells, and
• no one wants to adopt, and if these babies are not aborted, millions will be in the broken system.

Photos of abortion create opportunities for dialogue that would never happen otherwise.

Here are just a sampling of encouraging encounters at our Genocide Awareness Project (GAP) at Middle Tennessee State.

Genocide close to home.  Vanessa’s uncle was a Tutsi victim of the Hutu genocide. She was deeply moved by the comparison between abortion and Rwandan genocide.

Grace from God.  Jami was quite emotional. “Thank you for this. When I was 17, I got pregnant and the doctor wouldn’t give me prenatal vitamins because ‘I should not have this baby.’ I married the dad and we have a 26-year old named Grace.  She was the Grace we needed. God’s plan is always best, even when it is hard.”

Changed minds and grateful hearts.  We got reactions from many passersby at MTSU:

• This really changes my perspective.
• That is so great!  Can I pray with you?
• I’ve changed my mind.
• I didn’t know they had body parts this early. Thank you.
• I once stopped a friend from aborting.
• Students need to see this. Life has adult consequences. This is murder and I am glad you are here.

More grateful hearts.  We are grateful for you.  You make our work possible through your sacrificial giving.  May God bless you as he has blessed us in this work.

1.5 out of 10 moonbats at MTSU allowed students to quietly take in the pictures.

The 2016 Fall tour brought GAP to Middle Tennessee State University. With its rating of 1.5 out of 10 moonbats, MTSU was a quiet school, allowing us to focus on the many students with thoughtful questions.

There was a small protest group with a few signs with the typical slogans. Only one protester turned to strange antics to get their point across.  He wore an ape mask and held a sign that read, “Stop the genocide of Harambe.”

The Genocide Awareness Project returned to Tennessee Tech University.

CBR brought the Genocide Awareness Project back to Tennessee Tech University (TTU) in September.  TTU was a quiet school, with a rating of only 1 out of 10 moonbats.

Not many moonbats in Tennessee.  What can we say?  This has two beneficial effects.  First, we don’t get beat up as much.  Second, students vulnerable to moonbatism … Is moonbatism a word? … Anyway, by staying calm, they have a better chance to see the signs and reflect on their meaning.

This was our third trip to TTU. We went in 2013 with Choice signs and 2015 with a full GAP display.

Perhaps God told us to expose the deeds of darkness (Ephesians 5:11) because in His infinite wisdom, He knows that it works.

by Jacqueline Hawkins

Pictures work.  Anyone who has used pictures knows it.  But now, we have the cold, hard statistics.

In her study, A Statistical Analysis on the Effectiveness of Abortion Victim Photography in Pro-life Activism, Dr. Jacqueline C. Harvey examined the effectiveness of abortion pictures to change minds.  Key findings include:

• Nearly 90% of respondents said that seeing the images increased their negative feelings toward abortion.

• “Those identifying as completely pro-life increased by nearly 30 percent following the campaign.”

• “Those identifying as pro-abortion also decreased in their degree of remaining support for abortion.”

• “Overall, there was a statistically significant gain of nearly 17 percent toward a pro-life world view.”

• “The degree of permissiveness toward abortion was statistically decreased and support for incremental pro-life gains, like gestational limits, substantially increased by 15 percent overall.”

There you have it. The survey proves a statistically significant shift to a more pro-life position when people are exposed to abortion pictures.

Read more at LifeSite News and One News Now.  Read the entire study report here.

Jacqueline Hawkins is a CBR Project Director and a regular FAB contributor.

Will the future leaders of foreign nations, influenced by the American pro-life movement, help us if we get to the point that we can’t help ourselves?

by Patti Shanley

The international population at Purdue is one of the largest at any university in this country.  The students who saw GAP will return home with more than a degree.

Sad Song.  Song, from China, struggled to put into English her reaction to the horrifying pictures of tiny, aborted babies.

“Is real?” she wanted to know.  She knew about forced abortion in her homeland, but this was the first time she had actually seen abortion.  She experienced that crucial moment of cognitive dissonance when truth shatters through a long-held belief.  With her head shaking, fighting back tears, all she could say was “No!  No!  No!”

Unimaginable and unbelievable.  “This is not legal in this country, yes?”  Two international students were having a hard time believing abortion is available on demand, without any reason.  He could only stare, and she was almost in tears.   I explained the importance of graphic images in reform movements, and that we want people to see the horror of abortion so they will never accept injustice as a choice.  The students had heard of forced abortions in their own country, but could not imagine voluntary abortions.  When I told them there were about 3,300 each day, the young woman cried out in disbelief.

