The activists once threatened with arrest have emerged victorious!

The Center for Bio-Ethical Reform (CBR) has won a major victory for pro-life speech Washington, D.C.  From the American Freedom Law Center:

Victory: Pro-Life Speech Protected in Our Nation’s Capital

Washington, D.C. (August 31, 2017) — Late yesterday, the American Freedom Law Center, a national public interest law firm, resolved an important First Amendment case against the federal government in favor of several pro-life demonstrators who were prevented from expressing their pro-life message outside of the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) in Washington, D.C.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the Center for Bio-Ethical Reform, Inc. (CBR), a California-based pro-life organization, its executive director, Gregg Cunningham, Reverend Clenard H. Childress, Jr., an African American pastor of a black church in the Newark, New Jersey area, and Jacqueline Hawkins, an African American woman who is the director of minority outreach for CBR.  Pastor Childress and Ms. Hawkins direct the NMAAC project, which was developed by CBR.

The NMAAHC project involves the use of hand-held, photo-mural exhibits that demonstrate the devastation of abortion’s consequences on the African American community.  This project also includes the distribution of literature.  A principal goal of the project is to raise awareness of the black genocide that is being perpetrated through abortion.

This past February, Pastor Childress and Ms. Hawkins initiated the NMAAHC project by peacefully standing outside of the museum entrance on the public sidewalk adjacent to Madison Drive with one of the project signs.  Mr. Cunningham was present as well.

Shortly after they arrived, Pastor Childress and Ms. Hawkins were confronted by an NMAAHC official and several armed, uniformed police officers from the Office of Protection Services (OPS) who told them that they could not stand outside the museum with their sign.  Reverend Childress responded that this is a public sidewalk.  The senior OPS officer warned Pastor Childress and Ms. Hawkins that if they did not move to a remote location across the street, then he and his fellow officers would physically move them.  The OPS officer also confirmed that if they did not move, they would be subject to arrest.  Rather than face arrest or physical force, Pastor Childress and Ms. Hawkins ceased their First Amendment activity and moved per the officer’s order.

This past June, AFLC filed a federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. against NMAAHC, OPS, and several federal officials.  Shortly after the lawsuit was filed, AFLC attorneys were contacted by an attorney from the Department of Justice who confirmed our clients’ First Amendment rights and who stated that the federal government wanted to settle the case on terms favorable to our clients.

Yesterday, the parties filed a stipulated dismissal in which the federal government formally acknowledged “that the public sidewalks forming the perimeter of the National Museum of African American History and Culture are available for First Amendment activity” and agreed to pay AFLC its attorneys’ fees incurred for having to file the complaint.

Robert Muise, AFLC Co-Founder and Senior Counsel, commented:

“There was no question that our clients had a clear right under the First Amendment to engage in their peaceful, non-obstructive free speech activity on the public sidewalks outside of this museum.  The government was wrong for denying our clients that right, and they knew it.  Fortunately, we were able to correct this injustice by filing a federal lawsuit.  Otherwise, there would have been no such acknowledgment and our clients would have been deprived of a fundamental liberty guaranteed by our Constitution.”

David Yerushalmi, AFLC Co-Founder and Senior Counsel, added:

“In addition to being a gross violation of our clients’ fundamental rights, the actions of the museum officials and their armed security demonstrate the hypocrisy of the left.  Progressives claim to be for diversity and tolerance, but if you don’t march in lockstep with their narrative, they use force and the threat of force to shut you down.  Here, we were able to use the federal courts to turn that narrative on its head.”

Jackie Hawkins and Rev. Clenard Childress exposing Black Genocide at the National Museum of African American History and Culture.  (They don’t like that!)

Based on facts and not false assumptions, ODU students can have a rational debate about abortion.  Without the facts, as horrific as they are, rational debate is impossible.

We judged Old Dominion University (ODU) to be “moderate” on the moonbat scale, earning 6 moonbats on a scale of 1 to 10.  There were a lot of great conversations, but without the same kind of acrimony that we saw at Virginia Commonwealth University that same week.  However, things did get a bit heated by the end of the second day.

She knows all too well.  A pregnant woman and her husband are seeking asylum in America.  She was so glad to see GAP.  A strong woman who knows a thing or two about life, she will fight against injustice for anyone, regardless of race or religion.  She soberly confirmed our rape sign.  She lamented fact that fathers kill their daughters and their grandchildren, but they ignore the rapists.  She told us that although abortion is not allowed in the Muslim religion, it is allowed in the Muslim culture.

Rampant bloodshed.  A Saudi Arabian man found it very hard to believe our lax abortion laws.  Abortion happens in his homeland, but (he believes) not as frequently as it happens in America.  He is against abortion regardless of the country.

Never again.  A young woman angrily marched up to Maggie Egger.  “These pictures are very upsetting to the students!” she shouted.

Maggie responded, “How can a picture of abortion be upsetting, if the act of abortion is not?”

The young woman calmed a bit and told Maggie that she was post-abortive.  “I would never do that again,” she declared resolutely.

