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Pro-life vs. Pro-choice
Pro-life vs. Pro-choice
A national anti-abortion group set up graphic posters that aggravated some, intrigued others and sparked conversation among many students Monday on the South Oval.
Students debated the controversial abortion issue in front of the display that showed pictures of aborted fetuses and provided abortion statistics.
Pursuit College Ministry, a Christian student organization at OU, invited the exhibit, produced by anti-abortion group Justice for All, to OU.
“Abortion is a huge issue right now and a lot of people just don’t know a lot about it,” said Maureen Barr, an intern with Justice for All. “If 3,300 unborn children are going to die from abortion today alone in the U.S., then I just think it’s something people need to be aware of.”
With the help of Christian Heritage Academy and Trinity Baptist Church, the pro-life advocates’ graphic display spawned debate among students who walked by.
The exhibit invoked different reactions throughout the day. The morning remained calm, but as the sun rose in the sky protestors who were not happy about the exhibit showed up to voice their opinion.
“I just think it’s incredibly graphic and unfair to present this information in such a villainizing way,” anthropology sophomore Sarah Garrett said.
Garrett, who joined the pro-choice protest on her own, said she does not believe that a fetus is a human being.
“I don’t think these graphic images are the way to prevent abortion,” Garrett said. “Sex education, contraceptive information and making contraceptives available to women and men who want them is the best way to prevent abortion.”
Pro-life advocates think that from the time of conception a fetus is a human being, and if a mother does not want a child it should be put up for adoption not aborted.
“We definitely regret the need for graphic images but some injustices need to be seen if they are going to be fully understood,” Barr said. “In our opinion, it’s worth upsetting thousands just to save the life of one child.”
Some students saw the graphics as a good way to spread awareness while others felt it was grotesque.
Kolt Atchley, broadcast and electronic media junior, observed the event and said he supports freedom of speech, but does not think the pro-life advocates have enough evidence supporting that abortion is wrong.
“I wish they would handle it better,” Atchley said of the pro-life advocates. “I’m all about freedom of speech, but I think if you don’t do it in a civilized manner then nothing will get done.”
While many were concerned with Monday’s graphic display, the fact remains that we live in an image driven world and the majority of people have never seen the real effects of abortion, said Chris Haynes, college minister at Trinity Baptist Church in Norman and anti-abortion volunteer at the rally.
“I think it’s pretty graphic, but it’s a good representation,” zoology junior Ryan Carter said.
In the afternoon, Pro-choice advocates continuously shouted about the how anti-abortion laws strip the rights of women to choose whether they want an abortion or not.
“We clearly believe that women are more capable to make informed decisions about their reproductive health than our politicians,” history senior Sarah McGuffee said.
Haynes said they are not trying to take away women’s rights; rather, they are trying to help pregnant women who are in need and inform them of alternatives to abortion.
He said it is important for women to know that there are people willing to talk to them if they have had an abortion who will not condemn them for it.
Justice for All will return with its display Wednesday and Thursday on the South Oval.
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eightbitgirl 3 years, 6 months ago
If you're going to be edgy and cool, ladies, at least make signs that people can read from more than two feet away.
Bubba 3 years, 6 months ago
Can someone please buy these girls some fresh magic markers? There is nothing like making a bold statement that's hard to read...
unknown 3 years, 6 months ago
I wonder if anyone really thinks about the consequences of not having abortions available. The world population already tops 6 billion and if it continues to increase we will be even closer to destroying our planet due to our need to feed everyone and house everyone as well. I'm saddened that in this day and age people still look to an ancient book to tell them what is morally right or wrong and can't make that decision themselves. Pro-choice is not pro-abortion, and when someone brings up "What if you were aborted?" I'll remind them that I wouldn't be here so I probably wouldn't really care.
Rhology 3 years, 6 months ago
Wow, all of 5 protesters!
It's a sign of the OU Daily's journalistic 'integrity' that the 5 protesters are shown in photograph, rather than the Justice For All signs, volunteers, and spontaneous conversation circles.
SoonerTexan88 3 years, 6 months ago
"If you're genuinely pro-life, end war. Stop executions. Feed the hungry. Stop letting Americans die of preventable diseases because they're poor."
Why does being against abortion automatically mean someone is against all of the above? I am against abortion, and I agree with all of the issues above.
SoonerTexan88 3 years, 6 months ago
"Garrett, who joined the pro-choice protest on her own, said she does not believe that a fetus is a human being."
Ummm...so what exactly is it then? A monkey?
Thank you, OU Daily, for a fair and balanced article for once! I was expecting something extremely biased (to the left of course!)
lia 3 years, 6 months ago
The signs were made on a whim after seeing the disturbing display set up on the oval in the morning. I think it's amazing that people cared enough to stop, make a few signs (even if they aren't poster-perfect) and protest the Pro-Life exhibit.
Being Pro-Choice isn't being Pro-Abortion. It's being Pro-Education to further the knowledge of contraceptives to women in order to prevent unwanted pregnancies and to keep abortions rare.
In the unfortunate case of rape, a woman should be able to make the decision of what to do with her body.
35 years ago Roe vs. Wade changed the laws against abortion because they were violating women's constitutional rights. If we try to change it back now, we're just backtracking.
Also, if the Justice For All people cared so much about the well-being of these fetuses and the creation of life, why don't they spend the money they used on the display to focus on the life that is already out there? There are thousands upon thousands of homeless and starving children all over the world right now that deserve just as much, if not more, attention.
wildchild 3 years, 6 months ago
There is a difference between being 'Pro-Life' and 'Pro-Birth'. Our society is so vehement about these unborn embryos but then abandons babies after they are born. Why do 'pro-life' politicians advocate war (which kills people - aren't we against killing people here?) and cut programs like welfare that help the poor? Why is it that if we care so much for these future generations we have so little respect for them as to leave them with a future of global warming, a degraded environment, and unbelievable national debt? When people start showing the same ardent, passionate feelings for the health of our environment and the ethical treatment of animals, and for ending war, then I would say they have earned the right to claim themselves as 'Pro-life', but for now - it's just a 'Pro-birth' movement.
