Pro-life groups campaign at ’Lair
September 15, 2007
(Below is an article that ran in the WVU Student Paper. As was expected, we were misrepresented and the article contained several misquotes.)
The Daily Athenaeum
Issue Date: Friday September 14, 2007
Honks, cheers and profanities were heard throughout the day yesterday in the plaza in front of the Mountainlair as anti-abortion groups brought students up in arms.
Students filled the plaza yesterday to exercise their right to free speech on the issue of abortion. The groups, Life and Liberty Ministries and Repent America, showcased graphic abortion posters and banners with religious verses as they preached to students.
“Daddy told me so”
“They’ll all burn in hell, every one of them,” said Malachi Green, one of the protestors.
Though he is only nine years old, Malachi is already well versed in anti-abortion and anti-homosexuality messages. Youth is no excuse for “ignorance,” according to the nine year old’s parents.
“You’re never too young to be touched by God,” said Denny Green, Malachi’s father.
Like many of the children at anti-abortion and anti-homosexuality demonstrations sponsored by Life Liberty Ministries and Repent America, Malachi is homeschooled.
“Every child knows in his heart what is right or wrong,” Green said.
“Would it be better going to public school to learn homosexuality and evolution? They would’ve made the same decisions anyway, we just made it easier,” said Rick Carpenter, the West Virginia coordinator for the organizations.
Malachi, with three years experience demonstrating all across the East Coast, said his knowledge of both issues came from a source he could trust: “My daddy told me.”
Malachi’s older brother, Gabriel, has even more experience “warning sinners.” The 12-year-old easily managed to hold up a poster, both larger and wider than he was, that depicted the severed head of an aborted fetus at the demonstration.
“I just want to let the Gospel speak,” Gabriel said, and that’s precisely what he’s been doing for the last seven years. ”It’s wrong,” he said speaking of homosexuality. “The Bible tells me so. I want to live for God.”
“Ask any child if it’s right to hurt another child,” Denny Green said. “It’s not indoctrination, it’s just common sense. I’m teaching them what’s right.”
For the Murch family, “Spreading the truth about sin” is likewise a family affair, from the youngest to the eldest. Though the heads of the family, the mother and father, were not present because of work obligations, the Murch children showed up in full force.
Josiah Murch, nine years old, can’t remember when he first learned about the “evils” of homosexuality and abortion. His brother, Elijah, 10, remembers first hearing the two words seven years ago.
Josiah is so dedicated that, despite his young age, the insults the student opposition were constantly yelling didn’t even phase him. “I don’t really feel anything,” he said as his older brother Jesse shot back at the angered students with Bible verses and a megaphone.
“It’ll be a lake of fire,” Josiah said. “If they don’t repent they’ll all end up burning up in there.”
The Murchs’ parents were too “extremist” to adopt children. As members of Operation Rescue, they would chain themselves together at the neck with other protestors and block the entrances to abortion clinics.
“My parents told me about abortion when I was really young. They always wanted to adopt,” Jesse said. He started making his way up and down the East Coast ministering at 10 years old, later in life than his brothers.
“Man is on his way to hell,” Jesse said. “It’s like a blind man at the edge of a cliff; it’s a good thing when you push them out of danger.”
According to Jesse, his siblings aren’t being taught a doctrine of hate. Instead they are being taught to “love their neighbors and save sinners.”
For Jesse, riding around the country preaching on college campuses could be a life long career. He said that he hopes his siblings will likewise grow up to be “Godly, God-fearing young men.”
Jesse, despite being the most vocal, is not the eldest. His sister Lauren, 20, sat out most of the demonstration away from the big crowd and megaphones.
“I grew up in a church. I know my place,” Lauren said. “God set up a certain hierarchy and I have my place in that.” She said that men were more suited to take care of important matters. “They’re more commanding,” she said. “We’re supposed to be more submissive.”
Students were especially struck by the sight of children among the ranks of the demonstrators, who insulted most every faith, as well as homosexuals.
“It’s horrendous exploitation,” said Brandy Hoover, a homosexual who was there with her partner.
“Just let that kid go play outside,” said Allen Harris, a sophomore nursing major. “It’s just plain brain washing.”
Junior political science major Andrew Novick went so far as to purchase a football from the WVU Bookstore and give it to one of the children.
“I just wanted to give him something pure, that was real,” Novick said.
