ABORTION AND UGLY PICTURES

Brother Mark Muscovitch, Pro-Life Chairman of Council 8613, Drums,

Pennsylvania, has asked about the appropriateness of showing graphic videos

on abortion during council meetings. He wondered if this would be

considered offensive to his brother Knights. After some reflection, I

thought it could benefit others to post my opinion for the benefit of those

who, like him, wish to know if such a strategy would be unethical and

frowned upon by the Order.

I think we are being too solicitous towards our brother Knights in wanting

to spare the fainthearted among us the realities of abortion. We should by

all means show them graphic videos, but also forewarn them that what they`re

about to see is truly horrific and to stay and watch to familiarize

themselves with the grim facts of what is being repeated 1.5 million times

each year in the US - evil acts deliberately withheld from them by an

overwhelmingly pro-abortion media establishment.

I realize some people vehemently object to being shown pictures of aborted

fetuses. But this is a necessary provocation. For too long Canadians and

Americans have been sleeping in their comfortable pews, while outside the

church the anti-life troops have been gathering and making devastating

inroads in our traditional culture of life. We are all responsible for

putting an end to those dead fetuses. The overly sensitive ones who

can`t tolerate the reality of abortion shouldn`t count themselves among the

defenders of unborn children, but rather among its promoters.

The photos of dead fetuses published in pamphlets, the pictures shown in

such powerful videos as "Hard Truths," "Meet the Abortion Providers" and

"The Eclipse of Reason," or the much publicized and deeply shocking "Show

the Truth" displays along busy thoroughfares, are very explicit and

disturbing. However, do those who object to them as obscene or grotesque

realize that - in virtually all cases in Canada and, often, in the United

States - they are paying for these abortions with their taxes? To see such

pictures and realize the government uses our money to do the killing should

make anyone angry.

Picketing and sidewalk counselling are great, but they often lack one

important element - pictures of the victims. Without it, the public cannot

understand the full gravity of abortion. Without it, women can say, "We

didn`t know." CHILDREN ARE DYING! That is

one thing that seems to escape the rhetoric used in the abortion argument.

No one really reacts to our display of slogans because the public does not

actually have a picture of what abortion does to unborn children. When they

think of abortion, they do not think of DEATH. Instead, the public thinks

of abortion as a CHOICE! It is time then to show the Canadian and American

public the real FACE OF CHOICE! Most who see the pictures of aborted babies

will be numbed by the realization that such a horror is

allowed to take place in our countries and promoted with our tax dollars.

It is time to start calling a spade by its name and abandon our fear of a

negative reaction to pictures of aborted babies. We need more, not fewer

depictions of abortions so that people will be shocked and upset enough to

bring an end to this horrific

slaughter of the unborn.

Abortion will remain legal and common in our two countries only as long as

it remains shrouded in deceit, ignorance and euphemisms. As long as secrecy,

apathy and silence obscure reality, the status quo will remain. If it takes

a picture to break the facade, I say show it! The grim truth must prevail,

over every other consideration, that abortion maims, mutilates, and mangles

defenceless little babies.

Just as it is necessary at times to show pictures of the Jewish holocaust to

awaken people's consciences, pro-lifers have learned that showing the full

horror of what abortion does to children is a necessary part of the pro-life

movement. As Randy Alcorn

states in his excellent abortion handbook, 'Pro Life Answers to Pro Choice

Arguments', "Banning pictures of aborted babies from public abortion debates

is like banning x-rays of smoke-damaged lungs from the smoking debate, or

saying we cannot show pictures of clubbed baby seals or harpooned whales

when discussing animal rights. Let the public be treated as adults and

allowed to choose for themselves what they believe. If this is not a baby,

what could be the harm in looking at the pictures?"

There should be no hesitation to show graphic abortion videos to Knights at

council meetings without fear of abusing their sensitivities. We need to

wake up our councils to the grisly realities of abortion. However, when

it`s done it is important to preface the presentation with some of the

thoughts expressed above. This should serve to put them in a state of mind

that will harden their resolve to fight this abominable crime against

humanity rather than have some object to being shown 'ugly' and 'disgusting'

pictures.

Vivat Jesus!

Thaddee Renault