"In the 11 years I've lived in Jackson, I've never seen this community shaken up so much as when the protesters from Kansas and Operation Save America showed up. I heard a month before that a radical anti-abortion group was planning on coming to protest. I didn't think that was a good idea, because it seemed too controversial.
"I completely forgot about it until the Wednesday morning they arrived on Broadway to deliver their 'shock and awe campaign.' When I saw the graphic pictures of the aborted baby, I was shocked and deeply offended. I wasn't offended that OSA showed the pictures in public, but I was offended that this is happening in our community on Saturday mornings.
"For years, I've driven past Emerg-A-Care, admiring the airplane propellers over the entrance without thinking about what takes place inside. I've since talked with several churchgoers about this. They said they agreed with OSA's pro-life stance but didn't agree with the delivery of the group's message, because it wasn't a loving-enough approach.
"The Bible says an open rebuke is better than hidden love. Isaiah 58: 1 says, 'Show my people their sins.' Abortion is horrific, and showing graphic pictures humanizes it.
"A major turning point in the civil rights battle was the murder and open-casket funeral of 14-year-old Emmett Till. Tens of thousands of people filed past Emmett's body to see the horrors of segregation. As the brutal photos circulated around the country and television coverage of police violence against peaceful protesters in Birmingham made its way into America's living rooms, we decided we weren't going to tolerate it anymore.
"OSA's protesting strategy has led to hundreds of abortion clinics being shut down around the country. They save thousands of unborn children's lives, each year. In Wichita Kan., the hometown of many of the protesters, all three abortion clinics have been shut down. The graphic pictures are effective in changing minds. My family and I stood for several hours with the protesters, and, let me tell you, it was uncomfortable. I haven't been flipped off or threatened like that before, but standing up for those who don't have a voice is worth it.
"To the Christians and churchgoers in this community, don't be afraid to stand up for what you know is right, even if it puts you in an uncomfortable spot among your peers."
Jeremy Aughenbaugh
Jackson [Wyoming]
Jackson [Wyoming]
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