Standing up for Life

Past happenings that I felt should be acknowledged…

oathkeeper24 — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 03:21:47 +0000

Stuff on “Lake of Fire”, showed last year –
Leadership Institute’s article

An… interesting article written in the Tartan, last year –
The Tartan’s article on Feminists for Life

An article in CMU Politics, written last Fall –
CMU Politics’ article on the founding of Respect Life Club

A video made by Mike Balsam (the LI dude who helped us out first semester) –
Mike’s video of Cupcakes for Life event

Another article in the Tartan – on our lack of funding for FFL speaker Serrin Foster
The Tartan’s article

Love Them Both, a television show run through Pittsburgh Community TV, hosted myself and Jessie to talk about funding for pregnant women on college campuses, among some other things. WATCH IT! 9 pm (EST) on Tuesday!
Love Them Both

Hope you find these an interesting read!

Articles posted about US!!!

oathkeeper24 — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 02:43:08 +0000

Check these out guys!

PCC List

The Campus Right (check the May 19 post)

Earned Media

Christian News Wire

Deacon for Life

The Value of Debate (for CMU’s Respect for Life Club) (written by J. Dickinson Goodman)

oathkeeper24 — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 01:09:08 +0000

I believe any opinion worth holding is debatable. I came to this
conviction reading the Autobiography of Malcolm X, where Malcolm X, in
prison, joined the debate society. It was through debate that he
formed most of his political opinions–not through solitary research,
though he did a lot of that. Trying to follow in his footsteps, I
advocate my position on issues as strongly as possible, and see where
other people find holes.

Many of my beliefs (whether on race issues, religion or abortion)
originated from solitary research and observation. I think of these
initial opinions as lumpy rocks. One can be formed of the best
sediment (the most well-reviewed journals or smartest mentors) but
until it has entered into agitator of debate, it is impossible to know
what of it is true and what is trash.

My initial opinion on abortion was formed in the kind of echo-chamber
described above–I learned my beliefs from my parents and my friends,
who all pretty much believed the same thing. I can say with some shame
that my opinion could have been summarized by some of the
bumper-stickers you see on cars: Woman’s Right to Choose! Her body,
Her Choice! Come Back When You Have a Uterus!

A lumpy rock indeed. And a weak one, not because the core of it was
weak: I still hold firmly a basic abhorrence of forcing a woman to
bear a child she does not want stronger than an abhorrence of ending a
potential life. My opinion was weak but because it was un-nuanced;
un-subtle; un-debated.

With the efforts of many friends, particularly my Karate teacher who
patiently and kindly challenged my bumper-sticker-quoting lumpy
opinion, I now have a more complex opinion on abortion. My commitment
to debate cannot stop there, because then my opinions would develop
new lumps if I let them lie and I would never know their value. In the
process of honing my opinion on abortion, I spent some time
interviewing the incoming Aimee, President of the Respect for Life
Club of CMU.

Ostensibly, our interview was part of a project I designed in my
Humanities Scholars Program class to study the performance of protest
outside of the Allegheny Women’s Health Center in East Liberty,
Pittsburgh. But the project itself was itself part of my commitment to
having a strongly composed opinion on abortion.

In listening to Aimee, I discovered new trash and underdeveloped
portions of my opinion–I did not honestly believe anyone at Carnegie
Mellon would argue that contraception was un-natural and unacceptable,
as part of a pro-life stance, much less that this was the belief of
all of the members of the Respect Life Club at CMU. This was ignorance
on my part, and a weakness in my opinion.

Without this kind of exchange of information, our generation will be
stuck in the same bumper-sticker flinging contest of our parents. Our
opinions will remain lumpy, and we will never stand together on the
common group which we share.

post contributed by Jessica Dickinson Goodman, a well-respected pro-choice CMU student and vigilant observer of the CMU Respect Life Club.

Common Ground Among Pro-Life and Pro-Choice Students (written by J.Dickinson Goodman)

oathkeeper24 — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 01:06:56 +0000

I am always delighted by how much common ground I find with pro-life
students, after enough discussion. For example, when I was
interviewing student protesters outside of my clinic, I found I had a
common cause (but different a approach) with the pro-life protesters.
With a debate which is dramatized as tearing our nation to pieces, the
things we disagree on are fundamental and important, but there is much
on which we agree.

