Planting seeds of truth and reason.

by Tony Walker

Through GAP at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville (UTK), we have an opportunity to stimulate dialogue.  Many of those people at first oppose the pictures.  But they are willing to talk if I patiently wait for an opportunity, approach them with a gentle attitude, try to answer their questions and statements with honest and truthful information, and thank them for being willing to be there and take a stand.

Many are openly opposed, but by talking, they give me opportunity to plant seeds of truth and reason that begin to grow a little right then and there.

The opposition will argue that the unborn is not a “living human being.”  But we ask if it is “alive” (not dead or inanimate), and they admit it is alive.  Then we ask if it is “human” (not dog or apple), and they admit it is human.  Then we ask if it is a “being” (not just a human skin or blood cell of the mother), and they admit it is not part of the mother’s body.  They are left admitting the unborn is a “living human being.”

Now what they have left is the question of personhood.  They look at pictures of abuse and murder of Blacks, Indians, Jews, and unborn babies who were denied rights of personhood. They were called less than human, so it was OK to abuse and kill them.  The pictures are powerful and help connect the dots between historical and ongoing inhumanity.

I am thankful to be able to be a part of this graphic outcry.  It would not be possible without the gifts and participation of many workers and givers. I also thank the pro-aborts for being there, thinking and talking about this atrocity.  They bring more attention to the pictures and spark more interest in our message.  That brings out the reporters, who then take pictures and video and share it with many more.

After reading that, don’t you want to get in on the action?  Contact CBR and see how you can be a part of the next GAP trip!

Tony Walker is a CBR volunteer from Tennessee.

Jane Bullington loading up a young woman with materials for her heart-touching homework.

In it for the money?
“You don’t believe this crap; you just want to provoke someone to hit you so you can sue,” a young man shouted.

Professorial dictatorship
“Professors cut down our grades for questioning or contradicting them.  It is good to see this out here,” a young man told Jane Bullington.

Consistent to the point of silliness
“I truly believe it is not a baby until it is born,” the young woman said.  Jane replied, “What do you see when you look at a friend’s ultrasound and the something is yawning and stretching?”
“It is not a baby.”
Maybe it’s a cat.

Awesome homework fodder
“I have a pro-life presentation in philosophy next week and I need a good argument.”  Jane sent the young woman packing with loads of reading materials.  Her presentation will make a difference.

Not easy, but it’s right
“I am 26 years old and have a child of my own.  We have taken in 4 siblings from foster care too.  It is not easy but it is right,” she told Jane.

On the clock
Kathy, a sociology TA who claimed to be a professor, cussed at volunteer Debbie Picarello, saying we are shaming women.  She admitted to being post-abortive and did not believe that GAP was helping women.  The conversation was laced with “F you” from the woman who was most likely being paid to be there.  A male student was horrified by her behavior.

Making a stand on both fronts
Hally, a Christian student, said she was convicted about being out at the display.  Her first thoughts had been about self-preservation but realized God wanted her there.  She took a class taught by the Sociology TA who showed a pro-homosexuality film in class.  Hally was publicly ridiculed by the teacher and the students for sharing a perspective outside what the professor had presented.

Struggling with the past
Volunteer Christy McKinney spoke to a student and mom of three.  She was 31 weeks pregnant with her 3rd.  Her 2nd child was 7.  Her 1st was aborted.  She had never seen the pictures and stopped to look at them.  She was struck at how developed the child was in the 8-week abortion and looked at it for awhile.  Her parents wanted the abortion.  Looking back, she believes it was the “right choice for her.”  While she said those words, Christy could tell that she was struggling to make herself believe it.

A couple share wisdom from pain with CBR’s Jane Bullington and Jacqueline Hawkins.

by Jacqueline Hawkins

Despite the mayonnaise a pro-abort student smeared over one of our signs, there were some real gems that appeared throughout the two days we brought GAP to North Carolina State University.

Chastity and purity.  A young black woman told Jane she and her boyfriend have mutually agreed their bodies belong to the Lord, and their physical relationship will comprise only hand-holding until marriage.  She has turned down many Christian young men as dating partners because they could not see anything wrong with kissing and whatever that led to.