Disgusting.  Reactions from other international students were similar, and after three days at Purdue, it was painfully clear that this country is in trouble.  Although students from other countries were shocked and disgusted at seeing the truth, American students and faculty called us “disgusting” for showing the truth.  They tried to defend decapitating and dismembering tiny, innocent human beings.  “You people are disgusting,” one faculty member hissed as she walked by.  No, abortion is disgusting.

Patti Shanley is a CBR partner and volunteer from Raleigh, North Carolina.

Although we got a lot of pushback from pro-aborts at UNC Chapel Hill, we got a great deal of positive feedback.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it (John 1:5).  Perhaps it is in the darkest places that the light of truth is most evident.

Mission accomplished.  “You have achieved your goal—dialogue and getting people to think.  We should have more of this on campus.”

Pro-abort suspicious of the abortion system.  CBR staffer Jane Bullington spoke with a young woman who had done a paper on abortion, but was still pro-choice.  She admitted she learned some things from our display that she did not known before.  She said, “The university culture stigmatizes pregnant girls and basically says ‘since you are I school with no job, to be pregnant is irresponsible.  So they shame you to have an abortion.  The system still pushes abortion because employers get around non-discrimination laws and won’t hire pregnant girls, usually.  The system pushes abortion on women.”

Glad you are comparing…  “The protesters were saying this is an anti-abortion display.  I am glad you are comparing it to other genocides.  You know, I actually read your brochure; I like to think and ask questions!!”

No Hitler brains!  “I really don’t want Hitler brains!”  And by that, CJ meant that he didn’t want to think like Hitler.  After volunteer Patti explained to him the reasoning behind the GAP display, he put the message in his own words and it made sense to him.  He saw the connection between the dehumanizing language for both the Jewish people used in Nazi Germany and unwanted, preborn babies today.  Some students and professors take such immediate offense, they will not even read what Rabbi Yehuda Levin stated in our brochure about the common thread that ties together each form of genocide: “the systematic slaughter, as state-sanctioned ‘choice,’ of innocent, defenseless, victims…”  But CJ got it.
 
Pro-abort? Not so much anymore.  “The chat site, Yak-Yak, was full of conversations about being pro-choice at the beginning of the day and “not -so -sure, leaning pro-life”  at the end of the day, because of seeing your display.  I wanted you to know you are making a difference.”
 
Tired of intolerant liberal crap.  Hally, a student from a small town, told us, “I want to get involved with other pro-life kids on this campus.  I am so tired of the liberal crap on this campus.  They are not tolerant and certainly not diversified in thought here.”

She’ll find a way; believe it!  A female student kept her distance for a few minutes, then strolled up to the barricade to talk with volunteer Patti Shanley.  She felt some anxiety about her plans to attend med school, because she knew that there would be pressure to prescribe abortifacients or perform abortions.  Our graphic images weren’t news to her.  She was glad we were there to share the truth about abortion with the rest of the students.   “I don’t see how anyone could do that.  It’s so obviously a little person,” she said as she shook her head.  Patti asked her if she could stand up for the little ones when she’s in med school.  To that she answered, “I’ll find a way, believe it!”

Jacqueline Hawkins is a CBR Project Director and a regular FAB contributor.

We must consider the feelings of those who are post-abortive, but also the lives of those who are pre-abortive (and especially their children).

by Jacqueline Hawkins

“I was raped and had an abortion at 14, and these pictures traumatize me,” a young woman at UNC Charlotte told me, with anger in her eyes and an edge to her quiet voice.  She had been standing with a sizable group of angry (but polite) students who did not like our message.  When the group dispersed, she stayed to speak with me.

There was really only one thing I could or wanted to say to her: “I’m so sorry for what you’ve gone through and for the loss of your child.”

She wasn’t visibly shocked, but I could tell that she wasn’t expecting my response.  I proceeded to gently tell her that in this whole abortion mess we have to weigh preserving the feelings of those who were touched by abortion in the past with the lives that could and would be saved today and in the future.

In return she told me that she wasn’t sorry or regretted her abortion. “Not every woman regrets her abortion,” she insisted quietly.

Even if that is the case, I told her, the abortion doesn’t make women unpregnant, it makes them mothers of dead children.  Parents who have lost children, whether by abortion or car accident or miscarriage, should have sympathy and condolences for their loss.