Jim Deferio, one of the leaders of the demonstration, completely disagrees with the students. To him, the children present at the demonstration were “getting a real education.”
“Honk for Choice”
Not long after the anti-abortion protest began, other organizations from around campus came out to counter the protestors.
The WVU Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance chapter came out early with bed sheets. They held up the sheets to cover the graphic signs depicting bloody fetuses from late-term abortions.
“We’re here to tell every girl on this campus that they don’t have to listen to the propaganda that they’re feeding us,” said Brittany Nichols, a senior women’s studies major and president of FMLA. Nichols held up a sign for most of the day that read, “My Body, My Life, My Choice.”
Along with the FMLA, the WVU chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union was also out. JJ Matthey, a senior political science major and president of the ACLU, said while students were infringing upon the free speech rights of the anti-abortion groups, everyone is entitled to their opinions.
Other signs from pro-choice students read, “Honk for Choice” and “This is why I believe in abortions” with an arrow pointing towards the anti-abortion protestors. Another student had signs that said “Too much hate” and “Free hugs.” One student stood side-by-side with the abortion protestors and held a cut out T-shirt with a printed pentagram on it. A group of female students were surrounding an anti-abortion man yelling, “It’s not your job telling people their choices are wrong.”
One protestor from the Repent America group stood before the students with his companions and asked the mass crowd if they had any questions regarding Biblical interpretations. Students fired back with questions. One student asked, “Will you go home?” Another inquired, “Why aren’t your kids in school?” One student yelled, “Are you a failed abortion?”
Novick, who led many cheers, said that the presence of the groups is reason enough to get out and vote in 2008.
“I think it’s a shame. They obviously are entitled to their freedom of speech, but coming here saying what they’re saying, they won’t get away with this shit,” Novick said.
Many students pulled out their cameras to take pictures, angrily debated and yelled profanities to upset the religious organizations.
To muffle the sounds of the anti-abortion supporters, many WVU students began cheering, “Let’s go Mountaineers!”
Crowd Control
WVU Department of Public Safety officers came out early in the day to keep an eye on the situation.
DPS Lt. Robert Tucker said that they wanted to ensure that nothing would happen and everything remained peaceful.
“As long as they’re not disrupting classes, then everything’s fine,” he said.
FMLA president Nichols approached DPS officers about disorderly conduct happening around her.
“I just got hit in the head with a poster, and DPS won’t do anything,” she said. Nichols said officers told her the best solution would be to leave and file a report.
Later, DPS officers yanked a Repent America demonstrator into the WVU Bookstore after he ripped Nichols’s sign. The man was released with no charges.
Before the event involving Nichols, an ACLU member was “physically handled” by Deferio.
“I was holding my sign up and this lovely lady and her husband thought I touched her. He grabbed me by my arm and spun me around,” said Zach Murray, a junior psychology major. “I tried talking to him reasonably and then I just ignored him.”
Hot Dogs, Not Abortion
The Campus Crusade for Christ set up a tent across the street from the Mountainlair to promote their WVU vs. Maryland watch party. Free hot dogs were being given away while they played ’90s music from their tent. But, as most students noticed, the protestors overshadowed the Cru’s mission with their graphic photos and shouts.
“I definitely wasn’t pleased,” said Cru member Adam Zahradnik. “They (the protestors) came here totally by themselves.”
Throughout the day, Cru members floated to the opposite side of the road where they passed out flyers for their event and also tried to form a dichotomy between themselves and the protestors.
Cru members were very disappointed with the approach of the anti-abortion protestors. The group did not realize the protestors were going to be present the same day they were handing out food to students.
“I don’t like it at all. They have a right to do whatever they think is right, though. We’re just here giving out free hot dogs,” said Cru member Dave Biesecker. He said that every time their music was deemed too loud by the anti-abortion groups, their graphic signs were placed in front of their speakers. Every time Cru tried to move their speakers, a protestor would also move their sign.
Chris Seidler, president of Cru, apologized for the groups’ presence and also all the people who he thinks represent Christ in a poor way.
He said he felt fortunate that the groups showed up the same day as Cru.
“I’d rather be set up on the same day as them (protestors), so we can show the students that there is a different side to Christianity than their’s,” Seidler said.
“They (the protestors) don’t want us (Cru) here just as much as the students don’t want them here,” Biesecker said.
Posted: September 15, 2007 3:00 PM