Hard, but softened by friends.  A male and female student were sitting near the display.  Jane watched them for a couple of minutes and thought she saw them praying.  Jane walked over and asked if they had questions or comments.  She asked if they had, indeed, been praying for us.  “Yes, we were.  We are here to spread Jesus on our campus and we wanted to pray for you guys.”  The young woman’s last comment was, “Being a Christian is the hardest thing I have ever done.”  It is, but it is made easier by praying friends.

No choices for her.  “I am a single mom. I have a 13-year-old and a 2-year-old.  When I got pregnant 3 years ago, as an educated, upwardly mobile black woman with tenure on this campus, I got no support for my decision to keep my baby.  Two different faculty members asked me, ‘Can I take you to get it taken care of?’ and ‘What are you going to do with it?’  There was no ‘choice’ for me unless my choice was theirs as well.”

Spared from gendercide.  A student from India told the story of his very blessed mother.  “My mom grew up in a rural village in India where baby girls were thrown down into a well in order to kill them.  My mom was spared because our family had a little more money apparently.  She used to play by that well.  She didn’t know until she was an adult who was inside.  Years later, an Indian man, educated in America where he also made a lot of money, returned to that small village and built a school just for girls.  Times are changing in rural India but it is slow.”  He pointed to the pictures and said, “This is horrible as well.”

Grab-n-go info.  “So what if the woman is raped?” asked a male student.  CBR volunteer acknowledged the horror of rape and gave our standard answer.  “OK, what if the woman’s life is in danger?”  Patti answered with our script about having two patients [mother and child] that we may or may not be able to save.  “Got it! Thanks”  He kept moving.  No argument!  No questioning my sources!  No extreme examples and exceptions!  He made Patti’s day!

Wisdom through pain.  Jane and I spoke to a very nice married couple when they came by during their lunch break.  They thanked us for being there.  “People need to see this,” the husband said.  He was a librarian at the NC State library.  The wife had an abortion years ago, after her daughter was diagnosed with a disease.  Her daughter would have been in her late teens by now.  Now the couple has trouble conceiving.  The wife sagely asserted that you never know what the future holds.  You need to treasure the children you are blessed with now, regardless of your situation, because you may not be able to have more in the future.  This is especially true after an abortion.  We directed the wife to the Deeper Still table to learn more about post abortion counseling and retreats.  They were good people that God will hopefully bless with more children one day.

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

by Jacqueline Hawkins

We don’t know his name … so we’ll just call him Egg Boy (not to be confused with Humpty Dumpty).  At NC State, Egg Boy tried to champion the pro-abortion cause with a raw egg.

“I tell you, chemically speaking, there is no difference between this 2-week-old chicken fetus and a 2-week-old human fetus,” he declared resolutely, again and again.

In his hand was an unfertilized chicken egg (not even a chick-in-a-shell), so it was hard to figure out just what his vehement, triumphantly-stated argument was.

So I finally had to tell him and his approving friends, “Sir, at the end of the day, that chicken fetus will grow up, have it’s head chopped off, turned into chicken tenders, and served at the Chick-fil-A right over there.  Meanwhile, the human fetus will grow up, become a student at NC State, and eat the former chicken fetus-turned-tenders.  Does that answer your question?”

With that, Mr. Egg Boy scratched his head and looked dubiously at his visual aid.  “I don’t know … I’m not really sure why I have this anymore …”  At least he was honest.

Egg Boy was stumped.  But, if at first you don’t succeed, …

So Egg Boy took his visual aid and tried again.  He was so confident that his new angle would deliver a glorious victory, he brought his own camera(phone) man.  He would be a YouTube star!

Holding up the egg, he asked CBR volunteer Patti Shanley, “Can you eat this human fetus?”

“That’s not a human fetus; that’s a chicken egg.”  Patti is pretty smart for a pro-lifer.

“How do you know this isn’t a fetus?  Wouldn’t you have to open it up and kill it to find out?”  The phone was brought closer and closer, to record the overwhelming domination of this intellectual giant over the mentally-deficient pro-life bigot.

“Seriously?  You’re a student at NC State and you are asking me if this chicken egg could possibly be a human fetus?  Is that the best you have?  I’m disappointed.”

“But, but, couldn’t this be a fetus?” he insisted.

