On the Brickyard at NC State

CBR staffers Bill, Jeanette, and Edie recently joined up with Aubry, Ruth, Catherine, and Stephen, all members of the Students for Life (SFL), for an afternoon of exposing abortion at North Carolina State University.

We displayed CBR “Choice” signs on the Brickyard, not far from where we had displayed GAP last Spring.

We handed out CBR’s Unmasking Choice brochure, along with copies of How to Keep Your Mushrooms Happy!!, a new handout from Human Life Alliance.

As students walk by, our standard ice-breaker is to ask a simple question, “What do you think?”  This opened many opportunities for dialogue with respectful students on both sides of the issue.  We got many positive affirmations from pro-life students, and at least 15 passersby signed up to be members of SFL.

“For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. If anyone has ears to hear let him hear.”  (Mark 4:22-23)

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When funding or timing prevents us from taking our huge GAP display, we can still win hearts, change minds, and save lives by invading campus with a few “Choice” signs!  Here we are at Tennessee Tech University (TTU).

This was an excellent target because TTU is another school which allows citizens to reserve space for displays, without requiring a student invitation.

On this day, we identified 5 freshmen willing to form a pro-life club on campus!

At upper-right is CBR SuperDuperVolunteer Gary Johnson, who is in a special category all his own!  He is a real blessing to everywhere he goes.  We just need to take him more places!  That’s where your support comes in.  Link here to send Gary to more places … to bless more students!

Below, Deeper Still and CBR volunteer Debbie Picarello can engage students at a very different level than Gary ever could do.  Link here to help Debbie bring hope and healing to post-abortive women … and  men!

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We would love to display our huge Genocide Awareness Project (GAP) at every major university ever year.  But when funding or timing prevents GAP, we can still win hearts, change minds, and save lives by invading campus with a few “Choice” signs!  Here we are at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU).

This was an excellent target because MTSU is one of many schools where we can reserve a good space without a student invitation.

At upper-right is long-time CBR volunteer Kathy Hardin.  She and her whole family have been a huge blessing to CBR and to many babies and moms.  Below is Kathy’s daughter Karine, who first graced the cyberpages of FAB in 2011.  She’s come a long way since Armenia!  At MTSU, Karine was a force to be reckoned with.  She asked anyone and everyone to take a pro-life pamphlet (bearing abortion photos, of course) and almost nobody refused.

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Abortion pictures pierce through denial about basic facts, and thereby open the way for Kate Kennamer to have a rational dialogue with passersby. Rational dialogue is impossible when people deny the basic fact that every abortion is an act of violence that kills a baby. (Note: this caption was corrected on 5/16 because one of the students in the photo has commented below, and as best we can tell, he was NOT willing to have a rational dialogue on this occasion. We routinely have civil discourse with people who are pro-choice, so apparently we jumped to the wrong conclusion in this case. FAB regrets the error.)

Earlier this month, 4 CBR staff and volunteers spent the day at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville (UTK) with hand-held “Choice” signs.  “Choice” signs are 3-ft-by-4-ft, light-weight, hand-held signs that depict aborted babies in the first trimester.  These signs simply show students what “choice” really is.

CBR volunteer Debbie Picarello spoke with a male graduate student who said his mother had 2 abortions before giving birth to him and his living brother.  He learned of her abortions a year ago.  He believes much of the dysfunctionality his mother has displayed toward him and his brother was a product of her abortion-wounded heart.

His own father is also the father of one of the aborted children, and their marriage is not a good one.  One of the symptoms of an abortion-wounded heart is relational difficulties. 

A pro-life male student wondered how effective graphic pictures are.  Debbie explained the historical significance of images, that reformers have been effective when they used images to expose the humanity of the victims and the inhumanity of the crime.  Debbie doesn’t ‘like’ these pictures, but she could talk about how effective they have been.  He seemed more open to the need for the pictures.

A male student said, “Eww, a hand!” as he walked by.  Several students, both male and female proclaimed loudly, “Those are disgusting!”  Yes, that’s the point.

We got lots of encouragement.  Quite a few students, both male and female, either thanked us for being out there, or gave a thumbs up as they were walking by.  Many students took our Unmasking Choice handout.  Many others gazed intently at the pictures as they walked by.  Mission accomplished!

Most universities have spaces where citizens can hold signs and speak with students, even without an invitation.  In this case, we were invited by the UTK Collegians for Life.  The president of Collegians for Life is Clint Kennamer.  Clint became pro-life when he first saw abortion at our GAP display at the University of North Florida (UNF) in 2009.  Clint was at UNF because he came with his wife Kate, who was a CBR staff member at the time.  Now, Clint leads pro-life activism at UTK and Kate still volunteers for CBR projects!  Yes, the pictures work!

Folks, if you want to have a GREAT day, get a couple of your own Choice signs and visit your local college.  You will be teaching powerful truth that people are desperate to know.

Because of her own personal story of abortion and forgiveness, Debbie Picarello is able to share hope and healing.

Today, we drove from Jacksonville to Tallahassee and displayed “Choice” signs at Florida A&M University (FAMU).  One student invited us to speak to her class tomorrow and another wanted a “Choice” sign for herself!

"Choice" signs on display at Florida A&M University (FAMU)