Here are 3 issues which I think pro-choice and pro-life students can agree:

1) Pregnant women are given no place in high education, and this is wrong
2) Teens are having trouble making responsible sexual decisions
3) Our culture wars are unproductive and impractical

With these three things in common, there are many useful projects we
can do together and much common ground to be shared. The issues which
divide us are vital–but practical good can come of moving beyond
bumper-stickers and into productive debate. I know this sounds
idealistic and naive, but I am not advocating that Operation Rescue
and a resurrected Margaret Sanger plan a wedding together and be bffs,
just that students, with much of the same background and outside
interests, can do significant good working together. I believe any
cooperation, even on small issues, will help lower the animosity level
of both sides, and this is good for our american debate.

PS: I recently found an interesting example of a proposed compromise
on abortion: abortion reduction:

http://www.slate.com/blogs/blogs/humannature/archive/2009/05/07/safe-legal-and-early.aspx

post contributed by Jessica Dickinson Goodman, a well-respected pro-choice CMU student and vigilant observer of the CMU Respect Life Club.

Dr Tiller and Pittsburgh’s pro-life students (written by J. Dickinson Goodman)

oathkeeper24 — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 01:05:02 +0000

In the last semester I have spent a lot of time thinking about
abortion, and the common ground between pro-life and pro-choice
students. I have strong acquaintances with pro-life leaders on my
campus, including several members of the CMU Respect for Life Club,
while being a escort for Planned Parenthood. Dr Tiller’s murder

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/01/AR2009060100612.html?hpid=topnews

is abhorrent to the anti-violence message of many in the pro-life
student movement. Scott Roeder, the accused murderer, or whomever is
responsible, cannot in my mind be placed in the same thought as the
non-violent student protesters outside of my clinic. The non-violent
protesters outside of my clinic are part of our national dialog on
abortion. Our country grows by debate, even painful debate, and
without a strongly argued dialog, we will stagnate as a society.

Violence has no place in that dialogue.

post contributed by Jessica Dickinson Goodman, a well-respected pro-choice CMU student and vigilant observer of the CMU Respect Life Club.

posts from a well-respected pro-choicer (Fence update)

oathkeeper24 — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 01:03:38 +0000

Hey all — I finally got a post from a very well-respected student at CMU. Her name is Jessica Dickinson Goodman — she’s a smart (and tough) cookie, and she really makes me think about why it is that I am pro-life. The following are posts that she contributed to the Fence dialogue, albeit just a tad late.

HLA Campus IMPACT contest: WINNERS!

oathkeeper24 — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 21:59:16 +0000

Dear Aimee and CMU Respect Life Club,

We are happy to inform you that you have been chosen as the Third Place Winners of the 2009 Campus Impact Award sponsored by Human Life Alliance and Students for Life of America.

We really appreciate the work that your group has done and hope you will participate again next year. This afternoon we will be sending out our HLA Weekly Wire announcing the winners – see below for a preview. In addition, your group’s project will be featured in the May 19th email.

Congratulations from all of us at HLA and SFLA!

For Life,

Jillian

Check out the email below that was circulated to all members of the Human Life Alliance!!

Carnegie Mellon University
2009 Campus Impact Award — Third Place Winner

Carnegie Mellon University’s Respect Life Club used a campus landmark, “The Fence” and We Know Better Now, to call attention to the tragedy of abortion.

“The Fence”, a concrete structure that is painted over and over again by different groups and organizations, has a legendary history and has appeared in the Guinness Book of World Records. In order to paint “The Fence,” the following rules have to be observed: 1) It has to be painted between 12:00AM and sunrise, 2) the entire fence must be painted, 3) it must be painted with brushes, hands, etc., no spray painting, and 4) to “hold” the fence, you must keep 2 people there to guard it at all times.

The Students painted “The Fence” with the message, “Are you on the fence about abortion?” and other information that would bring the tragedy of abortion to light for the students passing by. The Respect Life group camped next to the fence 24 hours a day for 4 days. They distributed hundreds of copies of We Know Better Now and were able to engage many in discussion.

CMU Respect Life Club President Aimee Bedoy said, “Our taking of the fence was successful because we made people think.” She continued, “The fence made them finally address the question in their mind, ‘Where do I stand on abortion?’ The point of our awareness campaign was to do exactly that, to make the students of CMU aware of the truth; to get their minds working; to get them thinking about it….”

This student club earned the third place award of $250 because of the unique way in which they distributed and used HLA publications. The results were a success — pro-life education on campus and a huge increase in awareness of the abortion issue.

