Photo: Matt Boggs | The Sentinel
James Sears, Staff Writer
An anti-abortion organization visited Kennesaw State University Nov. 11 and set up a display on the Campus Green. Members from Ratio Christi, a Christian apologetics organization at KSU, sponsored the event.
The anti-abortion group, called Justice For All (JFA), showed photos of abortion on display boards, which also contained information about abortion. A poll table allowed people to vote if they believed abortion should remain legal and why. There were also handouts containing information about abortion. JFA mentor, Jon Wagner, said the event was meant to be a peaceful outing that aimed to promote abortion as unthinkable, not through debate, but through dialogue.
“I want to challenge pro-choice people – in a compassionate way – to reconsider their position on abortion,” Wagner said. “Another goal would be to bring awareness to people who haven’t considered the issue a lot.” Wager also said he wants to motivate pro-life people towards non-violent and peaceful action on behalf of the unborn.
The graphic displays were meant to grab the attention of passers-by. Then mentors and volunteers talked to visitors about abortion. Volunteer Mark Harding spoke of conversing about abortion. “I think it’s a matter of science, but also a matter of heart and compassion,” said Harding. “We’re definitely not here to argue; we’re here to have a conversation.”
While JFA encouraged peaceful discussion about abortion, visitors commented on JFA’s intentions. Sophomore veterinary medicine major Taylor Franklin, who is pro-choice, talks about JFA’s presence on the Campus Green.
“I feel like when they’re here, they may be approaching compassionately, but they’re still trying to convince individuals to make the choice they want them to make,” Franklin said. She explained that she is pro-choice because she believes people should have a choice to stop something if it wasn’t planned. “Whether mentally, physically, or financially, I feel like you should have the option to cease something from occurring if it could throw everything off.”
Logistics coordinator Rebecca Haschke told why she is pro-life. “Even as a woman, I believe the unborn is a human being,” Haschke said. “That human being deserves the same equal treatment.” In regards to JFA’s event, Haschke said that a conversation about abortion sometimes turns into a debate. “We want to turn that into a dialogue, not a monologue,” Haschke said.
Some students had opinions on JFA’s question about whether or not abortion should remain legal, such as freshman exercise science major Steven Wechsler. “I don’t think you should ask whether it should be illegal or illegal,” Wechsler said. He went on to say that JFA’s event was a good event to develop the mind. “I think this is a good event to develop your mind and expand your horizons.”
Freshman international business major Christopher Dancy talked about the difficulty with evaluating abortion. “Everyone thinks that life starts at different points, so it’s hard to decide whether or not it should be okay; it’s so much of a gray area,” Dancy said. “I feel like aborting is not good but I also know other people have different ideas.”
Wagner said that he believes there were mixed emotions, but despite the graphic exhibition, he reported that visitors were generally respectful. “People have been very respectful, even if they disagree,” Wagner said.