Seeing that she was at least somewhat receptive to what I was saying, I gently told her that although people may not regret their abortions early on, that regret could still emerge later on.  Having other children, not being able to have children, or realizing certain landmarks for a dead child (such as birthdays) often sparks deep regret in post-abortive parents.

It is worth every effort to stop abortions, both for the sake of the children and for the sake of the parents.

When she left, she didn’t look happy, but she seemed satisfied with the response I gave her.  Please pray for her and other post-abortive parents.

Jacqueline Hawkins is a CBR Project Director and a regular FAB contributor.

CBR volunteer Laurice Baddour stands with a Rwandan man in front of the Rwandan genocide picture.  He gave the display two thumbs up!

Here are some more beautiful gems from GAP at UNC Charlotte (UNCC).  This is a continuation of Gems at UNC Charlotte, Part 1.

Grandma’s reaction.  An outraged young man shouted, “I want verification of these photos!” We gave him our verification documents. “Oh, that doesn’t count; that information is not from a local doctor!!!” he concluded.  In response, a wise older woman told Jane,  “What idiocy.  That young man is coming from guilt.  Why else all this anger?  I am taking pictures of your photos to show my 18-year-old grandson before he goes off to college.  As Christians, we don’t believe in abortion, but you can hear the word all you want, but hearing is nothing like seeing!  This is real!!”

Making Planned Parenthood decent.  After the young woman signaled her support for abortion at our poll table, Jane engaged her in conversation.  At the end, she concluded, “Let’s just keep PP open on the side that does women’s health care and close down the abortion side!”  Hey, if they just do mammograms, pap smears and adoption referrals, that’s fine by us!

22 years in and she can’t imagine …  “My parents wanted me to abort my baby, but I just couldn’t!”  She recounted how it changed her, made her mature, and made her sacrifice.  Now she has a 22-year-old son and cannot imagine her life without him. “I would love to be here and tell these students that if I can be a teenage mom, anyone can be.  Yes, it made me grow up faster than I wanted, but I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything.  I want so much to tell them not to be afraid.”

A helping hand sees the hope.  Another student chimed in that he has volunteered at a nearby pregnancy resource center.  He has seen many college-age students face the challenge of an unplanned pregnancy with hope and determination, once they hear about the options, services, and programs that can help.  He wanted to get involved with the student group to bring more displays and information to the campus.

Don’t tell them what to do…just make them not want to do it…  A 30-something  man considered abortion evil, but a necessary evil.  He considered killing anything evil but sometimes it had to be done.  He didn’t like our shock tactics.  Jackie explained that our goal is to change public opinion so that abortion was an unthinkable evil for everyone.  The light bulb went off in his head and he suddenly liked what we were doing.  He came from the standpoint that we couldn’t tell people what to do in the laws, but we could inform them so that even if it was legal they wouldn’t want to do it.  [Note: Just to be clear, we want laws against abortion.  As it is with slavery, we want abortion to be unthinkable for civilized people, but we still need to laws that will restrain uncivilized people.]

From pro-abortion to sign me up!  CBR volunteer Laurice Baddour asked a young woman if she was pro-abortion or pro-life.  She responded that she was pro-abortion, however she was willing to listen.  After speaking for no more than 15 minutes, the young woman thoughtfully admitted that she was now pro-life.  Laurice wanted to push the envelope.  Would the young want to get her new pro-life feet wet in the pro-life club on campus?  YES!  And with that Laurice signed her up.  In 15 minutes, a pro-abortion-turned-pro-life student committed to being a pro-life on Campus activist.  [Note:  Not all students who pledge to pro-life activism actually follow through with their commitment.  That is why we are thankful for you, because you make our work possible, not with your words, but with your deeds.  Thank you!]

Jacqueline Hawkins is a CBR Project Director and a regular FAB contributor.

Hampton Roads volunteers came to watch and pray, but it wasn’t long before we found them speaking with crowds of students!

A brave student opened the door for GAP at Old Dominion University (ODU), and because of you, we walked in.  Special thanks to Knights of Columbus councils in the Hampton Roads community, who $upported the effort in a big way.  In addition to finances, locals provided housing and meals for our traveling team.

To prepare KOC members and other local supporters for combat in the trenches, we held our Pro-Life Training Academy (PLTA) at the St. Benedict’s Church.  Several PLTA students engaged large groups of students, articulating and defending the pro-life movement like pros!