God speaks.  Ivy, a Christian young woman, thought that if she became pregnant as a teenager, she would have an abortion.  She theorized that God would approve.

While her words were still in her mouth, a young man swooped in and exclaimed, “Thank you!  My mom had me at 16, and if she had had an abortion, I would not be here.”  It was obvious that God had given His Word on the matter.

Mission Accomplished!  A member of the wrestling team exclaimed, “You changed my mind!  Mission accomplished!”  He thought he had gotten a girl pregnant years ago and had considered abortion.  Now after seeing the pictures, he was open to speaking to teammates who are sexually active or have paid for abortions.  He would help his teammates stand up and do the right thing, even if it was difficult.

Vote pro-life!  Roy was about 50 years old.  He was ex-military, a railroad worker, and a corrections officer.  A tough guy.  “Thank you!  This needs to be seen and we can only hope it affects voting.”  Amen!

Jane Bullington speaks with a young woman about the culture of sin and self-destruction.

by Jacqueline Hawkins

A PETA woman (or wannabe) screeched at us, “You don’t care about the millions of chickens raised in horrible conditions, just to be slaughtered, but you care about this!!!”

Before you could say “Chick-fil-A, but hold the pickle, please,” another young woman walked over.  She didn’t much care for the PETA woman.  “I just want to hit her in the face!!” she exclaimed.  CBR does not advocate violence, but we understand the young woman’s frustration.

A mother of two, she was 100% against abortion, and then some.  She lost her virginity at 15 because, although her parents were good Catholics, the message of sexual purity just didn’t come through.  Or at least it didn’t come through strongly enough to overcome the culture of death.

She was angry that schools indoctrinate students with sin and self-destruction.  The worst example is telling young children, “Let me show you how to put a condom on a banana so you can have safe sex.”  The seeds of destruction find fertile ground among naïve children with adult bodies and wild hormones.

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

He definitely looks like someone who is ready to give an account at the Pearly Gates. …  Just sayin’.

College students say the nuttiest things.

Christian for Choice.  A young “Christian” man held a clever sign that said: “Christian for Choice.”  Have fun explaining that at the pearly gates…

Changing the subject.  A woman shrieked about our omission of the Native American genocide. “Why don’t you have pictures of that genocide!?!?”  Jane calmly directed her to our photo Wounded Knee photo.

Upon receiving exactly what she asked for, she changed the subject, but not her tone.  She came closer and closer to Jane, until they almost touched noses.  Jane, not deterred by a petulant child, did not flinch or step back.

The student continued to shriek about the 100 million Native Americans who should be acknowledged.  “Abortion is NOT genocide like THAT is genocide!”

She got louder and louder until she finally stopped and left.  She never acknowledged that we actually do recognize Native American genocide. Perhaps it never really matter to her in the first place.

Passionately apathetic.  “F*** you people” a young man hissed at GAP staffers.  “And f*** you people too!” he growled at the protesters.  Like Billy Martin in those Miller Lite commercials in the 1970s and 80s, he feels strongly both ways.

Can’t handle the truth.  An ODU events manager sat nearby and fielded complaints from angry students.  Jane suggested that ODU teach a Constitutional law class to freshmen.  The lady replied wearily, “I am seeing that the students don’t know how to deal with opposing opinions in the culture of this campus.”  Ya think?!

Belligerent “White Trash” humanized by a story of heartbreak.

by John Stair

On the first day, we had a man dressed in a Halloween costume stalking around the pictures, yelling at us, with intense profanities and vulgarities in a fake New York accent.  The accent conveniently changed when he was stopped by the police for getting physical with a pro-life student.  His costume was a white garbage can, his hat was the lid.  We think the costume was intended to mock us as “white trash.”

On our second day at VCU, the suit was gone but he was even more belligerent.  He stalked a couple of our group who had tried to talk with him, but he only wanted to berate us for being there.  We told him they would not respond to yelling, but he only got louder.  He accusing us of not wanting to talk.

The protester yelled at me from a distance and asked me if I would speak with him.  I told him I would not, until we was willing to listen to what I had to say.  He said he would, so I walked over and told him I could have a better conversation if we stood closer together.  We were now about 4 feet apart, and I asked if I could tell him why we were there.

I shared the horrible experience of a miscarriage of my 3rd child, in our bedroom and into the toilet.  I told him about taking the tiny body to the hospital and giving the body over to the hospital personnel.  Years later, I realized they had just thrown that baby into the trash and I regretted not giving my child a proper burial.  I told him that CBR photos of a 10-week fetus in the womb are what I held in my hands after the miscarriage.

I told him about CBR staff—people of integrity, people with college educations, people who would never display photos that could not withstand intense scrutiny.  I encouraged him to investigate on his own as well.  He had some comments, but his response was much more muted and diminished, thanks to the Holy Spirit.  He hung around the display for a while longer, but he never yelled at or berated one of us again.

John Stair is a CBR Southeast Project Director.

Men in pink shirts and strange socks thought they would frighten us, but we are not that easy to scare.

More from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU).

