Abortion clinics, hospitals and the statehouse are the most common locations for anti-abortion demonstrations. But a Columbus-based pro-life group is taking its message to area high schools. Its an approach that has become increasingly common in recent years. Anti-abortion demonstrators hold up large, graphic signs of fetuses at Gahanna-Lincoln High School as students board buses and wait to cross the street to go home. It was the second protest at the school conducted by a group called Created Equal. The groups director, Mark Harrington, said it decided to hold rallies at all of the Columbus-area school districts in the coming months. This is where students, young people, are going to decide if theyre going to be sexually active. Founded three years ago, Created Equals Harrington said its trying to balance out public sex education. Theyre being taught about safe sex inside this school and many schools Theyre being taught about STDs. They need to be taught about abortion. In every other way we teach people we show them what goes on," Harrington said.
Minneapolis pro-choice author Robin Marti researches and monitors U. S. anti-abortion groups. Marti said pro-life high school demonstrations are less common than rallies held at abortion clinics or hospitals where abortion providers have admitting privileges. But she said its an approach thats gaining ground. Especially like states in Ohio. Abortion clinics are closing so quickly, and there are so many different [anti-abortion] groups. And you also have so few clinics for them to be able to concentrate on. Marty said the groups have resorted to focusing on high schools. Because they believe that students inside are likely learning sex education that they need to learn outside on the sidewalk what it is that they actually would be doing if they had an abortion," Marti said. "So they see this as a front line movement that will help them to stop somebody before they ever get to the point where they would get pregnant and go get an abortion.
Around the corner from Gahanna-Lincoln High is an elementary school. Middle and elementary schools often are near district high schools. Marty said a number of anti-abortion groups she has researched avoid locations with close proximity to grade schools. Thats something we dont usually see a lot of because usually they try to respect staying away from younger children," she said. At least one Gahanna student stopped and spoke at length with a demonstrator as Heather Wolpe waited to pick up her daughter, Ery. I, personally, am OK [with pro-life rallies]," Wolpe said. "However I dont like that theyre pushing their views on children. I mean, as a parent. I speak with her. Weve discussed this," Wolpe said. "I don't like it because [Ery] doesn't like it." Ery said the signs made her uncomfortable. I dont like it because theres an elementary school right over there. And they all see these signs and theyre like 12, 11. And they see the signs.
In Hilliard, there are middle schools across the street from two of the districts high schools. Hilliard City School spokeswoman Amanda Morris said the district will notify parents of a demonstration if school officials get advance notice. Morris added a rally of this kind would be a first for the district, though she said other demonstrations have taken place near Hilliard schools in the past. Our focus has been to not give them the attention they are looking for and really focusing in on our school day taking place as normal," Morris said."So thats kind of been our approach in the past, and, if needed, we may need to kind of take that step again. Chicago-based Pro-Life Action League executive director Eric Scheidler said his organization has taken graphic pictures to high schools for years. But he said some groups have stepped up the tactic. This isnt really a new tactic nationally. Created Equal has been going out and making a real point lately of trying to bring these pictures to the high schools because we know that this is a target audience for the abortion industry. Scheidler added shocking images can be powerful. He cited pictures of the Holocaust, Vietnam and child labor. But Scheidler underscored the images must be used judiciously and that his group sets limits where it demonstrates. Were very careful to look in the vicinity of anyplace were going to bring those abortion victim photos to make sure were not going to be close to daycare centers, elementary schools or family types of events," Scheidler said. "I know other groups will draw the line somewhere else. And its not really up to me to tell anyone else what to do. But thats a concern that we have. Overall, abortions have steadily declined in Ohio since 2000, according to the Ohio Department of Health. Fourteen percent of the states abortions are performed on girls between 15 and 19 years old. The number of abortions within that age range has dropped by half since 2000, the largest decrease of any age group. Created Equals Mark Harrington credits the decline, in part, to the work of anti-abortion groups. And he said its necessary to continue to take the pro-life message to teens. As far as holding rallies near elementary and middle schools, Harrington said the group tries to choose locations where grade schools arent directly across from high schools. We realize that younger children are going to see these, too. I mean, Im a parent and I completely sympathize with parents who dont want them to learn this kind of thing," Harrington said. "But if they want to stop us from coming out here, then lets stop the killing.
Harrington said Created Equal intended to demonstrate in the Reynoldsburg district this week, but he said the teacher strike caused the group to select another school district. At the time this story was recorded the Harrington had not decided on one.