Photo by Evan E. Duran

The anti-abortion group Project Truth displayed enlarged abortion photos and posters on campus Sept. 28 that led to reactions among students.

Project Truth posted displays of four, 8-foot-high panels consisting of vivid images of aborted babies and fetuses to emphasize their beliefs on abortion.

City College students Leigh Powell, psychology and nursing major, and Robert Parks, political science major, said they became enraged with the anti-abortion displays and began picketing.

“This group is just shocking people with these horrifying images,” said Powell. “It’s sickening. Show me some real statistics for why it’s bad. Tell me how the risks of cervical cancer go up with each abortion. Give me other reasons other than, ‘It’s not OK with God.’”

“I don’t have a problem with religion,” said Parks. “What’s right for me shouldn’t be forced on everyone else.”

Student response to the displays varied.

“The pictures are very graphic,” said Artavius Galloway, a 26-year-old business major. “Abortion, it’s a tough call. If a girl is raped she shouldn’t bring a baby into the world that she didn’t want.”

Bud Reeves, a member of Project Truth who presented the displays at City College, said he views them as educational. He said his organization has toured all over Californian campuses, such as CSU Monterey and San Francisco State, two tours a year for three years.

“The pictures are absolutely necessary,” said Reeves. “They show a reality and cause discussion, which is what education is all about. A college campus is the perfect setting for this kind of tour.”

City College nurse Wendy Gomez sat at a small table next to the displays in the Quad with a large, purple bowl of candy-colored condoms. Students grabbed handfuls on their way to class. “Cultivating the mind body and spirit” is printed on brochures for City College Health Services, which were also available at the booth.

“City College Health Services is here to give students information on prevention, answer questions and support the students in a nonjudgmental way,” said Gomez.

According to Gomez, she wants students to utilize health services offered so they can optimize their college experience.

“It’s great that this Health Services booth is here,” said Shaleen Snow, civil engineering major. “It’s important for people to have choices. It’s so one-sided over there,” referring to the anti-abortion display.

Snow says her brother contracted HIV when he was 17 years old.

“That really opened my eyes to advocating alternative ideas in sex education – methods that teach prevention and safety in a way that isn’t shameful,” said Snow.

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SCC file photo Randy Briggs

Associated Student Government President Steve Macias and Student Affairs Commissioner Monica Guzman face a recall election Oct. 27 and 28.

A petition for recall was circulated by the Queer-Straight Alliance about a week after the Genocide Awareness Project held a graphic anti-abortion demonstration on the Quad. Controversial images seen in that Sept. 16 and 17 display included disfigured fetuses alongside lynching and Holocaust imagery and ignited debate across campus.

“The [QSA] group felt like Steve was misrepresenting the GAP group to the student population, and a lot of [QSA] group members felt that it was important that the ASG president follow the correct procedure for inviting groups on campus,” said Ash Pearson, president of the Queer-Straight Alliance.

The initial recall dates were Oct. 19 and 20, but those dates were approved only by the student senate and not the entire ASG board as required by the ASG constitution. The dates were changed to Oct. 27 and 28 and approved by the board in order to meet that requirement, according to ASG adviser Lee Weathers-Miguel.

Associated Student Government Commissioner of Public Relations Justin Turner said the ASG supports the student body’s right to recall.

“The events are unfortunate,” Turner said, “because there are many issues that we would rather be working on, but if the students have spoken then we will make their voice heard.”

ASG members Turner, Dina Kirben and Debby Dixon all expressed the opinion that the agenda description of the GAP display voted on in August by the ASG board for approval was misleading. Dixon stated that when she asked Macias what the event was about, he replied that it would feature nonpartisan speakers on constitutional issues.

According to the Ralph M. Brown Act, which governs the meetings of local legislative bodies, agenda descriptions “must not be misleading.” The Attorney General’s guide to the Brown Act states that the purpose of agendas is “to inform interested members of the public about the subject matter under consideration.”

Macias said he approved the GAP display on the principle of free speech.

“The student government isn’t here to legislate morality,” Macias said. “Allowing different groups to come on to the campus with controversial opinions doesn’t mean we endorse them.”

If Macias and Guzman are recalled, Vice President Debbie Dixon would take over as president.

