Thumbs up at the University of Tennessee!
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.
Tags: abortion debate, Choice signs, post-abortion healing, University of Tennessee
This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 24th, 2012 at 12:45 pm and is filed under Campus Debate (GAP). You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
2 Responses to “Thumbs up at the University of Tennessee!”
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May 16th, 2012 at 3:29 pm
I’m one of the two males in the first picture. For the record, both of us are firmly pro-CHOICE, and these pictures did nothing to facilitate a “rational” dialogue. This post really shows how unreliable and dishonest these protests are. Good job! Also, for a group supposedly dedicated to protecting the rights of “lives” and “bodies,” it’s ironic that y’all take/publish pictures of other people without permission.
May 16th, 2012 at 4:34 pm
Mr. Emittt, I would raise four points in response.
First, we have reasoned dialogue with passersby all the time, many of whom are pro-choice but are willing to have a civil discussion. If you were unwilling to have a rational dialogue on this occasion, then I did err and I apologize for jumping to the wrong conclusion. I have corrected the caption on the photo.
Second, you say our protests are “dishonest.” On what basis do you make that claim? We have a signed statement from a former abortion doctor who says the pictures are real and that the pictures are correctly aged (http://www.abortionno.org/pdf/LevatinoLetterMay08.pdf). We have a medical textbook that shows the development of the child throughout the first trimester of pregnancy. We can access more such textbooks at the UTK library. What have you got?
Third, regarding premission for publishing photos, please look at page 3 of the UTK Daily Beacon dated Tuesday, April 24, 2012 (http://utdailybeacon.com/issues/2012/apr/24/). On this page, the Daily Beacon published a photo of people standing around on the Johnson-Ward Pedestrian Mall. Do you believe the Daily Beacon obtained permission from each person pictured in that photo before they published it? Look also at the photo on page 2. Photos of people in public are published all the time. Permission is not needed and is not generally sought because nobody standing in a public space has a reasonable expectation of privacy.
Finally, how does any of this justify killing another human being?