GAP Pins Terrapins at University of Maryland

The Genocide Awareness Project at the University of Maryland.
Mark Harrington speaks to students (above), and joins the UM Students for Life in photo (below).
On November 16-17, 2004 CBR Midwest assisted the University of Maryland (UM) Students for Life in displaying the Genocide Awareness Project (GAP). A skeleton crew consisting of Mark, Luke, and Dylan Harrington along with Paul Troiani aided the launching of UM student operated GAP. This has always been the vision of CBR—to train community leaders and students to operate GAP on their own. Defend Life, a Maryland pro-life organization, provided community oversight on this project. Here is a note from the UM Students: 

The University of Maryland has been the home of numerous protests. However, the issue of abortion had been kept neatly tucked away until the Genocide Awareness Project (GAP) arrived. The GAP signs had a profound impact. Before GAP came to our school, we were concerned about how the display might affect viewers, particularly post-abortive women. We realized that viewing these photos would be extremely painful for some women who had had abortions, or for men whose children had been aborted. However, we also realized that many more children could be killed if we did not invite GAP to come. Many parents have decided against abortion as a result of viewing photos like these; to deprive them of the opportunity to be educated about abortion in such a powerful way was not something we were prepared to do. 

 —Sierra Correa, Maryland Students for Life

The following are excerpts from the letters page in the Diamondback, UM’s Student Newspaper: 

GAP's assertion that abortion is genocide is hateful propaganda that has been deliberately calculated to shock, horrify and manipulate people without factual basis. While this hate group does have the right to express its beliefs, a community of learning such as ours should refute these intolerant and ignorant beliefs. 
 —Julie Snyder, senior, Molecular Biology and Genetics
 
I have always been proud to be a Jewish student attending this university. However, seeing those images of aborted and mutilated fetuses linked with images from the Holocaust was more than disturbing. I was embarrassed to be seen anywhere around Hornbake Mall. 
—Ari Ross, Junior, Criminology
 
If GAP wants to talk about slavery, let's talk about the enslavement of American women's bodies that would inevitably come with the reversal of Roe v. Wade. 
—Allison Jai O'Dell, Senior, Classics and History

Well, to say the least GAP continues to create debate on campus even though many students remain in denial about the American Holocaust - abortion. Our plans to expand GAP beyond CBR to other groups is taking shape—thanks to you our faithful supporters the student operated GAP is well on its way. 

Encouraging Notes From CBR’s Website: www.abortionno.org 

Despite the denials by students of the magnitude of injustice represented by abortion, hearts are being changed by CBR. Read the following anecdotes:   

I never thought that abortion was right but after visiting this site it has definitely made me against it.
—14 yr. old female from Waltham Cross, England
 
I had and abortion when I was young but now I see that it took part of me with it.
—22 yr. old female from Clearwater, FL
 
Seeing the images have given me a great deal of reinforcement in my decision not to abort my 13 month old
daughter.—19 yr. old female form Alexander City, AL
 
I always believed abortion was wrong but seeing pictures of an abortion can really make a person think twice about having an abortion.—18 yr. old female from Philadelphia, PA
 
[My son] is 19 months now and I said that if I got pregnant before he was 5 I would not have it. Looking at these pictures has made me reconsider again and I would never.—22 yr. old female from Washington, DC
 
I’ve never seen an abortion before, at first I thought it was not a big deal. However, now I’m disgusted. I will never suggest it to anyone again.—18 yr. old female from East Orange, NJ  

Mark Harrington addresses a class of high school seniors.
Reforming Bio Ethics Goes to Government Schools 

On November 30, 2004 Worthington Kilbourne High School seniors heard a presentation from CBR Midwest. The kids were attentive and asked many questions. Statistics continue to show that young people, especially teenagers, are becoming more and more pro-life. Maybe, just maybe, CBR has had something to do with that! More on this next month.

CBR’s Reproductive “Choice” Campaign Saves Lives  

When the “Choice” Trucks visited Watertown High School (South Dakota) during the Key States Initiative, the school newspaper editor was less than flattering.  However, Brandon Heim, WHS freshman, sent a rebuttal to the newspaper.  The following response shows what a difference CBR and financial supporters like you can make. 

Hey, I don’t know you [Brandon] but I thought that I would tell you that it took a lot to write that article in the paper and I completely agree with you. I’m actually pregnant at the moment and my parents tried to make me have an abortion. If there weren’t people out there like you, I probably would have given into them … so I just wanna say thanks :) —Watertown High School Student, Watertown, SD 

It is getting easier and easier to write these newsletters, when the fruit of our work can simply be conveyed by those who are changed by CBR. If you think CBR is having an impact worth supporting financially, then please help us with a special gift before the end of the year. We have even bigger plans for 2005! 

Mark Harrington,
Executive Director of CBR Midwest and Host ofMark Harrington Live