SoonerTexan88 3 years, 6 months ago
"Also, if the Justice For All people cared so much about the well-being of these fetuses and the creation of life, why don't they spend the money they used on the display to focus on the life that is already out there?"
Ummm...duh--they are trying to bring attention to abortion, not other social problems.
Why didn't Obama spend the $3 million for his infomercial trying to help "Middle Class America?" Duh--that wasn't his aim.
If you actually read the posters, you would see that the group addressed the health of the woman as well, not just babies.
There are plenty of groups devoted to the children who are suffering after birth--your argument makes no sense.
SoonerTexan88 3 years, 6 months ago
"35 years ago Roe vs. Wade changed the laws against abortion because they were violating women's constitutional rights. If we try to change it back now, we're just backtracking."
I don't remember the Constitution giving a woman the right to kill her unborn child...
There is an "interpreted right to privacy"--how a right to privacy translates to abortion is a HUGE stretch to me...
Why is it that a woman who kills her child 1 month after birth is villified, but a woman who kills her child at 8 months of pregnancy has a "right" to do so?
ChristisLove19 3 years, 6 months ago
Btw, abortion isn't something that's rare and I highly doubt that making contraceptives more available to women is going to change that. At least I don't think it will. A lot of the women that do get pregnant probably use contraceptives or are aware that they are available but in the moment do not think about it.
"The world population already tops 6 billion and if it continues to increase we will be even closer to destroying our planet due to our need to feed everyone and house everyone as well." So are you justifying murder? I mean if someone dies do you think it's the best thing for our planet and it benefits the planet, because if that's the case you need to reevaluate your thinking.
SoonerTexan88 3 years, 6 months ago
"No. I believe what she is arguing is that it is a potential life, not an actual life, and that it is not a human being. It's still genetically a human. I sincerely doubt she ever meant to insinuate that a fetus is a monkey."
I realize that she was never insinuating the fetus was anything other than human--I was pointing out how ridiculous it is to calla fetus a "potential life."
When does a "potential life" become a life then?
If you say it is when a baby is fully developed/can survive on its own--then what about premature babies? They are not fully developed, and often need intensive care to survive--should their mothers be able tokill them at will?
Or an infant--they are "potential adults"--but cannot survive on their own.
How can you just "draw a line" where someone is a person?
sjohnson 3 years, 6 months ago
Now, I'm aware that not all pro-lifers are also anti-gay. However, I find it sort of hypocritical when we have pro-lifers encouraging women to give their children up for adoption, yet pro-lifers in states like Arkansas are currently arguing/voting for banning gay adoption. So, we want women to give up their children to adoption, yet, people who could provide the child with a family environment can't adopt them. Sure you could argue and I'm sure you will, that gays aren't a good family enviroment...to which I respond...so foster care/orphanage is better? Nothing like conservative hypocrisy.
TrevorClark 3 years, 6 months ago
I believe that the Justice For All campaign has brought to light some pertinent dialogue about abortion and its nature. Although the pictures were horrifying and gruesome, they are only depicting the natural course of damage that follows when people value a fetus as less than human. I'm sure that these images have made more than one person feel like crying, but it's certain that thousands of people cried during the funeral of Emmett Till, in which the horrifying and gruesome result of racism was displayed to the United States, and this piercing emotion helped to fuel the American Civil Rights Movement. Recently, the visual exposure of inhumanity was used by the press nationwide to secure justice for Iraqi prisoners of war who underwent evil, vulgar forms of torture and mockery. When people feel that their liberty is somehow being infringed upon, they oftentimes react against that, which explains the stances of both sides of the abortion issue as to whether the pro-life movement encroaches on a woman’s rights or the pro-choice movement encroaches upon the life of a child. I have heard that what a woman does with her own body is her business, and in turn I've heard it said that simply because a fetus is dependent upon the mother does not mean it is part of her body. The fetus has a different set of DNA, often a completely different blood-type than the mother, and many times is an entirely different gender. Of course, there are more “moderate” views of abortion on both sides. A middle ground of when abortion can and cannot be excused. This platform derives its stance from various biological and situational factors. (i.e. How old is the embryo? How was the child conceived?) But I think the danger with this stance is that it labels abortion as heinous during one situation and benign the next. There is no line of justice drawn, but only speculative boundaries to be argued over. There is a minister who travels the world spreading the gospel of Christ's love to all people and condemning hatred. Meeting him has helped me understand that the trauma of a rape can be redeemed and the mother and child healed together. On a final note of healing, one of the signs that filled me with joy did not host any sort of graphic picture but instead called out to women who had undergone an abortion and were suffering from post-abortion trauma to call a helpline for healing. In this sense, I thought that the pro-lifers took an all out pro-life stance; they reached out to help the broken lives of women scarred by a choice. JFA and pro-choice advocates both utilized their right to freely speak about this pertinent topic. Gianna Jessen, a woman living after a chemical abortion failed to destroy her body in the womb, talks about the importance of the struggle in her life: "Never say never, a person and God always have the opportunity to progress. No matter what point you are at, you can always do something, even if it is just the tiniest thing."
juliaross 3 years, 6 months ago
What if I happened to be either a pregnant woman or a woman who recently miscarried? Why should I have to see that imagery on my way to class?
If you're genuinely pro-life, end war. Stop executions. Feed the hungry. Stop letting Americans die of preventable diseases because they're poor.