Paw Print Writer: Riley Benavidez
Outside the Japanese Zen Garden, students and volunteers at Tu Casa participated in Sexual Assault Awareness Week, decorating concrete tiles with motivation and statistics of domestic and sexual assault in order to spread awareness on Adams State Campus. A Pro-Life organization “Justice for All '' (JFA) made an appearance twice during the events. Justice for All is a pro-life organization aimed at informing viewers of the fetus development and abortion. Upon asking why this organization chose this specific week to set up booths, the answer was, “We weren’t aware of this week until we got here,” and that they travel around the country and choose specifically to visit ASU during mid-April due to weather conditions. Asking other students about the suspicious timing of their appearance, students weren’t convinced either. The reason why the timing of JFA’s organization on this campus is so volatile is because it was during Sexual Assault Awareness Month, a month that is meant for a space where people are at the most vulnerable and support seeking. It should not be a place of judgment upon bodily choices from an outside perspective but rather from an individual choice. It also raises important questions, should Adam State University allow outside community groups onto campus? Would they be considered taking from student resources and not allowing for a student body to set up booths themselves? During the interview, I asked a member of the JFA the logic behind this particular pro-life movement. It is an organization based on Western Christian standards of mortality and morality for an unborn fetus. Upon being given a scenario. “ A mother has a toddler, about 2 years old. Would it be wrong for the mother to kill that toddler? Then if so, why do we do it to the unborn?” This is a loaded question that is rehearsed in order to get an immediate response rather than a full-blown constructive conversation between morality and health care. Interesting to note, that this group which advocates that abortion is murder, members do not have experience with a biology degree. Something that was mentioned a few times during the interview and overheard was when ASU biology students came to disagree with the JFA organization members. Continuing the interview I asked them what outside organizations they contribute to in order to help a pregnant individual to maintain a healthy child. The answer was vague and along the lines of cherry-picking organizations that best represent their own views rather than any organization nearest that has mixed views. The JFA organization claims to just spread awareness of this complex topic rather than facilitate any help for a pregnant individual. They also had a booth beside themselves where participants could vote Yes or No on “Should Abortion Remain Legal in Colorado?” most of the participants agreed yes, stating- My body is my Choice, or Mind your Business, or even Abortion is Health Care.” With most students agreeing on Colorado's agreement of keeping Abortion legal.
If you want to read more about this organization please explore for yourself at jfaweb.org
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