The displays were hard to miss.
Boards with images of aborted fetuses, statistics on abortion and words including “human” and “why?” were displayed on the U. Nebraska-Lincoln green space in front of Selleck Quadrangle on Monday, visible to students as they walked across campus. Near the Broyhill Fountain, a group of students gathered to listen to a man holding a question-and-answer session about abortion. A table sat near the exhibit with brochures showing fetuses at various phases of development.
The exhibit was put on by Justice for All, a traveling anti-abortion group that goes to college campuses across the country. The group will continue showing its exhibit at UNL today and Wednesday.
Monday, the exhibit was met with both reinforcement and shock.
The purpose of the group is to help create a dialogue on the topic of abortion, said Rebecca Haschke, an intern at Justice for All, which is based in Wichita, Kan. Haschke became involved with Justice for All after seeing the same images being displayed on the UNL campus.
“The first time I saw the graphic photos, it hit me hard,” Haschke said. “I thought that if I had lived during the time of the Holocaust and felt that it was a huge injustice, I wouldn’t be the person who stood back.”
College campuses are an effective place to have the exhibits because of the age group of college students and because it’s an educational atmosphere, Haschke said. The graphic images are the best way to get the group’s point across, she said. Haschke cited graphic images in history that helped movements, such as photos of Emmett Till during the Civil Rights Movement.
“We show the graphic images because they’re true,” Haschke said. “They have to see it.”
UNL Students for Sexual Health put up a table near the Nebraska Union with pro-choice resources and offered counseling for those who saw the images.
“We’re here so that students can make informed decisions,” said Chelsea Chappell, a senior women’s and gender studies major.
Near the display, a board was set up where viewers could write down their thoughts. The comments ranged from “thank you” to “don’t come back.” The reactions were varied, Haschke said.
“One woman said she thought it was good and thought it was good info to have,” Haschke said. “I did talk to one woman who disagreed and thought it was too large to be on a college campus.”
Jess Salas, a junior political science major, had a different reaction while walking toward the union. She lost her appetite, and the images disturbed her, she said.
“I could see them all the way from the union doors,” Salas said. “It annoyed me because I’m just trying to go to school. I could see the very obvious red-tinted photos, so I didn’t go over. I didn’t want to see it.”
The images, though graphic, inspire dialogue about the issue, said Ben Stangl, a senior mechanical engineering major. The images bring up moral and political issues, he said.
“It more so reinforced my views,” Stangl said. “I think they were effective in stimulating an analysis of the issue.”
Monday around 4 p.m., the group started taking down the signs and putting the supplies in a truck. They will be back up today and Wednesday, though, visible to students passing by.