This Bama Students for Life display was removed by administration.
In January, Bama Students for Life at the University of Alabama was named Group of the Year by Students for Life of America for all of their hard work and dedication to raising awareness about abortion and saving lives. Now, they face discrimination and an attack on their freedom of speech on their campus.
The university administration removed Bama Students for Life’s pro-life display without notifying the group because they say that some students found the display “offensive.” The display included facts about abortion, the photos of women who have died from abortion in recent years, and images of aborted babies.
Claire Chretien, President of Bama Students for Life is working with Alliance Defending Freedom and had this to say:
Students have a right to express the truth about abortion’s harmful effects on the defenseless humans it kills and their mothers. Bama Students for Life will continue to stand against this censorship and we are optimistic that The University of Alabama will help us right this wrong.
In a press release, Matt Sharp, Legal Counsel with Alliance Defending Freedom said, “Universities are supposed to be the marketplace of ideas, not arenas for censoring particular viewpoints just because someone feels offended. We support Bama Students for Life and look forward to continuing to working with them to ensure that their constitutional freedoms are protected.”
In a letter to the University, the group sites other group displays that were allowed to remain up, including an art gallery display featuring male full frontal nudity and a theater program display that including blood stained glass superimposed over a picture of a bride and groom. In addition, other student groups are able to display information on women’s health and the consequences of sex.
The letter states, “We believe that the removal of our pro-life display violates our First Amendment right to free speech. The Ferguson Center permits all kinds of speech by other students and student groups that many people would find ‘offensive’ or ‘graphic.’
Bama Students for Life
Students for Life would like your help in reinstating Bama Students for Life’s freedom of speech. Call the University of Alabama Ferguson Center Director, Mr. Carl Bacon at 205-348-8232 and ask him to put their display back up.
Vice President of Bama Students for Life Elizabeth Rust says that their group is strong and has big plans for 2014.
“This group is not going away,” says Rust, “We’re going to keep fighting as long as abortion is here.”
