Outside of Bryan Hall on Wednesday, the WSU Students for Life club (SFL) hosted an anti-abortion demonstration called “Cemetery of the Innocent.” The display consisted of 300 crosses: one cross equal to “10 children aborted per day in the U.S.,” according to the sign.

SFL President Trisha Mallett wrote in an email that the club created the “Cemetery of the Innocent” to foster dialogues on abortion.

“The display was designed to honor and respect the lives of the preborn children whose lives have been terminated due to abortion,” she wrote.

Keaton Aspell, an abortion rights activist removed the crosses from the demonstration, according to a video posted on Facebook by Shay Dingfelder. Aspell has since apologized.

Mallett stated the display “was approved by RSO Community Advisor Evelyn Martinez and Facilities Services Grounds Lead Jim Frazier.” Since RSO officials approved the “Cemetery of the Innocent,” SFL had every legal right to protest peacefully.

All political, religious or ethical views aside, we’re lawfully obligated to respect other’s opinions while at the same time refraining from forcing others to agree with us. Thus, it was wrong for Aspell to take the display down.

Although I do disagree with Aspell’s actions, I also disagree with the message SFL conveyed, along with their choice to create a cemetery to accomplish their anti-abortion rhetoric.

“There were some students who opposed our display and claimed that it was meant to shame and attack women,” Mallett said. “That was definitely not our intent.”

But the “Cemetery of the Innocent” does attack women who have had or are considering an abortion. By portraying aborted fetuses as humans killed by their mothers, the demonstration imposed feelings of guilt upon women. After all, being called a murderer would make most humans feel shame.

I respect the SFL members’ views on abortion. From a personal perspective, it’s okay to disagree with abortion.

On the other hand, I cannot tolerate when members of the anti-abortion group try to impose their views on women as a whole. Values and ethics are not a blanket framework that applies to everyone. By stating that abortion is universally wrong and thus should be outlawed, pro-life groups are infringing on the rights of autonomous individuals.

American liberties guarantee that each adult is autonomous in choices made about their own body. Those same liberties defend the freedom of speech. Women should not be shamed for making informed choices about their own bodies.

Geana Javier is a sophomore economics major from Seattle. She can be contacted at 335-2290 or by [email protected]. The opinions expressed in this column are not necessarily those of the staff of The Daily Evergreen or those of The Office of Student Media.