On March 3, 2009, I arrived on campus and walked my usual route to class; going through the Memorial Student Center breezeway. I was taken aback when I saw the abortion exhibit, not realizing it was that time of the year again. Everyone is entitled to their opinion; therefore, if these protesters find it necessary to cover the Rudder area with these obscene billboards, “propaganda,” I find it more than necessary to voice my opinion.
I feel strongly about the abortion exhibit. I think these images are ridiculous, not just because they are “graphic” as the signs may indicate, and extremely inappropriate. However, what really concerned me was seeing three elementary school buses beside the MSC with dozens of third- and fourth-graders, maybe even younger, having to walk past these billboards.
As a future teacher, it enraged me to see that young children were being thrown into this environment when they should be taught about college and the importance of education. They should not, however, be taught about why abortion is not right. Is this the kind of image that we, as Aggies, should be giving off not only to the future of America but to the rest of the world? I do not know about the rest of you, but I would have to say no.
There are so many ways this exhibit is faulty. I bet most people would say that “at least this year they have a sign asking if it should return or not.” What is the point of a survey if you get scrutinized for responding “no?” I walked over, signed my name under the “no” sheet, and was astonished to see the amount of glares I got for voicing my opinion. What is the point of having that survey out if you cannot even be open-minded?
Supporters of this exhibit approached the people who wrote write down “no,” as if they were heathens. Why are they able to have an opinion but people who do not agree with them can not? We put “no” down for a reason; to voice an opinion about our rights and our beliefs. We do not put a “no” down so that we can be approached and be told why our reasoning is wrong. If they cannot accept the fact that not everybody thinks or feels the same way they do, they should not have that exhibit up at all.
These protestors have no idea what has happened or is going on in peoples’ lives that pass this exhibit once, twice or more a day. Yes, it might not be the child’s fault that people might or might not have made wrong decisions, but what makes people think that it is right to keep a child who will not be given equal opportunities or a chance at a decent life like the rest of us fortunately or unfortunately have? Is it more important to save a child and have them grow up in foster homes, adoption agencies, thrown on the streets, in dumpsters, on doorways, and abused? What if they are a product of a rape, the child to a mother or father who does not want them, who has resentment toward them, or a baby to a drug addict or an alcoholic; the list is endless yet I see every day that people can come up with a justification for all of these. How?
I say that before presenting this exhibit on campus, every one of these people who think it is appropriate should find at least one person who has been affected by one of the situations I have stated above. Life is getting increasingly difficult. If a woman feels she cannot properly raise a child, provide for them, love them unconditionally, know they will be placed in a loving home immediately after birth to prevent the number of children without homes, then that is her right to make that decision, nobody else’. I am not the only one who thinks this; the U.S. government does as well. I am not saying I am for abortion; I am saying I am for abortion rights and that those women are given that option for a reason.
I used to love saying I am an Aggie, now I am somewhat embarrassed. I am not saying there is absolutely nothing good about being an Aggie, however, the events that have occurred on this campus throughout my four years of college have been humiliating and unfortunately very disappointing. Being an Aggie is going to mean nothing years from now if we keep showing the same closed-mindedness we are showing today.