Stooping low out of respect?  A student complained, “I just wish you could present this so as not to disrespect liberal students and maybe they would listen.  And maybe find common ground.”

Hmmmm.  Looking at the crowed of half-naked, cursing, sex-crazed snowflakes, we wonder what they would consider “respectful.”

Kill ’em, cause I don’t want ’em.  A middle-age maintenance man took issue with the genocide comparison.  Not because he had an argument, but because he didn’t want to take care of his own children.  “Are you going to take in all those kids that live?  I’m not.”

A young man admitted that abortion is murdering a child, but he would still do it.

Demonic.  A young man came up to the poll table and voted that abortion should remain legal.  He wrote, “I worship Satan and I think abortion is great.”

Whom do you fear?  “I thought we scared them off, to be honest,” a male Planned Parenthood operative said when we showed up for Day 2 (3 days after Day 1).  Yeah, right.  Men in pink shirts holding “I stand with Planned Parenthood signs” are much less scary than God’s judgment on a nation that sacrifices its children to Molech.

Regrets.  We ran into a handful of people who were vocal about their regrets.  A woman had an abortion via plan B regretted it deeply. She started crying.  CBR staffer Jane Bullington tried to comfort her and told her that there was forgiveness in Jesus.

Standing up to bullies.  When he was 22, his girlfriend aborted his child against his wishes.  After that, he studied the facts and changed from pro-choice to pro-life.  He stood in front of the GAP display and engaged students for an entire day.  He was spit upon and harassed by “pro-choice” students, but he held his ground.

Jane speaks with a young man who became pro-life the hard way — his girlfriend aborted their baby.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it.  (John 1:5)

Joyful.  An Asian freshman female said in a soft whisper, “I wanted to tell you that I am pro-life and that I am very joyful that you have come to our campus.  I pray for you and wanted you to know that not all the students here are like these protesters.”

Grateful but curious.  A Muslim woman was thankful about our sign comparing abortion to honor killings, but she was very curious about  how we even knew about this ugly part of the Muslim culture.  Honor killings are largely ignored here because the leftist media see Muslims as a force against Christianity, and they hate Christianity more than they love women.

An open mind.  Referring to the ill-mannered protesters, one student commented, “I consider myself pro-choice, but calling people names and demeaning others is not respectful. It’s not the way to get your point across.  When we leave this campus, we will meet people with different opinions.  This is not the way to discuss differences.”  Yeah, he’s pro-choice now, but he’d better watch out, because God can work with an open mind.

Defining “choice.”  Another student commented, “I understand they want choice, but if they watched a child being ripped apart and screaming in the womb, they couldn’t want this.”  Wisdom.

Rebellion against God.  Another student commented, “Abortion is just rebellion against God, and the government assists.”  More wisdom.

So right.  Student 1 complained, “Don’t you think this is too extreme?  Couldn’t you guys just set up a tent and invite people in or set up a table and not be in people’s faces so much?”  But Student 2 had greater insight, “No, man. If they did that, we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now.”

CBR Southeast Director Fletcher Armstrong speaks with students at Tennessee Tech.

The new Centennial Plaza is a beautiful new venue at Tennessee Tech.  While there, we dug up a few gems to share.  (Don’t worry; no bricks were harmed in the mining of these gems!)

Appropriate response.  A female history major commented, “I have seen GAP a couple of times.”  When asked how she responded the first time she saw the pictures, she replied, “I went to the bathroom and threw up.”

Ready for battle.  An engineering student remarked, “We may have different views on the subject, but I appreciate that we can sit here and have a civil conversation about this. You are clearly passionate and well informed.”  Indeed.

Happy.  A male student welcomed us.  “I’m glad you are here. People say it is too graphic, but it is what it is.  People need to see it.”

Please help us do more.  Click here.

Angry.  Three female students, at different times during the day, said essentially the same thing.  “This breaks my heart and I get so mad when my friends don’t get it.  How can they not see it?”

Sad, but bold.  A female student in a medical major spoke of her brother’s child, who was aborted by his girlfriend aborted without his knowledge.  She said, “I could have been an aunt. And that relationship between them is also over.”  She took a photo of GAP and said, “I’ll post this on Facebook and see how many friends I lose!”

Selfish couple.  She tried to argue against the humanity of the unborn human child.  When that failed, she said, “Why should I have to carry a baby I don’t want, just so I can give it away by adoption?”

He didn’t say much.  As long as he can get sex without responsibility, why should he care?

Civil.  Student Carl said, “I really appreciate that I can sit here and have a civil discussion with you even if I’m pro-choice and you are pro-life.”

Barely alive.  A male engineering student said, “My mom was raised Muslim and became pregnant with me right before she and my father divorced.  Her family wanted her to abort me, but she chose to give me life.  It is so eye opening to see these images and think of how easily that could have been me.  My life was decided by a yes or no question.”

Another close call.  A female history student remarked, “I have a niece who is almost a year old, and she is my whole world.  I look at these images and think about how that was her just a little while ago.  How could someone destroy something so precious?”

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.