“No, it couldn’t, but I think you should take it to the agriculture school and ask someone over there.  I’d love to see the look on that professor’s face when you ask.”

Foiled again!  “Stop recording!” Egg Boy commanded.

With that, he slinked away.  We actually saw Egg Boy the next day.  He rode by on his skateboard … no egg and no arguments.

He is actually smarter than many of his peers.  He at least knew his argument had been beaten.

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

Young women speak with one who is older and wiser.  Thank you for making Debbie’s work possible.

by Jacqueline Hawkins

A UNC Greensboro student walked up to the Deeper Still (DS) post-abortion counseling table.  She told Debbie Picarello that seeing the pictures had “completely undone any healing that I had accomplished until now.”

As Debbie asked probing questions, the young woman said she believed her child would be reincarnated.  She reasoned that because of the abortion, she could now help more people, that she was better off, and so on.

This student wound up sharing her justifications with a small group of like-minded female students who had gathered around.  They were adamant that Debbie’s approval of the pictures was hurting women.  They told Debbie she really didn’t care about them.

But Debbie stood her ground.  She said healing comes through Jesus Christ alone.  In her words, “Acknowledgment that we murdered our children is essential to being forgiven, because that is how God sees what we did.  Our opinions are trumped by His Truth.”  Amid much scorn and scoffing, another female student opened up.

Holding back tears, Jackie said she had been raped by a police officer and had an abortion.  Debbie expressed her deep sorrow for the young woman, and came out from behind the table to speak with her privately.  She asked if she could hug Jackie and the young woman cried even more.  The angry, mocking group of girls became silent.  Debbie took Jackie off to speak privately.

Jackie is a Christian,  Debbie pressed a Deeper Still pamphlet into her hands.  Looking her in the eye, Debbie told the young woman that she believed her child is in heaven and holds absolutely no unforgiveness towards her.  Her baby looks forward to the day when they will be reunited.  The girl allowed Debbie to pray with her.  Afterwards, Debbie encouraged her to get help as soon as possible for the rape and the abortion.  Jackie’s did not have to carry these burdens by herself; she could find healing through Lord Jesus.

Debbie hopes to see her someday at a Deeper Still healing retreat.  Debbie sewed the seeds — and so did you, because your support made this encounter possible — and now we pray for God to bring the fruit.

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

At UNC Greensboro, reactions ranged from furious, to calm, to … kind of weird.

by Jacqueline Hawkins

As you can read here, the response to GAP at UNC Greensboro was quite animated.  CBR Project Director Lincoln Brandenburg said that many of the students were like hyenas descending upon a scrap of meat.  Between the bloodthirsty vitriol and the stealth appreciation, there was a wide range of reactions.

The man who almost wasn’t
Based on his expression and the way he spoke, it was obvious he wasn’t out for blood like his schoolmates in the crowd.  He made neutral inquiries concerning the life of the mother.  I gently answered his question, mentioning cases such as toxemia and ectopic pregnancies.  I made sure to stress to him and those listening that saving the life of the mother did not involve Planned Parenthood and ripping children apart.  It was a matter of administering medical treatment to BOTH patients.  Unfortunately, in the case of ectopic pregnancy, saving the child is impossible, given current medical technologies.  Satisfied with my answer, he then told me he was almost an ectopic pregnancy.  He had implanted very close to the fallopian tube.  I told him just how happy I was he had survived and was there to speak with me.  He thanked me and disappeared into the crowd.

Maternal instinct
A young woman walked by, just as Bill offered a pamphlet.  “I’m pregnant!  I don’t want to see this!” she exclaimed.  She was determined but not antagonistic.  She didn’t want to see pictures of what she could have had done to her own child.  “I’m not doing this!  I’m keeping my baby!”  This young woman already had a healthy level of maternal instinct.  The pictures will help her to encourage the same instincts in her friends and family.

Best argument on campus
The grand prize for best pro-abortion argument goes to the young man who came to within 6 inches of Jane Bullington’s face and shouted, “You are STUPID.”  Jane stood toe-to-toe and eye-to-eye with this learned scholar until he backed off and went to make his prize-winning argument with someone else.

