On an average day, students wouldn’t expect to see large pictures of aborted fetuses while going to class, but anyone who was in the vicinity of the west end of the Mall yesterday had no choice.
Justice For All, an organization based in Kansas, brought a large three-sided billboard to campus Monday to protest against abortion, and stirred conversation amongst UA students.
“”Free Speech”” boards, a Choice Medical Clinic information table, and petitions either for or against abortion remaining legal were also placed nearby.
Twelve Justice For All staff members and about 70 students were on hand to volunteer and speak with UA students and faculty about abortion issues.
“”I like life and I’m thankful for it, so I mean, it’s a gift to me and to take that gift away from anybody I think is … not a good thing,”” optical sciences graduate student Alan Aversa, a member of the Pro Life club, said.
“”I think obviously, it’s disturbing just to see those images, but I think that in a way it could be a good thing because a lot of people aren’t aware of that. This kind of stuff is happening,”” said public administration freshman Tori Einstein. “”It’s kind of a really crazy way to bring awareness, but sometimes people need to see things like this to realize really what’s going on and the repercussions for the actions, I guess.””
Another student who stopped by the mall to check out the poster, accounting junior Fang Yuan, said, “”I think it’s too big, kind of – a little inappropriate.””
Journalism sophomore Matt Osteen said he thought the posters were “”over the top.””
“”I don’t like how they’re in your face about it,”” Osteen said. “”Pictures of aborted fetuses – I don’t want to see that.””
“”Why censor the truth?,”” Aversa said, “”We’re a country of free speech.””
Aversa compared showing the photos of dead fetuses to showing photos of lynching before the Civil War.
“”The whole goal of this is just to show people what the truth of this is. The taking of a human life. So we wanted to show that in pictures – show it the way it is so people are informed,”” Aversa said.
Many students wrote on the “”Free Speech”” boards, saying things such as, “”I ‘heart’ dead fetus week,”” to “”This is grossly inaccurate and highly offensive. Please leave ASAP,”” and “”I almost died having a legal abortion.””
Several of the written statements spawned comments responding to them, such as “”Government should not dictate morality. Are force-fed ethics really ethical?”” next to “”So I guess murder or rape is OK?””
According to Aversa, “”It all comes down to whether you consider the fetus to be a human life.””
The billboards will be on the Mall again today before heading up to Arizona State University for two days, Aversa said.
“”I think it’s their right,”” Osteen said, “”I don’t think they should be doing it like that, but I’m sure if somebody wanted to do a ‘Pro-Choice’ thing they’d let them.””