Earth Day 2009 - DON'T FORGET TO SAVE THE BABIES!

Green Lacewings or Babies?

While we were setting up the Survivors booths at the San Diego Earth Fair on Earth Day in 2008, I didn't really expect the response we received from Earth Fair staff. I'm fairly new to Survivors, so while unpacking coloring pages, crayons and books at our Horton Hears A Who-themed Children's Booth, I was surprised to see security pulling out signs that read:

"Protect Your Children, Gruesome Images Ahead: We cannot require the extremists ahead to adhere to Earth Fairs standard of decency. Please take a detour past this area if you are accompanied by minor children."
The irony is that while approaching these signs throughout the day, you couldn't help but see children chasing bubbles and laughing and playing around our beautiful five-foot-tall photos of preborn babies in the womb. The sharp contrast between what the Earth Fair staff deemed to be 'a standard of decency' and the joyful celebration of life around the Children's Booth was almost comical if the issue weren't quite so grave. Authorities' attempt at censorship was a concept that I had been familiar with from stories of past Survivors events, but this was my first personal experience.

Another response that I wasn't fully expecting was the repeated question: "What does abortion have to do with Earth Day?" It amazed me that out of all of the questions people might be moved to ask the Survivors at the San Diego Earth Fair, this one was asked most frequently. Walking down the streets of Balboa Park viewing any one of the 200-plus booths, it was abundantly clear that the festival was not only a celebration of the environment, but a platform for various groups to remind the world of our duty as humans on this planet and citizens of this nation. So amidst the fights for baby whales, world peace, preservation of virgin forests and better protection for garden insects like green lacewings (an actual booth!) why the surprise at the fight for baby humans?

The Survivors came out in full swing, pulling no punches in educating and confronting an audience of over 60,000 people about the horrors and realities of abortion on demand in our nation. And the reactions and effects of this activism were intense and immediate.
There were two powerful "die-in" demonstrations which pulled major crowds that stopped to watch and listen to Survivors describe how everyone on the ground was born after Roe v. Wade. At one point during the die-in a young man from the crowd tried to distract the speaker at the bullhorn by making noises in her ear. And although he had virtually no effect on the message being delivered, it made me smile to think that the symbolic fetal positions, the chalk outlines and the red cloth draped over the young people made a bold statement to everyone crowding around to watch. Even aggressive close-minded individuals in the crowd trying to block out the undeniable words being spoken couldn't help but see the truth in symbolism. Through die-ins, handing out literature, and displaying educational signs, people of all ages and all walks of life were affected by the simple and undeniable truth that abortion is the extermination of a precious human life.

I noticed the greatest reaction to Survivors' activism was outside of the Planned Parenthood booth. Planned Parenthood volunteers were handing out stickers that read, "Stand Up For Choice!" People who donned these stickers were then immediately confronted by Survivors stationed around the area with signs of aborted babies which stated the naked truth, "THIS is Choice". The individuals who were proudly standing up for 'choice' were forced, if just for a few seconds, to come to terms with what they profess to support. It's obvious that once the realization is reached that abortion is nothing but a violent act which kills innocent children, it's virtually impossible for people to maintain a moral high ground in defending it. Some people were so moved by the images that they actually removed the "Stand Up For Choice" stickers they had only moments before proudly put on.

Throughout the day people would silently nod, smile or shake my hand; at one point I realized that for every angry pro-choice supporter screaming self-righteous profanities and attempting to cover the signs of aborted babies, there were dozens of people walking silently by who couldn't help but face the truth and ask the inevitable questions, "what is it about these pictures that compels people to so aggressively censor them? What DOES abortion have to do with Earth Day?"

The answer is: everything. When looking at the many issues we face on this planet, the highest priority should go to protecting the innocent, the helpless, and the voiceless from unspeakable acts of greed, selfishness, and ignorance. And it is truly humbling to think that at the earth's largest environmental fair, Survivors had the privilege of making a very powerful stand on the greatest environmental issue of all... the fight for the rights of the unborn.

This article by a young Survivor is from the Summer 2008 issue of the quarterly Survivors Action News.