Enlightened pro-abort musings
At the height of the rowdiness, four young women from a protest group came over to Jane Bullington to talk.  They had the usual lack of knowledge that facilitated the usual objections.  But because they were somewhat open to what Jane had to say, they were able to learn a few things they hadn’t known before.  At the end, one girl mused, “It is sad that we don’t have discussions when we have difference of opinions.  We shouldn’t just try to shout people down when we could talk to them.”  Amen to that.

Selling out for consistency
A young black man walked up and asked pointedly, “Why?  Why are you doing this?” After answering him, he reasoned that since people are going to have abortions anyway, there was no reason to try to stop them.  I applied his argument to slavery.  “Would you want them legalize slavery because people are going to traffic humans anyway?”  He shrugged nonchalantly, musing that when push comes to shove, legalizing crimes that already happen wouldn’t be such a bad thing, even if it meant he got shipped off to the nearest cotton field.

Post-liberal dictatorship?
A male student was a pro-abort, but he was by no means pleased with his fellow students. As they demanded GAP leave campus, he exploded.  “F*** all of you!  As liberals, if we can’t defend free speech of those who disagree with us, then liberalism is dead!”  He stormed off continuing to curse at the protesters,  “Are we trying to live in a post-liberal dictatorship?”  Umm, yeah.  We kind of are.

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

Deeper Still’s Debbie Picarello at UNC Greensboro.

by Debbie Picarello

When I set up the Deeper Still post-abortion counseling table near the Genocide Awareness Project (GAP), students always ask if I am part of GAP.  They are often angry about the abortion photos and don’t want to speak with GAP volunteers.

I always give the long answer, “I am here with Deeper Still, which is a post abortion healing ministry.  We offer free healing retreats for men and women.  Yes, men hurt from abortion too.  And (pointing to the pictures) we are hurting because we have done that to our children.”

I am also repeatedly asked about the pictures angering or upsetting post-abortive women.  I explain how being upset at the pictures is a telltale sign that something is still wrong.  I point out that healing and counseling is a emotional and messy process.  I always encourage hurting people to seek help.  I say to women and men that if the pictures still cause them extreme distress, it’s a sign they still need healing.  When asked if these pictures “trigger” me now, I say they do not.  That is a product of healing.  They are hard to look at, but not triggering.

The Fall 2015 GAP tour was especially evangelistic.  I was repeatedly asked about Deeper Still being Christian.  I say that the only lasting healing from the wounds of abortion come through Jesus Christ alone.  Over and over again, I have shared miraculous stories of healing and deliverance from the Lord Jesus at these campuses.

Are you a post-abortive person who has found healing?  We need you!  Come with us and reach out to students in a way that only you can.

Debbie Picarello is a post-abortion counselor with Deeper Still, an international post-abortion counseling ministry based in Knoxville.

While debate rages in the background, young women learn about compassion and support from volunteer Debbie Picarello.

by Jacqueline Hawkins

Trust women.  It’s her choice.  Support women.

These are the slogans.  But they only seem to apply when a woman chooses to abort her child.  Women who embrace unplanned motherhood need not apply for trust and support from the left.

At the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, with all of the angry student yelling about women’s rights and supporting women’s decisions, a female senior was not impressed.  In fact, she was downright sad and her downcast expression prompted Jane to speak with her.  The young woman was 15 weeks pregnant.  The baby was unplanned and she was unmarried.

Thankfully she was in a long term relationship with the father of the baby.  They were keeping the child and would ask for support from friends and family.  Looking at the crowd of angry protesters, she said, “I am not married; I am in school; I am broke.  But I don’t get any help from my peers; I just get questions about why I don’t ‘get rid of this problem.’  They don’t support my choice to keep this baby; they want me to be selfish and weak like they are.  It makes me so sad.”

This double standard was this young woman’s reality.  Where was her support?  Where was her trust?  Granted, there are pregnancy resource centers to help families like hers, but those are staffed by pro-lifers.  What about her pro-choice peers?  Where were these people who reject the label “pro-abort” but bask in the glory of the term “pro-choice” because they want women to make their own choices, even if it’s not abortion.  It probably sounds good in their heads but when it comes to real life, they quickly become 100% pro-abort and unplanned mothers who keep their children suffer for it.

