Hostility toward pro-lifers has intensified since the Dobbs decision, and it’s very apparent on college campuses.
Young people are surrounded by pro-abortion indoctrination. It’s in the media, online and in the classroom. Being pro-life on a college campus in post-Roe America can be dangerous. Spreading the pro-life message – ensuring that the next generation of American citizens learns the truth about abortion – is difficult because of how the other side is retaliating.
When the University of Iowa hosted a student engagement fair, one student began to vandalize tables designated for conservative-leaning clubs. After attacking the Campus Republicans table and the Turning Point USA table, he set his sights on the Students for Life table. When the seemingly unbalanced assailant tried to flip the table over, Sophia Claus, the chapter president, held it in place. The pro-abortion student repeatedly bashed his helmet against the table before attempting to flip it again. He told Claus he was “giving abortions.”
Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America, was scheduled to speak at Virginia Commonwealth University as part of her “Lies Pro-Choicers Believe” tour. The March 29 event was disrupted by a violent mob of abortion advocates and Antifa members. Hawkins was unable to speak, and three pro-life advocates were assaulted and/or injured, including Autumn Walser, the president of Students for Life at VCU. When the police arrived, instead of removing the violent protestors from the area, they escorted the pro-life guests to a safe location.
After receiving a letter from Alliance Defending Freedom, VCU allowed Hawkins to return in April and complete the event. Protestors returned, but because of the increased security, the event wasn’t shut down. Six people have been charged for disrupting both the March and April events.
It’s not just the students that can be a problem, pro-abortion professors who wield authority can create even worse situations.
Shellyne Rodriguez was a professor at Hunter College, a tax-payer-funded school under the City University of New York. In May, a group of pro-life students set up a “This Is Chemical Abortion” display table. Rodriguez approached the group, and after unleashing a slew of profanities at them, she knocked items off the table. A video of the incident was shared online, yet the CUNY For Abortion Rights defended the unhinged professor.
The story doesn’t end there. A reporter and a photographer with the New York Post visited Rodriguez’s apartment to ask her about the incident. Upon their arrival, she threatened them with a machete. Rodriguez has been fired and charged with menacing and harassing.
Until recently, Amy Wisner taught Business Communications at Michigan State University. She forced her students to sign up for The Rebellion Community, a political activist website she operates. Proceeds of the $99 membership fee go to Planned Parenthood. Wisner collected nearly $60,000 from 600 students. When information on how the money would be used came to light, MSU fired Wisner and refunded her students. Alliance Defending Freedom is representing two Christian pro-life students in a lawsuit filed against the university and Wisner.
I have dealt with bad behavior during campus lectures for decades, but the intensity has gotten much worse. One can’t help but wonder if lingering emotional turmoil from a past abortion is behind this aggressive violence.
It saddens me to see how much venom and hate is hurled at those who peacefully stand up for innocent unborn lives. Yet, my sadness is eclipsed by hope. Despite the violence and hate these young students receive from their pro-abortion professors and peers, they continue their important work. These students are pro-life leaders in the making and I couldn’t be more proud.
There is no backing down from sharing the truth about abortion!
Standing for truth,
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