Minutes from the last meeting of the year!

oathkeeper24 — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 21:52:19 +0000

Respect Life Club
Meeting Minutes 4/23/09

Recap of the year:
Fall Semester
Cupcakes for Life
Graveyard of the Innocents
Red Tape – Day of Silence
Election of new officers
Serrin Foster Lecture

Spring Semester
March for Life
Cupcakes Fundraiser
Pregnancy Resource Forum Planning
PRF Discussion Dinner
Painting the Fence

Events planning for next year:
Professor Zapanta Lecture: Bio-ethics in the lab
Fair Trade Coffee with Amnesty International
Initiation of the Pregnancy Resource Forum on Campus
-Meeting with Student Health Services
-Tabling for the forum
Initiating service projects
-Visiting the elderly
-Crisis Pregnancy Center
Pro Life Film Series
–Monthly showing of films in Breed Hall (?)

Pro-Life Film Festival: Ideas, suggestions?

oathkeeper24 — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 21:47:30 +0000

Hey all! So we talked about so much stuff at the last meeting and one of them was a pro-life film festival. After a bit of thought, it was determined that we would hold the festival over the course of the year instead of all at once, charge $1 for admission, make popcorn and sell it, etc.

So here’s what I have been thinking about:

September: Horton Hears a Who

October: Bella

November: Children of Men

December: It’s a Wonderful Life (for the holiday season!)

January: Waitress

February: Amazing Grace (in honor of Black History Month, maybe Spirit would like to help us out?)

March: Gattaca

April: Juno

There are a ton of options out there, but I figured that these would be the best for our first time around. I considered “Killing Girls,” which is a documentary on abortion in Russia (a very powerful and shocking 54 minute film), but I discerned after a bit that it would not be prudent to show at CMU next year (perhaps the year after, maybe).I was thinking that the members of our club could have a private movie night to watch it as a club, rather than show the whole campus, yeah?

So I’m thinking that maybe we can get McConomy or perhaps just Breed Hall (MMCH103). And perhaps we don’t have discussion with the people who attend, thats okay. As long as we’re putting ourselves out there – getting the message out there – get people thinking – I think that’s what is important. Let me know what you think!

post submitted by Aimee Bedoy, President of CMU Respect Life Club

“There’s this fence.”

oathkeeper24 — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 22:00:22 +0000

There’s this fence.

It’s ungainly, ugly, bulbous and random. Apparently it is some kind of tradition. One of those school traditions that separate the people who care from the people who don’t. Well I have always been firmly in the “people who don’t” camp. Nothing wrong with overdeveloped school spirit, except for all the stuff wrong with it, and I have always maintained that this is a lot. Root for your basketball team? Great. Take off your shirt, paint yourself your school’s completely arbitrary colors, shout like you should be in an insane asylum, and wreck street signs if your team wins (or loses)? Not so great.

There’s this fence.

It is so thick with years of paint that it looks like someone stung the whole thing with the biggest spider in the world, and the swelling just hasn’t gone down. They paint it over and over again, each new group adding a layer of history and making the past layer invisible. There would be something sort of epic about this if I cared about these inane school traditions, but of course, I don’t.

There’s this fence.

It has silly rules. You can only paint it between midnight and dawn. You can’t use spray paint or it is considered vandalism. In order to paint the fence you have to “hold” the fence, and you can only do that by keeping two people in the vicinity at all times, straight through the night. Excuse me while I glance condescendingly and superciliously at those poor souls who take part in such a moronic tradition.

There’s this fence.

For three days, I was one of those poor souls taking part in such a moronic tradition. There was a tent. There was food. There was homework, there was music, there was friendship, there was even a little bit of romance but it all revolved around this fence—this fence that for three days represented more than a “moronic school tradition”, but instead represented life.

There’s this fence.

For a few days, so righteous a cause descended upon this fence that the ultimate school spirit cynic took part in the ultimate trite school tradition. I even slept the night. I’m 6’5”, I forgot my sweatshirt or a pillow, I had to work the next morning, and I was sleeping on the ground next to an infernal fence.

There’s this fence.

During the day, countless passers-by would glance over at us and the aforementioned palisade. Most would ignore it, a few would show some sign of disgust, a few would show some sign of silent agreement… and a few stopped and talked. Ranging from the undecided to the quite vehemently decided, there were hours of discourse. Some people didn’t understand it why it was a big deal, some people thought it was a big deal but just thought we were crazy. Well of course I’m crazy. I slept in a tent next to a fence.

There’s this fence.

And the fence, which ninety-nine times out of a hundred represents only the most trivial of human impulses, for a few days represented something that mattered, and forced people to think. Whether minds were changed is unknowable and unimportant. Whether minds were even affected is indeterminate. But minds were used. People who had never given the issue a second thought finally did. And even if their second thought was much the same as their first, you need to have a second thought before you can have a third. For three days we made people stop and consider. That isn’t any easy thing to do. What’s even more amazing is the instrument which made it all possible. You see,

There’s this fence…

Post contributed by Stephen Petrany, a member of the Pitt Students for Life.