Macias claims proper procedure for the recall has not been followed. In accordance with the ASG constitution, all petitions for recall must be submitted to the ASG Judicial Branch for signature validation. Macias claims this step was superseded, instead being submitted to and validated by faculty adviser Weathers.

“What do I do if my adviser’s against me?” said Macias. “If he’s the one breaking the rules, where’s my recourse?”

Weathers said that though there were some initial problems with the timing of the recall, he has followed procedure in his handling of the recall petition.

“My role has been to enact the will of student government who represents the student body,” Weathers said. “I just facilitate. I don’t influence or control.”

Weathers said that the recall petitions may not be valid in Guzman’s case, because the original petition did not meet the signature requirement and a subsequent petition did not include Guzman’s name. Her name will be included in the recall election, however.

“She’s pretty much off the board anyway because of her unexcused absences,” Weathers added.

Guzman was not available for comment on this article, but e-mails between Guzman and Macias obtained by the Express reveal that Guzman no longer supports Macias.

“I now see that the only interest you have is your own,” Guzman wrote in an e-mail to Macias where she expressed concern over “the events of Sept. 16 and 17,” the days of the GAP presentation.

“At this time I do not trust you,” Guzman wrote to Macias.

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3. EDITORIAL: Going, going, but never gone

Video produced, edited, and filmed by Cecilio Padilla.

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RE: “Anti-abortion display ignites debate on campus.” Sept. 29

While reading through your article, I couldn’t help but notice that you wrote that the Sacramento City College Health Services Department took sides and set up a booth to oppose the anti-abortion display on Sept. 17. The Express newspaper reported that the Health Department “felt that it was unfair that the group ran unopposed.”

While the Health Department claims to be fair in its presentation, the information provided at the table was clearly biased. In the campus-based Health Department’s one-sided exhibit, the pro-abortion views of Planned Parenthood are clearly endorsed. This is unlike the campus-based Associated Student Government, which has endorsed a position of neutrality on the topic, encouraging and vigorously defending the rights of each side to express themselves.

While the Health Department used taxpayer dollars to support a one sided abortion agenda, the ASG did not spend a single dime supporting either side.

The SCC Health Department’s Web site advocates that students use family planning services, such as abortion, from Planned Parenthood. The Web site directs students to four separate Planned Parenthood locations, and does not include even one alternative family planning service that does not support abortion.

I find it at least ironic that a public institution would endorse the use of abortion and then claim that other groups are being unfair by presenting a view that is not in support of abortion.

In the interest of fairness, the ASG has approved plans to invite both anti-abortion and pro-abortion groups onto campus. Will the Health Department do the same? The Health Department will cease to be biased when they provide information in support of abortion and also against abortion.

Steve Macias

ASG President

RE: “Anti-abortion display ignites debate on campus.” Sept. 29

I am writing you to take issue with the article entitled “Anti-abortion display ignites debate on campus.” I am glad that the Express did cover the story; however, I am disappointed that it did not cover the entire story and in so doing ultimately failed to convey the true concerns of the student body regarding the events in question.

One of the “missing” important items that I feel needs mentioning regards the physical threats that were made to students on the days of the events. Students were threatened regarding their sexual orientation, as well as regarding their religious beliefs. There is currently an open investigation on the part of the LRCCPD (Los Rios Community College Police Department) regarding the threats that were made that day.

Another “missing” item from the article regards the brochures that were handed out to students. These were handed out based on race. There was a brochure for those of African American descent, Latino descent, Asian decent and so on.

Finally, there is a lot of “talk” about the true intentions of our current ASG President, Steve Macias, regarding the event in question. There has been a lot of open conversation regarding his actions and his motives in his administration of the ASG.

Macias states in an email sent to ASG student affairs commissioner Monica Guzman, “You, as an ally along side Justin (Turner), Jeanette (Carpenter) and our other fellow Republican officers need to band together and force this board to work as a unit.”

It is my sincere hope that going forward, the Express newspaper will do whatever necessary to cover the entire story when it is of the magnitude that this story is. Thank you for your time.

Tiffany Lange

City College Student

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Macias played an integral part in bringing an anti-abortion group to campus on Constitution Day. The group, which refers to itself as the Sanctity of Human Life Network (or SOHLNet), was billed as the Genocide Awareness Project in ASG documents Macias submitted for approval as a part of the Constitution Day festivities.