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

Students gather in front of the signs to see the photos, read the messages, and ask their questions.  Although UNC is more intolerant than most places, there are many students who were willing to engage with open minds.

Nothing could be finer than a GAP in Carolina!

At UNC Chapel Hill, we were hosted by the Carolina Students for Life (CSFL), one of the many campus pro-life organizations we’ve had a hand in starting over the years.

We set up at our usual location on Polk Place, in the heart of the campus.  Thousands of students passed by during every class change.

UNC Chapel Hill is a real bastion of intolerance and hate.  Several students vandalized the warning signs we normally place on approach routes to the display.  Because these signs are really a courtesy to students who may not wish to see genocide photos, we had to wonder if these vandals hated us, or did they just want to make sure everyone saw our display?  Not too sure about that.  Anyway, …

We had huge crowds both days. On Day 1, a street preacher stationed himself across the sidewalk from the GAP display and spoke about abortion, relativism, and salvation, to an ever-growing crowd of protesting students.  While the preacher was not a part of our operation, he used a lot of our debate techniques and talking points in his preaching.  The preacher, the protesters, and the crowds of students which gathered, all focused even more attention on our pictures.

For me, the highlight of the trip was this note left on the free speech board:

My mom was raped.  She didn’t want to have me.  I was almost aborted.  My grandmother saved my life.  When I was born, my mother was grateful.  She then loved me well.

That pretty well says it all.

On Day 2, as we prepared to leave, the protesters blasted us with “music” performed by a woman-hating “artist” who blurted out “f— you, b—-” over and over again.  The pro-aborts who blasted this rant obviously did not value or even respect women, even though most were themselves women.  So often, following Satan leads to to some form of self-loathing behavior.  Fascinating.  Instructive.

Media:

• Anti-abortion group compares abortion to genocide in Polk Place
• Letter: Anti-abortioners have no claim to genocide
• Letter: ​Abortion protesters spoke false narratives
• Letter: Anti-abortionist had no place on campus
• Letter: ​Chapel Hill’s anger is sometimes laughable

Students study the photos at UNC Charlotte.

GAP at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNCC) is always a special treat for me,  having lived there briefly about 30 years ago.  Both UNCC and the city have grown tremendously; the change is really something to behold.

Like many urban universities, UNCC seems to have a lot of students who actually work as well as go to school.  People with productive jobs are not as susceptible to left-wing kookery.  We had many pleasant encounters with thoughtful students.

On the other hand, one man jumped the barricades to vandalize one of our signs.  He was arrested and is currently facing charges in criminal court.  We got some awesome video.

More to come.

Another former fetus speaks out.  This message was left on our free speech board, which invites students to write comments about GAP and abortion.

This sculpture honors ASU’s heritage as a teachers’ college. We couldn’t think of a more appropriate place to set up GAP on Day 2. The display footprint is smaller this day because of threatening weather in the forecast.

We headed into the mountains of North Carolina to bring GAP to Appalachian State University (ASU).

It was refreshing to be around people who know how to pronounce “Appalachian.”  A few damnyankees want to call it a-puh-LAY-chuhn or, even worse, a-puh-LAY-shuhn.  These mispronunciations have been advanced by the mass media since the mid 1970s … and we all know how evil the mass media are.

Phonics.  You would never call our western mountains the “ro-SHEE” mountains.  It’s ROCK-ee, just like it’s spelled.

The correct way to say my home is a-puh-LATCH-uhn.  The ASU folks told us it took three national championships (Div I FCS) to get ESPN to finally say it correctly.  Come to think of it, if you can shame ESPN into doing the right thing, maybe we do have hope.  Anyway, …

On Day 1, we set up GAP on Sanford Mall, right in the middle of campus.  The epicenter of action was the free speech board and poll table, both right next to the GAP display, where large crowds of students gathered.  Volunteer Laurice Baddour took the lead and became the star of the show (see really bad photo).   Although many were pro-abort (for now), they calmly listened as we made our case, like truly civilized adults.  We love it when that happens.

On Day 2, heavy rains and thunderstorms were forecast, so we set up a smaller display at the eastern end of Sanford Mall.  With the smaller configuration, we could deconstruct and get off the site on short notice, before lightning would become a hazard.

