Activist group ignites furor, told to leave campus grounds
Sophomore Tom Struckman crossed the intersection of McKinley and Riverside avenues with fists clenched.
His reaction was response to posters of aborted children he saw while walking around campus.
"It's an atrocity," Struckman said. "The posters didn't do anything to me, but hearing someone by the library lecture some woman about abortion - that got to me."
Sophomore Brett Deery said the posters were "just wrong."
"We all know the pros and cons of abortion," Deery said. "They crossed the line because the poster is disrespectful to that baby."
The posters were displayed by the Missionaries for the Pre Born, a Christian group based out of Wisconsin that campaigns against abortion and Planned Parenthood.
The missionaries arrived at Ball State Wednesday carrying signs with enlarged photos of aborted children.
"We're here to show the truth of abortion," said Mary Beay, a member of the missionaries.
The missionaries go to college campuses, city streets and abortion clinics around the country. Beay said the majority of the responses is negative, but some people thank the group for being there.
"At clinics we council the women going in," she said. "Some say if it weren't for us they would have killed their babies."
Missionary Dan Balint said the group was well-received at Ball State when compared to some campuses.
But most of the students' reactions indicated otherwise.
Shouts of obscenities, abortion debates and cars with "pro-choice" posters taped to their sides also graced the campus. Posters saying "Hands off my vagina" and "Anti-choice is anti-Jesus" were scattered at the kiosk on the corner of McKinley and Riverside avenues four hours after the group left.
Members of the group stationed at the Scramble Light faced opposition from those running the Student Soapbox. The space had been reserved for the soapbox for College of Communication, Information, and Media Week.
The group was asked to leave by University Police officers around 1 p.m. Officer Vicki Houser said no group may have such a demonstration without permission from the university. According to Houser, the group had not gotten permission.
Sophomore Jonathan Nolte said he thought the university asking the group to leave during "freedom of expression" week was ironic.
"This is about free speech," Nolte said. "They should be able to speak whatever their idea of truth is."
Being told to leave is common for the group, said missionary Bill Balint. He said the missionaries were once told to leave after 20 minutes at Wheaton College in Illinois.
Bill Balint also said most Christian universities cannot let the group stay on campus.
"It's for the safety of their college," Bill Balint said. "They are held responsible if they don't kick us off."
Wednesday's stop at Ball State is part of a tour of Indiana colleges. The missionaries spent Monday at Purdue University, Tuesday at Indiana University and are headed for Notre Dame on Thursday.
Balint said college campuses are one of the best places to campaign.
"This is where you find future doctors, legislators, senators and congressmen," he said. "They have and can form strong opinions."
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