Macias is now facing a recall election, to be held Oct. 20 and Oct. 21, orchestrated by students offended by the display and what they deem to be inappropriate behavior from Macias for his role in allowing the anti-abortion display on campus.

In his letter Macias claimed that, unlike the ASG, Health Services endorsed abortion activism by passing out pamphlets from Planned Parenthood at its Constitution Day booth.

“While the health department used taxpayer dollars to support a one-sided abortion agenda, the ASG did not spend a single dime supporting either side,” said Macias.

Ash Pearsol, president of the Queer Straight Alliance and treasurer of the Sac City Freethinkers, disagreed.

“That’s just not true,” Pearsol said. “There was a lot of information out there, but it was the same stuff that’s available in their [Health Services’] office and posted in every womens’ bathroom.”

Both the Sac City Freethinkers and Queer Straight Alliance clubs were a part of the display set up across from the anti-abortion rally along with the Health Services department.

“We’re a student advocate,” said City College nurse Jeff Christian. “It’s not our place to help students make those decisions, just to give them both sides of the issue and let them decide for themselves.”

According to Pearson, the goal of that display was to inform City College students of their choices and the fact that, whichever side of the issue they were on, they had support.

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Christopher Geanakos | Editor in Chief
geanakc@imail.losrios.edu
Additional reporting by Genevieve Jerome, Randy Briggs,  Juan De Anda and Robert Pace.
Skip to video

Updated on 9/29/2009 at 7:34 PM

An anti-abortion group sparked debate among City College students and faculty members Sept. 16-17 with an exhibit on the Quad showing photographs of aborted fetuses.

Exhibit speaker Howard Blythe said its purpose was to facilitate dialogue on abortion and was part of scheduled events for the Associated Student Government-sponsored Constitution Day.

Many on campus expressed different points of view about the exhibit.
“It is very sad to see these pictures,” criminal justice major Robert Adams said. “If I got a girl pregnant, I could never ask her to do this to a child after seeing these pictures.”

Psychology major Leah Gaston said she found the display unsettling.
“It’s really gross and really disgusting and some of them [the pictures] I think are uncalled for.”

Some felt that it was unfair that the exhibit ran unopposed Sept. 16. As a result, Planned Parenthood, The Queer Straight Alliance club, the Sac City FreeThinkers club and City College Health Services set up booths across from the anti-abortion presentation the next day.

“We want to be a supportive, positive presence,” QSA President Ash Pearsol said.

“I’m pro-choice,” said D. Del-Toro, a QSA member. “We want people to understand we respect your choices and your decisions.”

ASG Vice President Debbie Dixon addressed the campus during the second day’s events to personally apologize for the controversial display.

“This part of what had been planned for Constitution Day was never mentioned,” Dixon said. “It was kind of an earmark onto the plans for Constitution Day that the rest of us were unaware of.”

The anti-abortion exhibit by The Sanctity of Human Life Network, a religious nonprofit organization focused on anti-abortion activism, was voted unanimously onto the Constitution Day schedule by the campus ASG Sept. 2.

According to Dixon, the anti-abortion group was billed as the Genocide Awareness Project when ASG was voting on groups to invite to campus for Constitution Day. She said that the group’s misleading name, coupled with lack of information on the group and rushed voting, contributed to the ASG unanimously passing a vote to bring the group onto campus.
ASG President Steve Macias assumed responsibility for arranging the group’s unopposed presence on campus.

“I was the person who added the Genocide Awareness Project to the Constitution Day plans,” Macias said. “The rest of the plans, as far as the 12-1 events on Thursday, were put together by the Student Affairs Committee.”

Though Macias acknowledged the event did not go as smoothly as he hoped, he said that the constitutional discussion generated on abortion was in keeping with the Constitution-based theme.

“I think that much of the controversy is good and that controversy isn’t always a bad thing,” Macias said.

There is currently a petition to recall Macias circulating among students on campus.

Below is a link to a statement by ASG President Steve Macias after the event took place

http://media.scc.losrios.edu/asg/ASGPresGAP.pdf

Video produced by Cecilio Padilla, reported by Chris Geanakos and Randy Briggs, filmed by Randy Briggs

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2. EDITORIAL: ASG drops the ball with Constitution Day controversy
3. Project Truth displays graphic anti-abortion images on campus