On Day 3, the weather was better and we followed up with a Choice Chain for a few hours in the middle of the day.

Media:

• On campus: Abortion protest (video)
• Anti-abortion display sparks controversy among students

Lincoln Brandenburg and Jackie Hawkins explain how abortion is evil because it kills a living human being.

Brandon Hambrick (orange sweater) joined the UTK Pro-Life Collegians after seeing abortion photos on his campus.

by Jacqueline Hawkins

Adam Lovejoy is an all-star pro-lifer at the University of Tennessee (UT).  In December, we had encouraged Adam to join the Pro-Life Collegians at UT.  A few weeks later, he was made co-president!  His first priority was to invite CBR to bring GAP back to UT.

GAP at UT is always fun.  By that we mean froth with protest.  This time, they set up just on the other side of the sidewalk, which actually pushed the passersby over toward our display as they walked to and from class.

Pro-life students came out of the woodwork to thank us and even help.  Pro-life senior Federico Di Luzio was so impressed by our work that he signed up for the PLC, attended the meeting that night, and showed up the next morning to help set up.  Brandon Hambrick was there from the start, with his gentle but strong presence.  Solid as a rock in his Christian faith, he was an example to all his male peers.

Media:

• Pro-life display sparks controversy with UT students
• U.T. Students protest abortion display on campus

You have to laugh as WVLT-TV falls all over themselves to say abortion is too horrific even to see.  It would be funny if it weren’t so tragic.  Abortion is so insidious because it actually hides behind its own horror.

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

Jane Bullington explains that abortion decapitates and dismembers its preborn victims.

by Jacqueline Hawkins

It had been 4 years since we visited East Tennessee State University (ETSU).  In 2012, it was a successful Choice Chain.  This time, it was our full Genocide Awareness Project (GAP).  We couldn’t think of a better way to spend Holy Week than work to save the “least of these brothers and sisters” of our Lord (Matthew 25:40).

One young pro-life woman was emboldened by our presence and went head to head with a pro-abort teacher’s assistant (TA).  The TA had brought her class to watch her confront and defeat (she hoped) CBR’s Fletcher Armstrong in a battle of wits.  Unfortunately for this poor TA, she came to the battle unarmed.

The pro-life student was a senior with a husband and daughter.  She knew a lot more about life than the typical college student.  It was awesome to see her in action, using her life-experience to confront the selfish naive notions of those who really didn’t understand the glories of motherhood.

At the end of the second day two students held protest signs in their lap as they lounged on the steps of the library.  They offered no compelling argument to justify decapitating and dismembering little human beings.  If somebody could only offer such an argument, it would save us all a lot of trouble.

It was a successful two days.  Things didn’t get too rowdy, so it was a perfect school to warm up for the more intense encounters to come.

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

by Fletcher Armstrong

Continuing our See you in the funny papers series (explanation), this one from the Grand Valley State University Lanthorn.

Science Student:  You can play with words all you want, but your side will ultimately lose this argument.  It’s inevitable as older generations of voters die-off.

CBR Response:  In other words, if society allows you to decapitate and dismember, then you win the argument and you are perfectly justified in committing the act.  Might makes right.  You say, “We can kill, so we will, and you will lose.”  Gee, where have we heard that before?

I cannot say which view will prevail.  For many years, the pro-slavery view prevailed.  That doesn’t mean it was morally acceptable to enslave another person.

Mr. Fortissimo’s wrath was extinguished by a few kind words and an offering of friendship.

by Jacqueline Hawkins

There are times when the goal in a conversation needs to be defusing, instead of debating.  I learned this at Mizzou.

“This looks delicious!  It looks like sushi!” he said angrily.

We get that all the time.  Mostly from men.  They are trying to provoke us to anger.  This young man however, had a lot of rage be hind his eyes and in his voice.  One of my co-workers said he looked like he wanted to eat someone’s soul.  The tattoos, piercings, and mohawk supported that notion.

He stalked around the display.  Seasoned GAP staffers didn’t try to engage him, but as I saw him move towards the young and less experienced volunteers, I knew I had to cut in so they wouldn’t unwittingly find themselves in an escalating fight they couldn’t handle.