ODU had about 6 out of 10 moonbats.  Crowds fluctuated throughout each of the days. Towards the end of Day 2, the crowd grew larger and angrier, led by a few very loud students.

Jacqueline Hawkins is a CBR Project Director and a regular FAB contributor.

High moonbat rating but many opportunities to engage students with open minds.

We returned to Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) during our Fall 2016 tour.  VCU has the reputation for being the most leftist school in the state of Virginia and it showed. On a scale of 1 to 10 moonbats, this school scored an 8.  (This is a close second to UNC Greensboro, which earned a 9.)

Throughout the first day there were massive crowds around the site.  We hypothesized that they were whipped into a frenzy, with it being Halloween and a week before the election which would, they thought, destroy Constitutional government and forever silence anyone who would dare to question their leftist utopia.

On Day 2, there was a sizable protest group.  They, like their rape-culture-perpetuating counterparts at UNC Chapel Hill, demeaned and degraded women in an effort to get their point across.  Even the cowed males in the protest group held signs that said “Get out of my p****”.

Press coverage:

• Activists shock VCU students with graphic abortion images
• Anti-abortion advocates spark protest at VCU
• Administration speaks on First Amendment rights
• Abortion is not genocide

You can read about our 2012 visit on the FAB here and here.

Jacqueline Hawkins is a CBR Project Director and a regular FAB contributor.

The pictures of abortion are disgusting because abortion decapitates and dismembers defenseless human beings.

by Jo Litten-Taich

I believe a large part of GAP’s success is in the demeanor and affability of the staff and volunteers.  I know that my simple mission of getting the facts into student’s heads is an attempt to connect in some way with each student.

“So was spreading my legs and having a human life pulled out of me.”

Reading body language was very interesting. It was a high decibel in some instances.  One encounter was with a gal at Appalachian State who was very agitated by the display.  She motioned to the photos and said, “This is disgusting!”

“It is,” I agreed. “So was spreading my legs and having a human life pulled out of me.”  That arrested her for a moment.

I went on to give more personal testimony.  That I’d defended my actions for 10 years until I woke up to the truth about what I’d done.  And that it blew my mind.

She expressed outrage that we were publicly displaying offensive photos and suggested that the internet would be a more appropriate medium.  I asked her how often she’d gone to pro-life sites; I explained that since there’s an information black out about abortion, we bring the truth to campuses where young people come to be informed and challenged.

She skedaddled away in the embrace of a friend.  I hope her emotional reaction results in soul searching.

Jo Litten-Taich is a CBR partner and volunteer in North Carolina.

Pro-Life Collegians president Adam Lovejoy knew he needed to bring the truth to his fellow students.

We brought GAP to the University of Tennessee Knoxville (UTK thanks to the fantastic Pro-Life Collegians at UTK.  Here is a letter from Adam Lovejoy, Pro-Life Collegians Co-President:

Thank you both for encouraging me to help bring GAP to campus.  From the very beginning I was supportive of GAP, but lacked the courage to go through with the process.  I was not as helpful as I could have been at the very beginning because of that lack of courage, and it wasn’t until the Lord laid it upon my heart during a prayer at a Christian ministry on campus did I truly hear God speak to me and say, “Why aren’t you doing more for my children?” (referring to the babies)

I have never felt more convicted in my life and I prayed to the Lord in my truck while driving home, and I knew that He would direct my path as long as I had faith and did what I was called to do.  Door after door was opened up.

Again, on Wednesday and Thursday morning, I had that lack of courage and allowed the devil to make me nervous and anxious about GAP’s demonstration.  But once they were displayed and I saw how many people had come to stand up against abortion, I had faith and I was so very blessed to be a part of what GAP did for UTK.  I know that with the lovingkindness we showed to both the protesters and the casual passersby, the Lord has planted a seed in every one of their hearts that will, in due timeand according to His will, bring forth many people to our cause.  I look forward to seeing you all on campus again with Choice Chains and with GAP in the near future.  As long as I am at UTK, I will be honored to sponsor GAP to come to campus.  We’ll be in touch!  Thank you both from the bottom of my heart.

Adam thinks he is thanking us, but really he is thanking you, because without your financial permission, we have no way to help Adam.  Please let us go back to UTK.  We can do it only with your help.  The more you help, the more schools we can visit and the more lives will be saved.  So please click here and do all you can.