After leaving Wells Hall for one of my classes I was astounded by very explicit images. All around me were signs declaring “Genocide Pictures Ahead” and not knowing what was going on I moved closer to the display. I was completely shocked at the subject of the images. The MSU right to life group had many walls of pictures showing aborted fetuses along with lynching photos and pictures from Nazi concentration camps during World War II. Surrounding the displays were guardrails and police officers to make sure protesters were kept safe.

I am a huge First Amendment supporter, but the images I saw were obscene. While the right to lifers do have the freedom to express their views, I felt it is in very bad taste to display those pictures in a place that has a very large traffic of students and faculty. I would be very angry and at a loss for words if I was with a young child and had to explain to them what was happening and why it happens.

I asked a police officer how the group was allowed have a protest in such a manner and she explained that the university had authorized the group to demonstrate. If I had known such a graphic description of abortion would have been given the opportunity to voice its opinion, I would have liked to be at the hearing committee of the university to give mine and others’ opinions on the matter. I cannot fault the group for exercising its free speech right, but I can fault the university for not allowing the student body to know this would have happened and let a hearing on the subject be held.

Michael Ryzyi
computer science junior