By: Ryan Harrington, Contributor
This past Wednesday from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m., Canisius’ Students For Life (SFL) hosted their twelfth annual introductory event: “Everyone Deserves a Birthday.” The event, held outside the library, promotes the pro-life initiative with free cupcakes for any Canisius students.
Meanwhile, other Canisius students across campus partnered with local activist Queen City Feminist to host a very different event: “Everyone Deserves Free Plan B” on the corner of Main Street and Eastwood. This event included free contraceptives, choice-advocacy gear and information on reproductive rights and the abortion debate.
In post-Roe v. Wade America, it is no surprise that abortion is a contentious issue – for the first time in decades, voters have a direct say over abortion access. Being on a small college campus of about 3,000 students, these issues quickly become very personal.
It was no accident that these events happened to be on the same day at the same time; they conflicted last year too. Reportedly, the pro-choice group does this intentionally to provide an alternative viewpoint and divert attention from their ‘opponent’.
The group even went as far as to hand out pins with the saying “Choice tastes better than cupcakes.”
With only one degree of separation between every student, we’re all friends of friends here. It can be very easy to feel torn between two sides, or two friends.
To complicate things further, Canisius is a Jesuit Catholic university that does not have an officially sponsored Students for Choice group. Many students feel that SFL provides only one side of an important debate that all should be allowed to engage with.
It is no surprise that students have taken matters into their own hands – but that doesn’t mean our dialogue has been productive… or fair.
Beyond the slight on the pins, student coordinators of the Free Plan B event took to social media to argue that “[SFL] draws people into the event through free food, but then they give students inaccurate information about abortions with imagery that is not scientifically accurate.”
This statement might be true for the anti-abortion movement at large, but is inaccurate in reference to the anti-abortion movement at Canisius. SFL president Alexandra Hackett commented that SFL does not actually provide students with any information during the Birthday event. Information and pregnancy support are only available in the SFL club room.
“All we give them is a free cupcake, a positive attitude and a smile,” said Hackett.
I went to both events and can verify this statement. Not only did SFL not give any information to students who took cupcakes, but they didn’t even have a sign that advertised the pro-life movement.
Further, in the few moments I was standing at the birthday event I watched someone take a pin with the targeted slogan and place it on the SFL table. They were given a free cupcake and sent off with a smile.
Seeing volatile debate in the country has a poisonous impact on our community. This is not trickle down economics, but trickle down politics. We see national movements using deceptive language and incorrect scientific information, and point to our friends with vitriol before stopping to consider their – or our – words.
The best way to navigate this reality? Argue charitably and recognize the humanity of your opponent. You are welcome to disagree with SFL; I disagree with SFL. On this campus, however, I hope we can still strive to be civil.
As a choice supporter myself, I admire the initiative behind the Free Plan B; free contraceptives and accurate scientific information are invaluable to both the community at large and the venture to form educated opinions about abortion. However, I can’t help but feel it would be more productive to host pro-choice events on a different day completely unrelated to the pro-life events.
Why mention the pro-life movement at all? Pro-choice arguments stand on their own without needing to attack the person behind the opposition. Besides, SFL has no say over whether or not Canisius allows a pro-choice group.
In the meantime, I suggest the recently re-energized Young Democratic Socialist Association host events promoting positive left-leaning arguments. Beyond that, perhaps the success of this Free Plan B group demonstrates a market for a dedicated campus feminist group. There are lots of ways to express your ideas; just express them kindly.
Canisius is where leaders are made. Right now it seems our leaders in Washington can’t behave themselves, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t. As the next generation of leaders, let’s spend this election season practicing more productive, compassionate and educated debate than we see in the media. It’s a great day to be a Griff.
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