Posted: Thursday, January 23, 2003 12:00 am
Republicans' event designed to inspire debate
By THERESA HOGUE
Gazette-Times reporter
Row after row of small wooden crosses dotted the Memorial Union Quad on Wednesday morning as a light rain spattered dark on pale wood. There were more than 1,000 crosses set up on the quad's lawn, but if things had gone as planned, more than 3,600 crosses would have adorned the grass.
The crosses were placed by the OSU College Republicans to mark what they say are the more than 3,600 unborn children destroyed each day through legal abortions. Their placement coincides with the 30th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision that guarantees the right to abortion in the United States. But early Wednesday morning, 2,600 of the crosses were allegedly stolen from the back of OSU College Republican President Chad Robinson's truck.
"They were stacked seven-feet high on the truck and trailer," Robinson said. "It had to be a lot of people and at least two trucks."
Robinson said he parked his truck near his residence on Harrison Boulevard after 12:30 last night, and came outside Wednesday morning to discover all but four crosses had been taken. The bungee cords and tie downs that held down the crosses were placed in a neat pile in the truck, one cross was placed on his truck's hood, and three were placed next to the truck on the sidewalk.
"There was no damage to anything, just the placement of the crosses," he said.
The Corvallis Police Department is investigating the incident.
The student group had 1,000 crosses stored in their office, and used those for their display. The "Cemetery to the Unborn," display is based on a similar demonstration at the University of New Mexico.
Robinson said the College Republicans are not unified in their stance on abortion, but said the display was a good way to spark discussion of abortion issues.
"This is a wonderful way to make a visual impact and to have to think about this number (of abortions) no matter what side of the issue you're on," he said. "There's nothing wrong with giving out information."
He said some Jewish students had questioned using a Christian symbol for the demonstration, but he countered that the crosses are not being used in a religious sense, but to mimic the Arlington Cemetery and other large graveyards.
Robinson said his group is trying to promote intellectual diversity by sparking debate and bring information to OSU students.
"Everyone's been real civil," he said. "It's sparked debate. No one wants the campus to be all Democrat or all Republican, all conservative or all liberal. We should be getting in the trenches and hashing it out."
As the day wore on, a debate arose between a number of people gathered near the Memorial Union steps. Voices were raised to near shouts and several discussions were getting heated, although neither side reported any real trouble.
A counter-demonstration was organized by a number of OSU students not affiliated with any single organization but who consider themselves pro-choice. To counter the sign, "Each cross represents an unborn child," the demonstrators displayed a sign that read 'Each cross represents the innocent victims of war."
OSU student Alicia Crain wore a sandwich board reading "Keep your rosaries off our ovaries," as she stood with other students, all dressed in black, who had gathered to protest the cemetery display.
"We decided we needed to do something," she said. "It was a one-sided approach. It's not for the government to decide what a woman does with her body."
Crain said the anti-war signs that were being displayed alongside the pro-choice signs were appropriate because those who support action in Iraq are supporting the potential death of thousands of children.
She said she objected to the College Republicans using a mock cemetery to get their point across.
"I think it's atrocious to affront us like this," she said. "It's unacceptable."
Crain said she'd prefer to see a discussion of the issues on a different playing field, such as holding a forum.
"We're not pro-abortion," she said. "But we need the choice."