My heart was pounding as I made my way over to their side of the display.  Instead of engaging him in a debate, I wanted to try something different.  Would it work?  I didn’t know.

“This looks like f***ing sushi!  It looks delicious!” he said again.

I laughed and casually leaned against the barricade.  I replied,“You remind me so much of someone I knew in middle school.”

“I don’t give a f***,” he spat.  He gave me and angry, questioning look.  He obviously didn’t expect me to go from that angle.

“Well that’s fine.  I’m just saying that you remind me of someone I used to know . We called him the Cube.  You remind me of the Cube.”  (I really did know a boy who was referred to as The Cube in middle school.)

“Whatever.  This looks like gummy bears!”

“Now hold on, sir.  Wait a minute.  You just said it looked like sushi.  They can’t look like two kinds of food at the same time.”

He clarified. “This picture looks like gummy bears.  The other picture looks like sushi.”

“Oh!  I see.  Okay.  We’ll we’re just showing folks what abortion is.”

“I say kill them all.”

I frowned thoughtfully and shrugged deciding to inject a least a little pro-life rhetoric into the conversation.  “Kill the Jews, enslave the niggers, kill the babies.  It’s kind of all the same thing,” I said nonchalantly.

He didn’t respond to my statement.  Instead he replied: “I’d like to kill myself and take some people with me.”

He couldn’t see preborn children as valuable (nor me nor anyone else, for that matter), because he didn’t see himself as valuable.

Whoa.  “I see…Well, I would seriously have to discourage killing yourself and your classmates.  That wouldn’t be good,” I said with ease.

A pro-life student I had been speaking with earlier chimed in, seeming to sense that I was diffusing and not debating.

“Look bro, if you ever want to hang out and talk, look me up.  My name’s Jason,” the pro-life student said offering his hand.

“F*** off,” he muttered.

“Come on, dude!” I exclaimed with a bit of lightheartedness.  “He’s just being nice.  I would have given anything to have someone say that to me when I was in college.  I didn’t have friends when I was in school.”

“There’s probably a reason for that,” he spat, trying to egg me on.

“There was!” I agreed.  “I was a total introvert.  I just hung out by myself which made college lonely and miserable.  So I know what it’s like.  You shouldn’t have to go through that.”

He didn’t reply.

“By the way, I like your tattoo,” I said, pointing to the ff musical sign behind his ear.  “Forte, forte right?”

“Actually it’s fortissimo,” he corrected, but without any venom.

“Oh yeah, that’s right!  I used play music in school but it’s been a while.  Fortissimo. Awesome.”

He shrugged and I continued:  “But look sir, regardless of how you feel about babies or your classmates, you shouldn’t have to feel like you’re better off dead.  I strongly suggest you see the school counselor so you can feel better.  And while you’re at it make some friends so you don’t have to be alone.”

“Yeah, definitely look me up and we’ll hang out and be friends.  My name is Jason,” he said offering his hand.

Mr. Fortissimo gave Jason’s hand a side glance and said pointedly, but without any hostility, “I’d rather stay anonymous.”

“Hey, that’s cool, but at least you know you’ve got a friend,” I said.

He was silent for a few moments.  I could tell all the wind had been blown out of his sails and he was much calmer.  He came there for a fight but got something completely different.  The crazy pro-life lady (me) took all of his  venomous barbs and turned them into points of friendly conservation.  The clean cut, bright-eyed, pro-life student offered to be his friend and hang out with him.  It probably wasn’t at all what he expected, but he certainly wasn’t going to be all hugs and giggles in response.

“I gotta go take a s***,” he said simply.  No anger, no ire, no venom.  But still some shock factor.

“Okay! I hope all goes well with that.  It was nice talking to you!” I said with a smile.

The young man who looked like he was going to eat someone’s soul walked away without anger and without venom, but with a whole lot to think about.  He probably had a reputation for being crazy and on the edge.  Plenty of people probably told him to get help.  But how many people told him to get help so that he would feel better?  Because he deserved more than living a miserable lonely life?  He’ll never forget the pictures, and I hope he’ll never forget that he was told that he deserved to feel peace in his life.  I especially hope that he and Jason do in fact become pro-life friends and hang out.

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