I was profoundly disturbed by the indecent demonstration in the middle of Plaza of the Americas on Tuesday that featured graphic images of aborted fetuses.
“Demonstration” is indeed a telling descriptor, as this tactic marks the demise of rational debate and decorum within civil society.
I, along with my peers, have pursued higher education as a means of becoming more aware of the complexities of the world; to come to a reasoned judgment of the phenomena around me, and find a means of engaging with them.
The fanatical demonstration to which we have been subjected is antithetical to the spirit of education and inquiry: It is dogmatic, polarizing and completely ignores the nuances of the issue.
Whatever one thinks of the issue itself, this provocation is wholly counterproductive and even disingenuous in that it falsely insinuates that there is such a thing as being “pro” or “anti” abortion. Furthermore, the images themselves have dangerous trigger potential.
I exhort the “demonstrators” to put down their signs and foster love, helping to create a world into which a mother does not fear for the safety or health of her child.
May we in turn struggle against all vicious attacks on our civil society.
Jordan MacKenzie
First-year UF linguistics master’s student
[A version of this story ran on page 7 on 3/11/2015]
